Coast of Portugal: a coastline that invites poetry
The Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa dedicated several of his of him poems of him to the coast of his country . From those where the salty sea is made up of the tears of the Portuguese, to the mysticism that he attributes in his verses to the lines of the coastal horizon, this poet is an example of what Portugal's relationship with the world has always meant. sea.
And no wonder, the portuguese coast is amazing . We take a tour of some of the most beautiful places by the sea in this part of the world to understand why person , and many others after him, dedicated their art to him.
WALK
When we talk about the portuguese coast it is difficult to choose which towns to visit, because most of them seem to be taken from a postcard. We start tour in walk , a town located very close to the mouth of the Minho River , on the border with Galicia.
It is precisely its natural location that makes Caminha a mandatory stop if you visit Portugal. In addition, its beautiful old town is surrounded by a wall dating back to the 13th century worth visiting.
Caminha, the Portuguese coast seen from Galicia
**For lunch we recommend Jeni's Diner **, run by an American family. Although it is not typical Portuguese food, the treatment is impeccable and unbeatable food. A bit of different dishes before heading to our next stop: Vila Praia de Áncora.
VILLA PRAIA DE ANCORA
Vila Praia de Áncora is a town with a long tradition of fishing families whose name, says the legend, is due to the Queen Doña Urraca she was sentenced to drown with an anchor tied around her neck as punishment for alleged adultery.
Apart from this tragic history, Vila Praia de Áncora is a place with several attractions, such as the promenade that runs along its coast , and through which you can also ride a bicycle, and Lagarteira Fort.
This fortress, ordered to be built by Pedro II of Portugal, has been defending this small town from enemy attacks for centuries. Nowadays, this fort continues to look imposing at the Atlantic coast , vigilant against now imaginary adversaries.
The fortress of Vila Praia de Ancora
VIANA DO CASTELO
We turn next to Viana do Castelo , a city closely related to the sea both for its history and for its gastronomy.
Its history, for being one of the ports where the great ships of the time of the great voyages of the 15th and 16th centuries were built; and its gastronomy, for being one of the key points of cod fishing in Portugal.
Due to its strategic and commercial importance, Viana do Castelo is surrounded by beautiful old buildings that are a vestige of its past wealth.
As culmination is the Basilica of Santa Lucia , a religious construction with a dome-shaped roof that offers spectacular views of the Portuguese coastline.
Basilica of Santa Lucia, Viana do Castelo
to eat is Or Marquis , a place with incredible prices, attention and typical Portuguese food. Highly recommended.
AVEIRO
Our next stop is aveiro , also called the Portuguese Venice for the canals that run through the center of the city.
But perhaps the best thing about Aveiro is the fact that it is surrounded by an estuary of the same name, the most beautiful in the Portuguese country, which together with its salt flats and the lagoon formed by the withdrawal of the Atlantic Ocean, provide a stunning natural scenery of a city that by itself is already a wonder.
With bridges and colored facades ; traditional boats, or moliceiros, crossing its three canals... In Aveiro the present and the past merge.
Aveiro, also called the Portuguese Venice
there are houses art nouveau , which recall the wealth of the families who lived from the salt flats in the past; a fishing district, the Beira Mar ; Plaça do Peixe, where you can eat delicious fresh fish; and incredible tiles that paint here and there the city in all the colors of the rainbow.
A place that will be difficult to remove from the retina once we have left it behind. Of course, you cannot leave without trying the first sweet with European denomination of origin: the ovo mole , egg yolks mixed with sugar and wrapped in unleavened bread shaped like sea creatures. A delicacy not suitable for little sweet hearts.
I WILL BE BORN
We head to another poetic place on the Portuguese coast: Nazaré . Although this city is known above all for being one of the best locations for surfing southern europe -due to the enormous waves that are created by the influence of the Nazaré Canyon- this place is much more than its waves.
An example is the view from the Mirador de Suberco , in the Sítio pilgrimage area. This place offers a view 110 meters above the beach that stretches out spectacularly below.
Nazaré, one of the best places to practice surfing
Especially first thing in the morning, when the sea mist slightly covers the sand and the sea giving a feeling of mysticism to the whole.
Pederneira Viewpoint also worth it. To go down to the beach and the rest of the city you can use the funicular. Once in the center, it is almost mandatory try a dish with fish or seafood . We particularly recommend A Barca, a small place with delicious food at very affordable prices.
The peniche peninsula It's the next place we'll stop. The best of this area of Portugal are the rock formations by the sea , where you can walk following a path as if you were in an adventure movie or on a different planet.
We highly recommend the Cape Carvoeiro, Papoa, a peninsula that rises above the sea; and the Peniche Fortress, a historic construction, witness to revolutions and the terrible dictatorship of Salazar. Today it also houses a museum.
We headed to another poetic place: Nazaré
SETÚBAL
We then stop at Setúbal, located in the 'mouth' of Portugal , and whose name is said to be related to the Sado river that bathes it. The best of Setúbal are its crystalline beaches, its natural landscape and the seafood which comes from the river itself.
Furthermore, considered as it is still a well-kept secret of the Portuguese coast, it's not that crowded like other better known areas of the Portuguese country.
The best thing to do in Setúbal is to walk it aimlessly, enjoying the houses of its Barrio Viejo, walk its boulevards along the river , and eat a delicious dish with raw material from the river or the sea.
Once we have disconnected in Setúbal, we can **go to the Algarve area**, where we will stop in two more towns.
The Castillo de San Felipe has the most spectacular views in all of Setúbal
ALJEZUR
We first go to Aljezur , still on the Atlantic coast. This small town is a small jewel of tranquility in a place as chosen to spend the summer as the Portuguese Algarve.
Surrounded by mountains, and with a homonymous castle at the top, this town is a perfect stop to rest , feeling that we have gone back a few years in time. If the weather is good, we can also enjoy its beaches, such as Odeceixe.
TAVIRA
And we arrived at the last stop of our trip. We have reached the coast bathed by the Mediterranean Sea , and we choose Tavira as the place to end our adventure. In this city life is mixed with calm and silence.
There is much to see in Tavira, but almost everything can be visited on foot. The Plaça de la República, the Church of Miseriordia , the Tavira Castle or the Old Bridge over the Gilao River are some of its tourist attractions.
But there are many more. We end our trip -and perhaps our poetry- watching the sunset over this beautiful city. We have learned that Pessoa was right . In the end, we too have been seduced by life by the sea.
Tavira, the coast bathed by the Mediterranean Sea