The Quieter Beaches of Portugal
Most travelers think of Portugal and its beaches in the area of Algarve, it’s southernmost region of the country. Here the beaches a noisy and crowded.
But just a couple hours drive south of Lisbon ,but north of the Algarve, is the Alentejo area. The beaches are on the Atlantic west coast, the Costa Azul, or Blue Coast, and are secluded and relaxing. In fact, you’ll find mostly locals there with a few tourists.
Porto Covo is a small Portuguese fishing village and it offers access to the small, private beaches in the area. This charming town is visited by few tourists, so it still has a relaxed, traditional pace of the locals. You can relax under an umbrella that dot the fronts of the traditional cafes on Rua Vasco da Gama, their main street. One of the most popular meals with the locals is fresh grilled sardines and arroz de marisco (seafood rice.) Other notable dishes include “caldeirada” (a stew with several kinds of fish) and “ensopado de enguias” (eel stew with bread).
This town is also the birthplace of Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese navigator who discovered the sea route to India. You’ll find a statue of him facing the bay. Above the beach stands the simple medieval castle restored in the 16th century by King Manuel . The Archaeological Museum displaying interesting pieces of jewelry, probably of Phoenician origin, is nearby.
One of the larger beaches, Praia Morgavel is about a 15 minute drive north of Porto Covo and you’ll find three-foot waves breaking on the shore. It’s perfect for swimming and surfing or just relaxing in the warm sun. You’ll find it especially clean and quiet for no one plays loud music here.
A better way to explore the smaller beaches is by walking. The coastline between Porto Covo to Praia da Ilha do Pessegueiro (Peach Tree Island Beach) has a path leading you up and down and around the coast with intriguing views of the ocean through the various coves. It’s about an hour walk but the sea spray is refreshing. The area has sea worn coves, creating a spectacular effect of rocky cliffs with tiny beaches hidden between them.
Most of the beaches in this area have been awarded the “European Blue Flag” which is given to beaches which meet the criteria including water quality, good environmental management, safety, service and facilities.
In addition to water sports on the beaches, you might want to go horseback riding in the region. In fact you can take an entire week’s tour on horseback, round trip from Lisbon. You’ll stay in different private estates every night. (Visit hiddentrails.com/Europe/Portugal for more details.)
The Hotel Porto Covo is a good place to stay and you’ll find it tucked away behind a small residential area on Rua Vitalina da Silva. It’s immaculate and fairly modern, built around a pool. The staff is very friendly although they don’t speak English very well. There are also campgrounds in the area and some offer bungalows with a small kitchen as well as camping sites. However, you’ll want a car because the town is about a 5 minutes drive but a long walk under the hot sun.
