Portugal – Alentejo Coast – Porto Covo (En)

Last Thursday we arrived at Porto Covo, one of the two civil parishes in the municipality of Sines, a fishing town located along the Western Alentejo coast of Portugal, with a population of 1116 inhabitants. We stayed in Porto Covo camping just 5 minutes from the town’s main square, with good facilities but not hot water for washing the dishes, a restaurant and bar with pool and football tables. 14 euros electricity included in a great location.

Porto Covo is one of the most charming villages in the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park in Portugal. It is an old fishing village that still retains its old flavour with its cobbled streets. Its square, Marques de Pombal square, is one of the most beautiful and simple that I have known. It is a National Monument and it is completely square, a beautiful example of popular Pombaline architecture. The life of the town is concentrated around this picturesque square, where its small church, Our Lady of Solitude, is located on one side. A baroque and Neoclassical church comprising austere lines and hybrid morphology from the reign of Queen Maria I of Portugal typical of the regional style.

What really sets it apart is the fact that all this old-school charm is perched dramatically on the edge of some spectacular cliffs and has charming beaches. «La Praia do Banho», «La Praia dos Buizinhos» and «La Praia Grande». The town has a fortress that defended the cove. A little further South, is the Island of Pessegueiro, The Island of the Peach Tree. It is abandoned and is a source of inspiration for the most poetic, in summer there are excursions to the island, until September 15.

The port of the town is also worth a visit, there are still many boats in the port, most of which make day trips to the island. The area is part of the natural park that protects the habitats of migratory and endemic birds. Today Saturday we went to see the port and because it is sunny we took more pictures of all the places.

Tomorrow Sunday we are going to Vila Nova de Milfontes, a charming town located in the centre of the Alentejo coast, next to the mouth of the Mira river and with an authentic Portuguese character that you will be able to see in the next post!