Your guide to Portugal's Vicentine Peninsula
Anchoring the south of Portugal, the Algarve* is home to some of the country's most beautiful beaches, mouth-watering seafood dishes and scenic villages.
Beyond the town of Lagos lies one of the most impressive cliff-backed stretches of coastline and the remote Vicentine Coast Natural Park, where you'll find local fishermen bringing in their daily catch, spectacular hidden shores and a thriving surf culture amongst the Atlantic waves.
This lesser-known corner of paradise presents a different side to the popular tourist trail of the Algarve's busy resorts and here we look at just some of the highlights.
Getting to Portugal: you'll find great value breaks to the Algarve with easyJet holidays*. Even if you stay elsewhere, a trip to the Vicentine Peninsula is always an option.
Ponta da Piedade
Start your journey to the natural park, by heading to Ponta da Piedade, which is one of the best places in Portugal* to discover golden sands, rocky coves and spectacular natural sea caves, shaped by the wind and tides.
Connected by wooden walkways and steep steps that provide a great workout, the vast cliffs are wonderfully scenic with views spanning for miles along the coastline.
Ponta da Piedade is walkable or accessible by car from nearby Lagos. The amazing sight of the weird and wonderful rock formations, especially when they glow orange and red at sunset, is unforgettable.
Once satisfied with the views from above, take to the water on a boat trip for even more sweeping vistas from the ocean.
Sagres
Heading west well away from the built-up resorts to the east, the Algarve is renowned for, the rather surprising rocky Sagres peninsula is a haven for surfers with a remote, undiscovered, end-of-the-world feel.
Soak in the scenic splendour of the sea-carved cliffs, swim from the pier at the harbour and visit the remains of the Fortaleza do Beliche standing proud at the top of a cliff just west of Sagres.
Then watch the surfers whip along the waves and constant swells of the frothing ocean at Praia do Beliche or at the sheltered Praia da Mareta where you can learn the basics of surfing with a lesson from Wave Sensations or one of the other brilliant surf schools in the area.
Sumptuous seafood
Seafood is a staple of Sagres with a few restaurants clustered around the harbour. One great place to eat fresh fish served with chips or boiled potatoes and salad is A Sereia restaurant.
Located beside the port and overlooking the ocean, they serve a great variety of fish including sardines, usually the best-value fish dish, in season from June to October. Prawns, crabs, lobsters, tuna and fresh fish frequently feature on the menu, all are served grilled.
The friendly staff and great atmosphere make dining here a thoroughly pleasant experience and you can watch the bustling fish market and the fishermen who ply their trade from the Atlantic Ocean arrive with their daily catch.
Vicentine Coast Natural Park
The Vicentine Coast Natural Park is a relatively undiscovered section of the Algarve that boasts spectacular beaches and villages.
This remote area stretches over 60 km along the Algarve's western shores from Odeceixe to Cabo de Sao Vicente, the most south-westerly point on the European continent.
A lighthouse guards the coast at Cabo de Sao Vicente and makes a great place to end the day gazing out at the sunset after visiting Sagres.
The Vicentine Coast Natural Park encompasses one of the last strongholds of the wild European coast and covers a spectacular protected coastline.
Home to some of the Algarve's most dramatic scenery, the tranquil and less developed area offers an array of amazing beaches and eye-catching hidden coves lining the ocean.
Long sandy beaches backed by dazzling limestone cliffs entice adventurers to this remote region including surfers and paragliders who love the huge ocean swells and blustery conditions.
Cyclists and hikers seek out off-the-beaten tracks and paths to explore while nature lovers enjoy the unique variety of bird life, vegetation, rock formations and wild seas, echoed by a multitude of colours from ocean-blues to vibrant green flora and ochre-hued cliffs.
Vicentine's beaches
As one of the most natural reserves to be found in Portugal, the park's abundance of beaches includes Praia da Amoreira, an extensive sandy golden beach on a riverbed, Praia do Castelejo backed by cliffs and Praia da Arrifana where the peaceful village overlooks the bay.
The wild beach of Praia da Cordoama is simply breathtaking and one of the most spectacular you can visit with crashing waves and a seemingly endless shoreline waiting to be explored.
Aljezur
Further north, the coastal village of Aljezur is a great place to relax. Visit the whitewashed buildings with bright red roofs and climb up to the 10th-century hilltop castle ruins.
This time-worn Moorish stronghold dominates the landscape around Aljezur and offers glorious views of the coast, natural park and Serra de Monchique beyond.
Monchique
From Aljezur, turn away from the coast towards the market town of Monchique in the Serra de Monchique, a densely wooded canvas of pine and cork trees.
The attractive cobbled streets and reasonably priced cafés and restaurants make a welcome change from the beaches.
If you are feeling energetic, follow a well-marked path to the top of Foia for some of the most spectacular landscape views in the Algarve. Alternatively, unwind in the thermal spa at Villa Termal das Caldas de Monchique Spa resort.
Odeceixe
Lastly, the isolated coastal settlement of Odeceixe that borders the Alentejo region is well worth the long drive to get there along the Algarve's western coast.
An old windmill sits above the village and makes a great viewpoint for gazing at the Alentejo countryside. Take time to stop by the sheltered Praia de Odeceixe, one of the region's most striking.
If you time your visit here out of season, you will likely have the place to yourself, besides a few surfers who brave the large swells that crash onto the beach and a handful of locals, as few visitors get this far.
Weather in the Algarve
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The above guide shows the weather in Sagres. Find out more about conditions across the region in our Algarve weather guide and the country in our weather guide to Portugal.
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