Nestling on a rugged cape midway down the enchanting Alentejo coast, the vibrant port town of Sines is the ideal base from which to enjoy the very best of south-western Portugal.
Besides its prominent setting on one of Europe’s most pristine shorelines, Sines is most famous for being the birthplace of the intrepid explorer, Vasco da Gama, who went on to discover the first sea route to the east in 1498.
Housed in Sines Castle’s keep, the building in which he was born in 1469 now features an excellent multimedia museum dedicated to the life and ground-breaking achievements of the greatest of all Portuguese navigators. Blessed with an exquisite Manueline doorway, the rebuilding of the castle’s hermitage chapel, the Capela de Nossa Senhora das Salas, was carried out at his expense.
Sines is also notable for being the embarkation point for King Miguel, who sailed to exile on a British warship, the Stag, from its port on the 1st of June 1834, handing the Portuguese throne to his niece, Queen Maria II.
The town is a gastronomic delight due to its fine selection of highly-rated restaurants serving some of the most appetising fish and seafood dishes in southern Portugal, such as caldeirada (a Portuguese-style fish casserole) and freshly-caught sardines, a summer favourite for locals and residents alike.
The centrepoint of a region blessed with an abundance of quaint little villages and idyllic seaside settlements, Sines is a working port that remains pleasantly untouched by the rigours of 21st-century tourism. Nevertheless, many of Portugal’s best beaches are to be found in this charming part of the country, where the sand is always fine and unblemished and the water turquoise and crystalline.
Inland from Sines (just 17 kilometres) lies Santiago do Cacém, a pleasant town picturesquely draped down the slopes below its historic castle, which was built by the Knights Templar. Alongside the castle stands the parish church whose main feature is a 14th-century relief of St James, who was killed during a Moorish attack on the town.
Where to go in southern Portugal
On the hill to the north of Santiago do Cacém stand the ruins of Miróbriga, one of the best-preserved Roman towns in Portugal where visitors can soak up more than two thousand years of history whilst wandering amongst its ancient temples, baths and villas.
To the north lies the Reserva Natural das Lagoas de Santo André e Sancha, a preserved area of Atlantic lagoons lined with golden sandy beaches ideal for beach holidays with young children. This picturesque coastal reserve is also renowned for its rich diversity of bird life, including many migratory species. The world’s fastest creature, the peregrine falcon, can often be spotted in and around the Sines area.
The whole area south of Sines is encompassed by the Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, a large expanse of protected sea and land covering a total of 90,000 hectares, which continues to stretch south as far the Algarve.
After a short drive you’ll reach Porto Côvo, arguably the most charming beach resort in this part of Portugal and a place where dining in outdoor restaurants, relaxing beside the ocean and frolicking in the Atlantic surf is by far the best way to pass the time.
Ilha do Pessegueiro (Peach Tree Island) at the southern end of Porto Côvo is the ultimate beach hideaway located less than a kilometre off the Alentejo coast. Historically, it was first occupied by the Carthaginians prior to the Second Punic War in the 3rd century BC, although most of today’s visitors go to the island to enjoy camping, hiking, bird-watching and all manner of water-based activities such as surfing, kayaking and snorkelling.
Further south lies Vila Nova de Milfontes, a picture-perfect town of whitewashed buildings situated right at the mouth of the River Mira. Its golden, sandy beaches are among the most popular along the Alentejo coast, as too are the many al fresco restaurants serving the freshest fish and seafood right through the year.
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