Pedro DominguesVisiting Porto Covo and Sines was the last stage of my vacation in the Algarve and Southwest Alentejo. In Porto Covo I slowed down and stopped to relax instead of exploring everything: the atmosphere there, both day and night, was magical, it conveyed calm, and not even the excessive number of people for such a small place disturbed the peace.
The street performers added to the atmosphere and, of course, it was interesting to meet people at the hostel who had come to start the fishermen’s trail.
I’m sure that after browsing through this article, you’ll want to visit Porto Covo and Sines as soon as possible, and this whole area of the Alentejo coast. What to visit in Porto Covo and Sines? Things to do? What to see? Here is a brief list with main attractions:
- Visit Porto Covo and the famous beach of Pessegueiro Island.
- Visit Samoqueira beach and its incredible cliffs and rock formations.
- Visit Sines and the fantastic Vasco da Gama beach.
Below I’ll write about each of these places. You can read everything or jump through the index to the topic that interests you most! I’ll start with tips for preparing for your trip.
Video about the Vicentine Coast and Southwest Alentejo
Where is Porto Covo and Sines located, in Portugal?
For the answer to this question, I recommend you to take a look at the map I’ve left somewhere in this article with all the sights to see in Porto Covo and Sines. This region is south of Lisbon, on the Alentejo coast. It borders Santiago do Cacém and Odemira.
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Useful tips to visit Porto Covo and Sines
Here are my top tips for visiting Porto Covo and Sines: how to visit, when to visit, where and what to eat, and where to sleep.
1. Rent a car to visit Porto Covo and Sines
The best way to visit Porto Covo and Sines is by car. There are good access roads to this region. I’ll leave you with a link to Discover Cars in case you want to rent a car and compare prices before booking.
2. Visit Porto Covo and Sines by public transport
You can also visit Porto Covo and Sines by public transport. Rede Expressos has regular buses to Porto Covo from Lisbon, and the same goes for Sines.
For local transportation, you can use Rodoviária do Alentejo. Again, it’s more practical to have a car for convenient access to most of the beaches. That’s what I did.
Other possibility is to ask in your accommodation about renting a bike to visit Porto Covo and Sines. Its just 18km from Sines to Porto Covo!
3. Visit Porto Covo and Sines on foot along the Fishermen’s Trail
There are two stages of the fishermen’s trail that pass through the region, which you can walk when you visit Porto Covo and Sines. In fact, the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park officially begins in São Torpes, and it’s from there that you’ll find the first stage.
- Stage 1: São Torpes – Porto Covo
- Stage 2: Porto Covo – Vila Nova de Milfontes
When I visited Porto Covo, I met a lot of people, most of them from abroad, who started this trail there and didn’t walk São Torpes stage. If we consider that it goes from São Torpes to Lagos, the trail is 230km long.
4. Visit Porto Covo and Sines on foot along the Vicentine Coast Historic Route
The Historical Route of the Vicentine Coast also passes in the region, on the stage from Cercal do Alentejo to Porto Covo. The Historical Route covers a total of 263km, starting in Santiago do Cacém and ending in Cape of São Vicente.
5. Visit Porto Covo and Sines on horseback
You can also visit Porto Covo on horseback, taking an equestrian tour with Herdade do Pessegueiro to get to know the region better. This estate offers horseback riding by the sea. If you like, you can even stay overnight: Herdade do Pessegueiro.
6. When to visit Porto Covo and Sines?
To know when to visit Porto Covo or Sines, you need to consider the climate of the region and what you want to do there. If you’re coming to walk the fishermen’s trail, I recommend spring or fall, as walking along the Alentejo coast in summer will be tough. If you’re coming to the coastal region to relax and enjoy the beach, then come in the summer months.
I’ll leave you with a link where you can find out more about the weather in Porto Covo throughout the year: temperature, cloudiness, periods of rain, hours of sunshine, humidity, wind, water temperature, among other aspects. The website is excellent and can be used as a tip when preparing for this trip or future trips to other destinations.
If you’re visiting Porto Covo or Sines in the summer, prepare for the music festival in July, I mention it in more detail in the nightlife section of this article.
7. Gastronomy and Restaurants in Porto Covo and Sines
I’ll recommend the two restaurants I really liked:
- Restaurant Zé Inácio – good fish.
- Pizzaria La Bella Vita – for Italian food, I had a good pasta with seafood.
Typical food in Porto Covo and Sines? I’d say what you should eat there is FISH or seafood! Portuguese coast, after all!
