At the very tip of south-west Portugal lies Costa Vicentina, the last wild coast in Europe, an untouched surfer enclave between Alentejo and the Algarve where the crashing waves drown out the hubbub of the world
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Discovering this part of the Alentejo, open to the sea, is always fascinating. Protected by the South West Alentejo and Costa Vicentina national park, the 100km of coastline from Porto Covo in the Alentejo to Burgau in the Algarve is the most stunning in Europe. And yet few people seem to know about it. Walkers come to admire the views from the Fisherman’s Way, surfers to ride the best waves in Europe, but day after day we had spectacular beaches to ourselves.
Protected along most of its length by strict environmental laws, the Costa Vicentina, as it is known, has no big developments to speak of and its few small towns (Aljezur, Odeceixe, Vila Nova de Milfontes) barely disturb the sleepy status quo. Its remarkable beaches - wide and wild, all dunes and cliffs and big Atlantic waves - are some of the loveliest in the world. Everything is low-key and unpretentious, all the way up to Comporta, where it mutates into a seriously fashionable barefoot enclave. Here the likes of Carla Bruni and Christian Louboutin and recently Madonna hang out in beach-shack bars.
Here are some of the beaches that I visited that made my weekend getaway to Alentejo unforgettable!
Praia da Arrifana in South-West Alentejo and Costa Vicentina Natural Park, next to a fisherman's area in Aljezur* (Algarve), located in a bay enclosed by tall cliffs and with local residences harmoniously sloping down almost to the water's edge, Arrifana Beach provides an excellent example of balance between human settlement and the natural environment. The ruins of the old fortress are ideal for some of the best views over the surroundings - It's Portugal afternoon-surf spot.
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| Arrifana Beach Sunset |
*Aljezur is a small town located 30 kilometres north of Lagos. A river splits the town in two and the Castle of Aljezur, which offers amazing views across the countryside, is thought to be one of the seven castles on the Portuguese flag.
Praia de Odeceixe develops itself on the two sides of the Seixe river, that borders with the Alentejo region, having this way both river and sea waters reachable for swimming and sailing, perfect for families.
The Beach has around 1 km length during low tide and is one of the most beautiful and famous beaches of the region, being also known as the “first beach of the Algarve”, as it is located next to the border with the Alentejo region.
On the South side is situated the Adega Beach, accessible by foot through Odeceixe Beach during low tides or through a very inclined track that comes down the cliff.
It was precisely the beauty of its cliffs and landscape that made the Beach of Odeceixe Prize winner 7 Wonders - Beaches of Portugal in the category of beach cliffs.
Praia da Franquia or Praia de Vila Nova de Milfontes, has a very long sand during low tide. However, when the tide is high, its area gets nearly reduced to half.
The beach is located in the sea front of Vila Nova de Milfontes town and belongs to the Rio Mira mouth by the north side. The waters are extremely calm, due to the protection of the river mouth.This beach is very crowded by families and water sports lovers.
Comporta is one of the jewels of the Alentejo Coast, a dolphin pod, two hundred bird species, golf courses and traditional architecture, Praia da Comporta is one of the most stunning, award winning beaches south of Lisbon and certainly one of the best beaches in Comporta and within the entire Iberian Peninsula.
Located just outside of Comporta Village on the road, which takes you along the awesome inspiring Troia Peninsula, this amazing coast area is probably the most popular beach in Comporta due to the large influx of mainly Spanish, French and Portuguese tourists throughout the summer months.
If you feel like you could use a little weekend getaway, then the Alentejo Coast is the perfect place to be for a little slice of paradise combining with beautiful Sunsets.
This getaway weekend was a total dream to me, even for such a little time I saw and relaxed probably in the best beaches of Portugal - These are on my top 10 list for sure.
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