đ Roadtrip in the Southwest coast of Portugal: 7 places you can't miss
Portugal Costa Vicentina
#01
Comporta and Melides Beach
Comporta is unlike anywhere else in Portugal. This charming town has
become popular with European holidaymakers as a chic, stylish and
laidback town. Comporta is a small beachside village about an hourâs
drive from Lisbon, residing in the old district of SetĂşbal, on the TrĂłia
peninsula.
Check out the 10 best things to do in Comporta
Melides Beach is composed of the long stretch of sand that separates the
sea and Melides Lagoon. Both access by road and the car parking are of
good standard and this beach can be enjoyed with the back up of a full
range of support infrastructures, including a volleyball net, for
example. The 4 kilometre road that leads to the beach, running past pine
trees and rice paddies, also connects with Melides, a traditional
Altentejo village with its white houses and calm streets, well worth a
visit.
#02
SĂŁo Torpes Beach
Located just on the outskirts of Sines, the Praia de SĂŁo Torpes is a
Blue Flag award winning beach. You will struggle not to be a little
overwhelmed by the twin towering chimneys of an enormous power plant
situated next to the beach. Besides somewhat spoiling the view and
belching coal fumes into the air, the thermoelectric plant does have one
benefit. Heated water is pumped into the sea here which actually raises
the sea temperature a degree or so at the northern end of the beach.
This water is perfectly clean, as the beach has to meet stringent
criteria on water quality to keep its Blue Flag status.
Find out more about SĂŁo Torpes beach
#03
Porto Covo
If the archetypal traditional Portuguese fishing village still exists
then maybe Porto CĂ´vo is this. Even the name translates as port of the
fishing net. A jumble of whitewashed cottages, cobbled streets and
pretty squares perched on the low cliff tops of the Alentejo coast
between Sines and Vila Nova de Milfontes. Perhaps the biggest draw to
Porto CĂ´vo is the wealth of fine, sandy beaches in and around the
village. If you head towards the cliffs at the edge of the village you
are sure to find one of a number of sandy coves nestling below.
Discover Porto Covo beaches
#04
Vila Nova de Mil Fontes
Vila Nova De Milfontes is a charming Portuguese resort town that is
located in the heart of the beautiful Alentejo coastline. Milfontes is
adored by the Portuguese, and during the summer the town swells in size,
as tourists are drawn by the glorious beaches, delicious food and social
nightlife. Foreign visitors are slowly discovering the allure of Vila
Nova de Milfontes and the western Alentejo region, but it is still one
of the least visited coastlines of Portugal; with vast stretches of wild
and deserted beaches. The town of Vila Nova de Milfontes is delightfully
Portuguese, filled with cobbled streets, whitewashed houses and scenic
views across the Mira River.
Find out more about Vila Nova de Mil Fontes
#05
Zambujeira do Mar
Affording an excellent view over the beach, Zambujeira do Mar is a small
fishing village where it is still possible to enjoy a feeling of great
peace and tranquillity. The beautiful beaches are one of the main
attractions for the many visitors that come here, particularly in the
summer, because of the region´s well preserved natural conditions and
its excellent facilities for water sports.
Discover more about Zambujeira do Mar
#06
Odeceixe
The road to the beach winds through a lush green valley, following the
course of Seixe Stream and the farmlands that gradually give way to
marshes. Closer to the beach, the cork oaks covering the valleyâs slopes
give way to coastal scrubland, rich in aromatic and melliferous plants
whose scents sweeten the air. The whitewashed houses dotting the
hillside are essentially summer holiday homes. The beach is a
generously-sized strip of sand between the sea and the stream that flows
into it at its northernmost tip. Lagoons form here at low tide, a much
appreciated spot for peaceful bathing. Canoes can be hired for a trip
upstream, home to animals such as the otter, the grey heron and the
colourful kingfisher. The black sea cliffs lining the beach are made of
schist with veins of pearl-coloured quartz, their many layers and cracks
bringing to mind constructions of Lego.
Find out more about Odeceixe
#07
Sagres - most south-westerly point of mainland Europe
Sagres is at the extreme western tip of the Algarve and is like no other
destination in southern Portugal. It is a region for the adventurous,
the intrepid and those who seek to pit themselves against the wild
environments. These dramatic landscapes are dominated by natureâs raw
power; from the raging seas that carve immense cliffs, the bracing winds
that create barren landscapes, through to the intense summer sun, which
burns careless tourists. Sagres is primarily a surfing destination, but
there are sheltered pristine beaches for relaxing on, and an unassuming
cool vibe about the town. Day-trippers are drawn to Sagres by the Cabo
de Sao Vicente, a remote and bleak headland, aptly fitting for
most south-westerly point of mainland Europe.
Learn more about Sagres