Excursions

Aljezur Coast
(Costa Vincentina)

For a day of "getting away from it all", for endless breaths of fresh Atlantic air, for the feel of ocean mist on your skin, take this excursion up the Aljezur coast. The Aljezur coast takes you north from Sagres along the Atlantic coast. The coastline is graced with endless remote and unspoiled beaches, creating a great escape from Lagos.

This ocean current along these beaches is much stronger, so to venture into the ocean you must be a strong swimmer. This shoreline is popular with surfers from around the world and offers you great entertainment to see the masters at work.

Pack a nice picnic lunch as the touristy beachside restaurants are far from this peaceful and seemingly isolated part of the Algarve.

Our favourite route to the Aljezur coast is to drive to Praia da Bordeira (see directions below). From this point you can take the N266 roadway to head south along the Atlantic coast towards Sagres, or head north towards the town of Aljezur. As you make your way through the countryside, notice the abundance of cork and eucalyptus trees along the road. You will also pass an impressive array of windmills, designed to take advantage of the strong winds in this region. The windy roads, both paved and dirt, are a bit of an adventure as they take you through some pretty rough terrain.

From here the choice is endless and up to you, as you select the little offshoot to one of the multitude of Aljezur beaches.

Praia do Bordeira: This is our favourite beach in the area as it is near one of our "must visit" eateries O Sitio do Rio. You once had to walk up the hill and over to the beach, which was a good 10 minute walk.

Now, you can drive up the hill to a dirt parking lot at the top, for some of the most breathtaking views of your holiday. Then make your way down a delicately architected boardwalk to the beach. This is a comfortable walk as the wood walkway is very long and gently sloped

.

Tip: Bring your walking shoes as you can walk forever on this romantic beach.

Notice the abundance of miniature beach flora nestled in the surrounding low-lying greenery along the boardwalk.

The Coastal Colours: As this is one of our favourite places to escape for a day, we visit the Alzejur coast at different times of the year. We continue to be amazed by the spectacular variety of flowers with shocking colour, growing by the roadside, in the fields, in gardens and even off the rugged seaside cliffs. These bursts of colour are a delightful surprise as the plants are tough enough to brave the coastal weather and to flourish.

Heading South from Praia da Bordeir along the Alzejur Coast.....

Praia do Amado: Drive a little further south along this costal road and you will come to another fine surfers beach called Praia do Amado with a cliff side restaurant O Sitio do Forno, offering great views and a relaxing setting. You can feel the ocean breeze on your face as you dine here. Our Eateries pages has further details on O Sitio do Forno.

A Christmas Day with Solace: We spent a memorable Christmas Day at Praia do Amado, armed with a picnic basket loaded with goodies including a fine bottle of Charles Heidsieck Champagne, smoked salmon, an assortment of Portuguese cheeses with crackers. What more do you need!! The challenge was to endure the steep incline down to the beach. The beach cafe's were closed but they nicely left their furniture out, so we set ourselves up at their tables, faced the sun, toasted the gift of Christmas, expressed gratitude to the great guy upstairs, and of course gazed in amazement at the brave surfers.

Cliff-side Picnic Spots: On one occasion we packed yet another picnic lunch with a heavy canvas beach blanket and stopped off at an incredible cliff side plateau with breath taking views.

Tip: Be extremely careful not to get too close to the edge of these steep cliffs. Also take note of the erosion as some seemingly flat patches may be eroding underneath and may not be very safe.

Heading North from Praia da Bordeira along the Alzejur Coast.....

Praia da Arrifana: This rugged beach really tickles your every sense, with it's jagged cliffs, vocal waters, intense waves and determined breeze soaked with salty scents. We usually spend a few hours here, starting with lunch at Restaurant Oceano, then walking down the road from the restaurant towards the cliiffy coast. The road gives the illusion that in blends into the sea. There are endless nooks and crannies to check out, including a hidden protected marina, ruins of an old convent, and of course just the sights of Arrifana beach with the very steep and narrow winding road from the cliff top down to the beach.

Restaurant Oceano
Our Favourites: Naco na Pedra (Steak on a Stone)and the variety of fish of the day. A a nice cut of uncooked steak is presented on a hot slab of granite baked for 8 hours. The event is quite fun as you simply slice the meat to your liking and then cook each slice on the stone until cooked to your preference. A variety of tasty dipping sauces are presented to accompany the meat. We have enjoyed several tasty lunches here of both steak and fish grilled to perfection. This staff at this family run restaurant take pride in their offerings and enjoy interacting with their clients.

When: Lunch or Supper; opened year-round

Phone: (282) 99 73 00- Call ahead to confirm the dining hours, particularly during holidays and winter months

: Praia do Bordeira - From Lagos: From Stone Tulips roundabout #5, drive straight to Blackball roundabout #4. Take your third exit and follow the winding road to roundabout #8. Take your second exit to Motorway Entrance/Exit roundabout #E. Take your second exit to the EN125 highway west to Vila do Bispo. Turn north (right) when you see signs for Alzejur. Drive for 10 minutes to Carrapateira. Drive through this tiny rural community and just as you leave the village, turn left on a dirt road lined with tall grass on either side. Continue on until you see the restaurant O Sitio do Rio on your right. Drive past the restaurant up the hill to a dirt parking lot overlooking Praia da Bordeira.

From here you can either venture north towards Arrifana Beach or south towards Praia do Amado, along the Alzejur coast.

Driving time from Lagos: 40 min; more if you head north to Arrifana

: Parking available in designated parking areas at most beaches.

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