The Alentejo coast: From praia to praia

Driving along the coast, breathing in the fresh and salty air. Feeling the wind softly touching your skin and when looking ahead, a deep blue sea with nothing at the horizons as the bleu of the sea flows over in the light blue of the sky. A magical scene as pure nature in all its glory is showing off itself revealing soft sand beaches hidden behind a wall of wild dunes and rough cliffs.

Praia Grande de Porto Covo

A 1,5-hour drive south of Lisbon, you enter the Alentejo region of Portugal. Alentejo, meaning “Beyond the Tagus River”, offers a variety of scenic views. From the dry plains and soft rolling hills filled with cork trees, olive trees, and grapevines… to the granite hills moving land inwards towards the Spanish border. However, when moving west and in the opposite direction, you will stumble on the wild Portuguese coastline; living proof of how powerful and beautiful mother nature can truly be.

Starting from the small village of Melides, take the coastal road R261-5 southward till you reach the small town of Porto Covo. A typical fishermen’s town with one shopping street, a central square around the town church, and just a couple of blocks of two-story white houses with blue doors.

The centre of Porto Covo

Praia dos Buizinhos

Even though the small-town image has its charm, the true eye catcher is the beach and its cliffside. Arriving at Porto Covo, park your car at the border of the town at Praia Grande de Porto Covo. From there you can follow the trail along, over, and in-between the cliffs just until you reach the lighthouse at Miradouro de Porto Covo, overlooking Praia dos Buizinhos. The trail may only be short of 1 km, the surprising views of the coves along the coast make it seem never ending, leaving you in awe everywhere you look.

Return north, heading back in the direction of Melides, stop along the way at various locations. At the side of the road, every few kilometres there is a parking lot at which you can take a quick break to admire the numerous unique beaches. And when lucky, you can even spot a group of surfers riding the wild Atlantic waves.

Surfer at Praia de Vale Figueiros

Before you call it a day and wrap-up your beach hopping adventure, visit one more destination: Praia da Galé-Fontainhas! As beautiful as the beaches on the way to Porto Covo are, the cliffs of Praia Galé are nothing of the sort, but equally beautiful. How the grey rocks, covered with green succulents and dune flowers dominated the picture at the southern beaches of Alentejo. Up north, the colour palate and rock formations change to a soft orange and burnt yellow sandstone cliff. The magical view holds much history as the cliffs are considered actual fossils, with its formation dating back 5 million years.

The formations of Praia da Galé-Fontainhas

A wonderful way to close of a 1-day roadtrip exploring the Alentejo coast and a perfect first introduction to a rich region that holds much more, yet to be discovered during another visit.

Liefs,

Bente