8. Nightlife when visiting Porto Covo and Sines
Porto Covo’s nightlife takes place in Marquês de Pombal Square and in the street that stretches from there to the sea: this is where people gather. By the way, there’s a fantastic artisanal ice cream shop there for an after-dinner dessert.
I’m not one for going out at night a lot. But I did hear about the World Music Festival in Sines, which takes place at the end of July and fills the bay of Sines at night. It also has a stage in Marquês de Pombal Square, in Porto Covo.
9. Accommodation tips to visit Porto Covo and Sines
My base in this region was Porto Covo. I loved the Ahoy Porto Covo Hostel, and that’s where I stayed! It’s a hostel, but it also rents out single or double rooms. It has a kitchen, which is great if you want to save money, and there’s a local supermarket in the next street, just a few meters away. It also has a very nice terrace for breakfast.
And the best thing is that it couldn’t be more central. Other options in Porto Covo or Sines:
| Accommodation | Score | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Pé na Areia | 9.1 | Porto Covo |
| MUTE | 9.2 | Porto Covo |
| O Lugar | 9.2 | Porto Covo |
| Monte Varginhas | 8.6 | Porto Covo |
| Monte do Cerro | 9.2 | Porto Covo |
| Porto Covo Bay House | 8.9 | Porto Covo |
| Ana’s Apartments | 9.5 | Sines |
| Castle in Blue Apartments | 9.3 | Sines |
| Hotel Dom Vasco | 8.9 | Sines |
| Casa do Médico de São Rafael | 8.9 | Sines |
| Origens Hostel | 8.6 | Sines |
Map | Things to do in Porto Covo and Sines
To summarize the itinerary I’m going to present below, you can find a map next with the main places to visit in Porto Covo and Sines:
Things to do in Porto Covo and Sines
Now, all things you can’t miss doing in Porto Covo and Sines, starting with Porto Covo.
1. Visit Pessegueiro Island Beach in Porto Covo
Pessegueiro Island beach is just south of Porto Covo. In fact, you can see the island from the town.
I can’t say whether there were any peach trees on the island, but I discovered that the name has nothing to do with the fruit tree. The name is of Latin origin and comes from the term “piscatorio”, perhaps due to the Roman occupation of which the traces of the fish salting plants are proof. The island is approximately 340 meters long and 200 meters wide and is made up of dune sandstone and shale.
When I researched the ruins that I captured with the drone somewhere on the island, I discovered that they are from the Fort of Santo Alberto, which began to be built in 1590 with the aim of crossing fires with the Fort of Nossa Senhora da Queimada that stood in front of it, on the mainland, next to the present-day beach of Pessegueiro Island.
In reality, this fort was never finished, as in 1598 work was interrupted to focus on the construction of the São Clemente Fort in Vila Nova de Milfontes.
During the bathing season, the island can be visited on a short boat trip.
I saw a lot of rocks at the entrance to the sea, so this beach didn’t stay in my heart. When I visited Porto Covo, I preferred some beaches to the north, namely Praia Grande de Porto Covo or Praia da Cerca Nova.
2. Visit Porto Covo
Porto Covo is a charming town. I stayed at the Ahoy Porto Covo Hostel, right in the center of Porto Covo, and I loved it. There’s not much to see there, but what there is is beautiful, and it’s enough for a couple of days. My recommendations are:
- The bay of Porto Covo and the fishing port next to it.
- A walk along the cliffs from the bay to Cerca Nova beach, passing Buizinhos beach, Small Beach, Gaivota beach, Banho beach, Espingardeiro beach and Big Beach of Porto Covo. Just past Cerca Nova beach is the naturist beach of Salto.
- I didn’t go any further north on foot. But if you want to, there are a couple more interesting beaches up to Samoqueira beach: Serro da Águia beach and Porto Covinho beach.
- In the town, I recommend Rua Vasco da Gama and the garden at Marquês de Pombal Square. Don’t forget the Church of Porto Covo, built in the 18th century.
Here are some images of what to see in Porto Covo.
3. Visit Samoqueira Beach, north of Porto Covo
Samoqueira beach is spectacular because it has several islets just a few meters from the beach that protect it from the force of the sea: basically, small pools or coves of seawater form there. This spot in the north of the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Park is still very wild, one of the wildest in the area. Perhaps that’s why I spotted a fox there, high up on the cliffs, in a place with denser vegetation.
4. Visit São Torpes Beach in Sines
EDIT: São Torpes beach no longer has the warm waters it used to have because the Thermoelectric Power Station has closed.
It’s true! This beach had warm waters, so you didn’t have to go to the Algarve for that. The waters heated by the Sines Thermoelectric Power Station sometimes reached 30º at São Torpes Beach, especially near the power station’s discharge channel.
