Costa Vicentina: Portugal’s most spectacular road trip

After having visited the Portuguese Algarve on multiple occasions, we know Lagos, Faro, and just about all the beautiful Portuguese beaches, intriguing Algarve sea caves, and charming fishing villages (looking at you Carvoeiro) in between. But have you ever wondered what lies beyond this popular stretch of Algarve coastline? Located along the region’s west coast is the Costa Vicentina. It’s just as much part of the Algarve yet worlds apart from the tourist magnets that dot the southern coastline. We had our hearts set on exploring this wild Atlantic coastline and set off on road a trip from Odeceixe to Bordeira, Aljezur, and Odeceixe. The unspoiled landscapes and laid-back towns we encountered, took our breath away. Are you ready to discover the spectacular Costa Vicentina beaches, authentic whitewashed villages, and most unique Portuguese Airbnbs?

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Where is the Costa Vicentina

The Costa Vicentina stretches out from Burgau to Odeceixe in the Algarve following the contours of the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park up to the border between the Algarve and Alentejo coast. The Vicentine coast extends over the territory of two municipalities:

• Villa do Bispo, which includes Burgau, Sagres, and Cape St Vincent.
• Aljezur, which includes Bordeira, Carrapateira, Aljezur-town, and Odeceixe.

The Costa Vicentina is Portugal’s largest protected coastal area, dotted with wide beaches, sand dunes, wildflowers, authentic villages as well as grey and copper-colored cliffs. We created a custom map of the area, indicating the Costa Vicentina beaches, towns, and highlights we’ll cover in further detail as well as the Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina Natural Park.

The only way to explore the Atlantic Coast of Portugal is by car. Rental cars do come pretty cheap in Portugal, just take into account that you’ll be paying tolls when driving in Portugal.

Discover Cars is our go-to European car rental comparison site. The prices are highly competitive, the booking process is effortless and you can even select a pay later option that comes with free cancelation. Click here to get the best car rental deal.

The Costa Vicentina roads can be bumpy, sandy, and remote but that’s all part of the region’s charm.

Things to do along the Costa Vicentina

Not only is a Costa Vicentina road trip incredibly scenic it’s also packed with idyllic villages, delicious little restaurants, interesting local museums, and a wide range of things to do.

Here’s our selection of the best sights and activities along the Costa Vicentina in Portugal.

Discover the amazing Costa Vicentina beaches

While the Costa Vicentina might be off the radar for most tourists, the sweeping winds and crashing waves have been attracting surfers for quite some time. You’ll find plenty of surf-schools here. Do note that the summer season is the best time to learn how to surf. In autumn and winter, the swell is too strong and only suited for experienced surfers. The following Costa Vicentina beaches are most popular for surfing:

• Amado Beach or Praia do Amado: This beach lies hidden behind towering ochre-colored cliffs that protect it from northern winds. The consistently big waves attract many surfers, so much so that surfing events and tournaments are occasionally held at this beach.

• Arrifana Beach of Praia da Arrifana: This Costa Vicentina beach is less wide than others in this list, especially at high tide. The rocks that line the beach are peculiarly shaped. There’s a small port on the north side of the beach and a rock formation nicknamed Needle Rock or Angular Rock on the south side. Directly overlooking the bay, you’ll find the Restaurante da Praia, a handful of beach bars, and the remains of the 17th-century Arrifana Fortress. It’s a lively beach that offers excellent surf conditions for both beginners and pros.

• Praia de Monte Clérigo or Monte Clérigo Beach: The drive to this beach is incredibly scenic. The cliff-perched village overlooking the golden stretch of sand is picture-perfect. Rock pools and a small lagoon appear at low tide, making this beach just as popular with families as it is with surfers. The strong swells and shifting sandbanks make this beach less suited for beginning surfers.

Several meandering rivers cross some of the Costa Vicentina towns before mouthing in the Atlantic. Surfers can find excellent waves where the warm river water meets the colder ocean water. At the beach, shallow lagoons are formed. The calm waters and lack of swell make these lagoons a wonderful alternative to the wild Atlantic waters.

You’ll find three Costa Vicentina beaches where the beach doubles as a river bank flanking the lagoon, creating the perfect environment for families with kids, kayakers, and stand-up paddle boarders:

• Bordeira Beach or Praia da Bordeira: The Bordeira River or Ribeira da Bordeira makes its way from the village of Carrapateira to this beautiful beach. Before mouthing in the Atlantic, it winds between the dunes that line spectacular Bordeira beach.

