Costa Vicentina
Food scene
Amazing Napolitan pizza, great service and nice sunset view. Perfect for dinner after a beach day. Has a playground for kids just next to the outside dining area.
22 locals recommend
Arte Bianca 2 Vale da Telha
Urbanização Vale da TelhaAmazing Napolitan pizza, great service and nice sunset view. Perfect for dinner after a beach day. Has a playground for kids just next to the outside dining area.
Superb and locally made Italian icecream by Edy and Fabio. Flavors change all the time and they are all good! Some specials like local fig and other seasonal flavors.
7 locals recommend
Gelateria Vicentina
67RC R. 25 de AbrilSuperb and locally made Italian icecream by Edy and Fabio. Flavors change all the time and they are all good! Some specials like local fig and other seasonal flavors.
A very good Vegan restaurant/café operated by a local Co-op. The dish of the day is great value. Try also the addictive chocolate cake! And if you need veggies, the co-op veggie shop Maria Cabaz is at the same spot.
Onda Natural
134 Av. 16 de JunhoA very good Vegan restaurant/café operated by a local Co-op. The dish of the day is great value. Try also the addictive chocolate cake! And if you need veggies, the co-op veggie shop Maria Cabaz is at the same spot.
Great Thai&Indo food. We love the spicy green curry!
7 locals recommend
Maxi's Warung Thai & Indo Food
Great Thai&Indo food. We love the spicy green curry!
City/town information
Our little town, the heart of the Costa Vicentina, has a few hidden gems and is a great place to relax (a bit more) and rehydrate after the encounters with the Atlantic Ocean. The square by the new church is where people gather, Saturday mornings are popular after passing by the farmer's market. Also an amazing and truly Italian ice cream and pizza.
119 locals recommend
Aljezur
Our little town, the heart of the Costa Vicentina, has a few hidden gems and is a great place to relax (a bit more) and rehydrate after the encounters with the Atlantic Ocean. The square by the new church is where people gather, Saturday mornings are popular after passing by the farmer's market. Also an amazing and truly Italian ice cream and pizza.
Beautiful Beaches
The Costa Vicentina has dozens of amazingly beautiful beaches preserved in their natural state, with little to no human intervention visible.
The closest to our home are Monte Clérigo, Amoreira and Arrifana.
5min away from us is the most popular Arrifana beach, which is a small bay; one of the best beaches for surf lessons; the access is a winding road and you have to park at the top and walk down; it is long but gets quite narrow in high tide.
64 locals recommend
Praia da Arrifana
5min away from us is the most popular Arrifana beach, which is a small bay; one of the best beaches for surf lessons; the access is a winding road and you have to park at the top and walk down; it is long but gets quite narrow in high tide.
Around a 5min drive away is Monte Clérigo, a long and beautiful beach with an easier access than Arrifana.
105 locals recommend
Praia de Monte Clérigo
Around a 5min drive away is Monte Clérigo, a long and beautiful beach with an easier access than Arrifana.
the river that runs from Aljezur meets the sea at this beach - a little bit like Odeceixe; in low tide, the sweet water part can be much warmer than the sea; it is accessible via car taking a left after passing Aljezur to the north on the N120 and also from Vale da Telha you can drive to Taberna do Gabriel II, park and walk down the stairs and in low tide cross the river to the sandy side.
101 locals recommend
Amoreira Beach
the river that runs from Aljezur meets the sea at this beach - a little bit like Odeceixe; in low tide, the sweet water part can be much warmer than the sea; it is accessible via car taking a left after passing Aljezur to the north on the N120 and also from Vale da Telha you can drive to Taberna do Gabriel II, park and walk down the stairs and in low tide cross the river to the sandy side.
To reach this beach you need to drive for a bit on a
(decent) dirt road, then take the access down; usually very few people go here so you might have the beach almost to yourself.
17 locals recommend
Carreagem Beach
To reach this beach you need to drive for a bit on a
(decent) dirt road, then take the access down; usually very few people go here so you might have the beach almost to yourself.
A very beautiful and large beach that rarely sees too many people; easy to park and has a long wooden stair access; some natural rock pools form on the south part and to the north side you can have a very nice and long beach walk.
34 locals recommend
Vale dos Homens Beach
A very beautiful and large beach that rarely sees too many people; easy to park and has a long wooden stair access; some natural rock pools form on the south part and to the north side you can have a very nice and long beach walk.
One of the most popular beaches in the natural park, the winding river (Ribeira de Seixe) meets the sea creating a winding, beautiful scenery.
43 locals recommend
Praia de Odeceixe Mar
One of the most popular beaches in the natural park, the winding river (Ribeira de Seixe) meets the sea creating a winding, beautiful scenery.
The last 2km are a dirt road; this beach is very long and also popular with surf schools; you need to park at the top of the hill as there is no parking at sea level but you can drop your passengers and cargo closer to the sand before you drive up again to park.
12 locals recommend
Praia de Vale Figueira
The last 2km are a dirt road; this beach is very long and also popular with surf schools; you need to park at the top of the hill as there is no parking at sea level but you can drop your passengers and cargo closer to the sand before you drive up again to park.
Practical advice
This is the largest supermarket in the area. Covers pretty much everything you might need.
51 locals recommend
Intermarché Aljezur
This is the largest supermarket in the area. Covers pretty much everything you might need.
Traveler advice
Getting around
Bring your own vehicle
There is little public transport here. You have buses along the N120 national road (Lagos-Aljezur-Odeceixe-Odemira-Lisbon). For anything else, you need your own vehicle or hire a taxi (can get expensive), as distances are large for walking and it is quite hilly so bicycles (unless electrically-assisted) can be unpractical.
Useful phrases
Basic Portuguese
Greeting with "Bom dia / Boa tarde / Boa noite" (good morning, good afternoon, good evening) and thanking with "Obrigado" will get you smiles and appreciation!
Don't miss
The "secret" beach...
...that is almost deserted, even in the peak of the summer season! It's called Praia da Pipa / Praia do Medo da Fonte Santa and I'd be happy to show you the access on foot from our place up in the cliffs.
Traveling with kids
Bring or get a wetsuit for the kids
The water temperature here is around 17C most of the year, that is a bit shilly for kids who want to be in the water most of the time you spend at the beach. So it's a good idea to bring a wetsuit if you have one or drop by Decathlon in Portimão and get one (thin ones do the trick and are cheap).
Ways to save
Fresh fish is expensive at the town market
We have contacts for super fresh fish delivery to our place, straight from the wharf, ready to grill and at great prices - let us know if you'd like to order. The Aljezur/Rogil/Odeceixe town market prices per kg are almost the same as at a restaurant so don't bother, better to go to a nice restaurant and have it cooked and served while you sip some white wine.