Of course, from time to time you could feel a colder current of water, especially at high tide, as the surrounding ocean water is freezing! This happened to me a lot: sometimes it was warm, sometimes it was cold, but the warm water tides were at fabulous temperature.
Any of the other beaches I’ve mentioned surpass this one in terms of beauty, so I don’t think it’s a must nowadays. Without its warm waters, I’m afraid it will no longer be one of the best beaches to enjoy when you visit Porto Covo and Sines. I haven’t had the chance to go back and check after the power station closed.
HIGHLIGHT: Have you ever heard of the São Torpes raft? This type of boat probably originated in Phoenicia and was used until very recently by the region's fishermen to catch shellfish. You can find out more at Sines Museum.
5. Visit Sines and Vasco da Gama Beach
I started by visiting Sines (the city center), before going down to Vasco da Gama beach. In Sines, I first went up to the castle, from where you have one of the best viewpoints of the marina and bay, where the beach is located. The small castle of Sines was built during the first half of the 15th century.
If you’re wondering why the beach is named after Vasco da Gama, it’s because he is said to have been born in Sines in 1469. There’s a statue of him in Sines, also, close to the castle.
If you’re a curious person, explore the historic center in detail:
- The Mother Church of São Salvador de Sines, which can be visited by appointment with the Sines Museum.
- The Church of Nossa Senhora das Salas, which dates back to the late 13th century. After Vasco da Gama’s voyage to India, it was rebuilt at his behest. It is important to visit its treasury, with various pieces of sacred art.
- The Fort of Nossa Senhora das Salas, built in the 17th century. Its purpose was to protect the coast of Sines from attacks by corsairs and pirates.
- The Roman Factories, ruins that you can visit next to Sines Castle. They date back to the 1st century AD and were fish preparation factories from Roman times (fish farming).
- The Chapel of Misericórdia, or Chapel of the Holy Spirit, built in the 16th century in honor of Nossa Senhora da Graça.
6. Visit Sines Museum and the Arts Center
Sines Museum deserves to be highlighted in this article. It will introduce you to the history of the municipality and the navigator Vasco da Gama.
- Casa da Guarnição is the museum’s current reception.
- The Palace of the Military Governors has a vast collection of archaeology dating back to the Neolithic period. Don’t forget the Treasure of Gaius of Phoenician origin (7th century BC), the collection of José Miguel da Costa, founder of the museum, and the African Treasure, discovered in the necropolis of the Church of São Salvador.
- The Keep Tower has the nucleus of the House of Vasco da Gama.
- The Old Stables are where the museum’s funds and reserves are located.
- The Old Barracks serve as a library and cafeteria.
Don’t forget Sines Arts Center, which also has interesting exhibitions to visit. There you’ll find the Sea Laboratory, related with fishing vessels and gear.
7. Sines Lighthouse and North Coast Beach
This article focuses mainly on what you’ll find from Porto Covo to Sines, but I’ll just point out that after Sines peninsula, the Alentejo coastline changes dramatically, with long stretches of sand heading north. The best beaches are the ones mentioned already, trust me!
If you really want to continue north, jump to the beaches of Costa de Santo André and Melides, in another municipality.
Other Itineraries and Travel Guides in Portugal
- N2 Portugal Road Trip Itinerary
- Madeira Itinerary and Travel Guide
- São Miguel Itinerary and Travel Guide (Azores)
- Terceira Itinerary and Travel Guide (Azores)
- Pico Itinerary in Azores
- Faial Itinerary in Azores
- Minho | Northern Portugal Itinerary
- Porto Itinerary and Travel Guide
- Things to do In Braga (Minho)
- Things to do in Guimarães (Minho)
- Things to do in Viana do Castelo (Minho)
- Peneda Gerês National Park Itinerary
- Douro Valley Itinerary
- Trás-os-Montes Itinerary
- Things to do in Bragança
- Montesinho Natural Park Itinerary
- Douro International Natural Park Itinerary
- Things to do in Aveiro
- Things to do in Coimbra
- Things to do in Leiria
- Things to do in Fatima
- Things to do in Nazaré
- Things to do in Peniche
- Things to do in Évora (Alentejo)
- Things to do in Beja (Alentejo)
- Algarve Road Trip Itinerary
- Things to do in Lagos (Algarve)
- Things to do in Portimão (Algarve)
- Things to do in Faro (Algarve)
- Things to do in Tavira (Algarve)
I hope you enjoyed this article with things to do in Porto Covo and Sines. Have a nice time in my country! 😉