• Odeceixe Beach or Praia de Odeceixe: This might just as well be the most picturesque beach. The Seixe River or Ribeira de Seixe hugs and shapes this Costa Vicentina beach, creating a golden stretch of sand that is flanked by both the ocean and the river. The cliffs are covered in vegetation and come together in the verdant river valley, separating the Algarve and Alentejo regions.

• Amoreira Beach or Praia da Amoreira: The Aljezur River or Ribeira de Aljezur wraps around this wide beach sheltered by sheer cliffs on either side. There’s a rock formation to the north that resembles a sleeping giant. The sand dunes that back Praia da Amoreira and flank the Aljezur River continue a bit inland until they transition into rolling hills covered in vegetation.

Hike the Rota Vicentina

Some of the most scenic Portugal hikes can be found along both the Costa Alentejana and the Costa Vicentina. The Rota Vicentina network (GR11-E9) makes this region an attractive destination for outdoor enthusiasts. It consists of two long-distance hikes and several day hikes that traverse a landscape of river estuaries, wetlands, and towering cliffs.

These are the multi-day hikes of the Rota Vicentina:

• The Historical Way is a 263-km (163-mile) hike comprising 12 daily sections with a maximum of 25 km (15.5 miles) and one section of 33 km (20.5 miles). It starts in Santiago de Cacém (Alentejo Coast) and ends in Cabo de São Vicente (Vicentina Coast). It leads along rural roads and is classified as easy to hike.

• The Fishermen’s Trail is a 226-km (140-mile) hike comprising 13 daily sections. It starts in Porto Covo (Alentejo Coast) and ends in Lagos (southern Algarve Coast). It leads along sandy coastal trails and is classified as moderately difficult to hike. This stretch from Odeceixe to Cabo de São Vicente is very popular.

These two Rota Vicentina one-day hikes are loop trails that offer a wonderful introduction to the spectacular landscapes of the Costa Vicentina:

• The Carrapateira Cliffs trail, a 10.5-km (6.5-mile) circular route from and to Carrapateira Square.

• The Amoreira trail, a 7-km (4.5-mile) circular route from and to the parking lot north of Amoreira Beach.

There’s another Great Pedestrian Route that’s partly located on Costa Vicentina territory and that’s the GR13 or Via Algarviana. It connects Alcoutim in the east of the Algarve to Cabo de São Vicente in the west. The trail totals a distance of 300 kilometers (186 miles) and is divided into 14 sections.

Explore picturesque Aljezur

Aljezur is the name of the municipality that runs over the entire length of the coastline from Amado Beach to Odeceixe Beach. It’s also the name of an enchanting town located at the foot of the Monchique mountains, founded in the 10th century by the Moors.

The wider region is still dotted with archeological remnants, one of which is the Aljezur Castle which enjoys a strategic location overseeing the town, the river, and Amoreira Beach. Many travel guides about Portugal fail to mention this landmark but it’s definitely worth a visit. The Moors built this hilltop fortress on a foundation that can be traced back to the Iron Age in the 8th century BC.
The Municipal Museum provides plenty of information about the archeological finds in the Aljezur area.

The old town of Aljezur was badly damaged in the 1755 earthquake and many structures had to be rebuilt. One of the first new-builds was the Igreja Matriz Nossa Senhora da Alva which is still referred to as the New Church. It’s located right next to a lively square with a water feature.

The region is famed for its sweet potatoes and you’ll find them on the menu of most Aljezur restaurants. In Rogil, there’s even an entire restaurant dedicated to this local crop: the Museu da Batata Doce. It has its own little shop that sells several products made of sweet potatoes.

Aljezur’s natural setting is breathtakingly beautiful and incredibly diverse. You’ll find pine forests, cork oak forests, eucalyptus forests, verdant river valleys, idyllic lakes, farmland, and of course, the untouched Aljezur beaches. To explore its wide variety of landscapes, it’s recommended to book one of the mountain bike or horse riding tours that leave from Aljezur town.

Find wildflowers and spot birds

Even if you’re not into hiking, you’ll still be blown away by the region’s magnetic beauty. Even more so in April and May, when a variety of wildflowers color the landscape. You’ll find them on the verdant valley slopes near the rivers, the sand dunes, and the towering beach cliffs. Just follow the butterflies.

Migrating birds know their way to this fertile region, with its winding rivers teeming with fish, estuaries rich in nutrients, and fruit trees dotting the landscape, very well. Its amazing natural abundance makes the Costa Vicentina a paradise for bird-watchers so make sure to add a pair of binoculars to your packing list.

Indulge in a Portuguese-style grilled fish at a local tasca

After a day of exploration, it’s time to taste the Costa Vicentina. Local specialties such as grilled fish, octopus, and sweet potatoes can be found in just about every local eatery, from the Aljezur restaurants to the small-town tascas (Portuguese taverns). We can personally recommend Cato in Carrapateira (the wood-oven baked bread was delicious) and Altinho in Odeceixe. An evening stroll in one of these white-washed villages is the perfect way to end the day.

