Sergeant Rufus the miniature pinscher in his red hoody and black harness, ready for patrol.

Walk with Rufus

"Sergeant Rufus. Morning patrol. Follow me, and keep up."Sergeant Rufus

Olhos d'Água is a real village by the sea, in Portugal. Rufus knows every corner of it.

Start the walk ↓

The village wakes up

"First, the sea wall. Kookie Eyes is already up there. He doesn't patrol. He just knows things. I've noted it."Sergeant Rufus

Kookie Eyes doesn't say much. He doesn't need to.

The sea wall above the sea at Olhos d'Água.

Close your eyes and listen. What does the village sound like?

The eyes of the water

"This is Olhos d'Água. It means 'eyes of water'. I'll explain. When the tide goes out, little springs of fresh water show on the beach, right by the sea. That's the eyes. Told you I'd explain."Sergeant Rufus

Low tide on the beach: flat rock shelves with clear pools of water, wet shining sand and golden cliffs with pine trees behind.

Spot the springs

Coming soon: a game to spot the springs on the beach.

The golden beach at Olhos d'Água, with mossy rocks in clear shallow water and cliffs behind.

The rock pools

"The rock pools: Carl's department. We look. We don't take."Sergeant Rufus

Rock pools: always with a grown-up, and check the tide.

Boats, nets and sardines

"Now the fishing boats. Pulled up and resting. Nobody touch the nets."Sergeant Rufus

The Sardine Festival

Every August, the village has a Sardine Festival, with music and dancing by the sea.

Fishing boats pulled up by the seafront, with cliffs and the sea behind.

What's on the grill?

  • Sardines
  • Potatoes
  • Tomato salad

Grilled sardines, potatoes and tomato salad. A real village supper.

A day in the village

Up and down the wooden stairs, from sunrise to sunset. Tap a card to hear it.

Wooden stairs with wooden handrails climbing up from the beach towards the white houses of the village, with pine trees and pink flowers.

"Patrol complete. Same time tomorrow."Sergeant Rufus

From up here

"Stephanie. Seagull. I see everyone arrive before anyone else does. Obviously."Stephanie

  1. The plane
  2. The airport
  3. The road
  4. The village
  5. The beach

"Then they drive along the coast. About half an hour. I could do it in four minutes. I'm just saying."Stephanie

Golden cliffs topped with pine trees along a long sandy beach and turquoise sea, with a small white plane high in the sky.

Meet the locals

Who will you meet on your walk? Everyone in the village is waiting for you on one page.