See the end of the world in Sagres

At the southwestern tip of Portugal, reigned by sweeping wind, you’ll find the town of Sagres. It was believed to be the edge of the world before the Age of Discoveries proved otherwise. The strategic location even convinced Henry the Navigator to settle down in Sagres.

At the Ponta de Sagres (the Sagres point) is the Sagres fortress (Fortaleza de Sagres), from where you can enjoy the dramatic coastline views of the lighthouse of Cape St. Vincent (Cabo São Vicente).

Where to stay along the Costa Vicentina

To get a feel of what the Costa Vicentina is all about, we’d recommend staying at 2 or 3 different places. Costa Vicentina hotels may be scarce but there are some gorgeous boutique-style retreats dotting the hills and coastlines. Another option is to stay at one of the tastefully converted traditional houses or quaint beach cabanas.

Here’s is our personal selection of the best places to stay at the Costa Vicentina:

• 1 night in Sagres: Memmo Baleeira for couples or Martinhal Sagres for families with kids.

• 2 nights in Carrapateira or Bordeira: the family-friendly and rural Monte Da Vilarinha hotel (10 rooms and apartments) or this gorgeous vacation home.

• 2 nights near Aljezur or Odeceixe: The rural Monte do Cardal hotel (9 rooms), the luxurious Praia do Canal Nature Resort (56 rooms), the Quinta Alma glamping resort (complimentary breakfast) or one of the following villas in Algarve with private pool.

How to combine your Costa Vicentina road trip

To reach the Costa Vicentina from either Lisbon airport or Faro airport (we recommend Expedia for the best flight deals), you’ll be passing by either the Costa Azúl (between Lisbon and Tróia), the Costa Alentejana (between Tróia and Odeceixe) or the southernmost Algarve Coastline (between Faro and Lagos). We’ve visited all three and are happy to offer some inspiration to extend your Costa Vicentina road trip.

From Lisbon airport: Vicentina Coast + Alentejo Coast and/or Blue Coast

The Alentejo Coast or Costa Alentejana stretches out from the Tróia Peninsula to Zambujeira do Mar. Many Portuguese spend their vacation along this coastline so that kind of says a lot. With a traditional Portuguese village such as Porto Cova, a laid-back town such as Vila Nova de Milfontes, and glamorous hotspots such as Comporta and Carvalhal, there’s something for everyone.

The Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina covers the southern part of this coastline and ends in Sines. You would expect beaches that look similar to the ones along the Costa Vicentina but in fact, the further north you go, the more tropical the beaches start to look. We spent part of our family holiday in Comporta and Tróia and were amazed by the quality of the beaches.

Here’s where to stay at the Alentejo Coast:

• The converted Herdade da Matinha country house with a full range of activities to choose from in Vila Nova de Milfontes.

• This fabulous beach cabana or the high-end Sublime luxury resort in Comporta.

The Blue Coast or Costa Azúl is located between Lisbon and the Costa Alentejana. It’s where the Arrábida Natural Park meets the Atlantic. Expect jade-green mountains, white sandy beaches, and aquamarine waters. Where the wild waters of the Costa Vicentina are perfect for surfing, the quieter waters of the Costa Azúl are perfect for kayaking.

Here’s where to stay at the Blue Coast:

• The beachfront bed and breakfasts Casa da Adôa or CALI Deluxe Holidays in Sesimbra.

• This enchanting apartment in Sesimbra or this beautiful beachfront bungalow in Aroeira.

From Faro airport: Vicentina Coast + wider Lagos area

Lagos is located right next to the Costa Vicentina and the starting point of Portugal’s popular and well-frequented southern coastline. You’ll find plenty of history in the enchanting city center of Lagos. The wider area is home to some quaint fishing villages (Carvoeiro and Ferragudo to name a few), beautiful beaches, and the most intriguing rock formations. The best way to explore this interesting stretch of the Algarve coast is by taking a boat trip to the Ponta da Piedade and the Benagil Cave.

Here’s where to stay near Lagos:

• One of these gorgeous boutique hotels in the heart of the city: Casa Mãe & Lagos Avenida Hotel.

• This fabulous beach view villa in Lagos or this amazing Moroccan-styled home in Salema.

Costa Vicentina FAQ

That’s it for this Portugal road trip guide. We can’t wait to find out if you’re ready to explore this lesser-known part of the country. And when you decide to visit the Costa Vicentina or have been there in the past, we’d love to hear all about your experience in the comments.