The Nature Park of the South-West Alentejo stands guard over the regions wildly beautiful beaches. Nestling between rocks or stretching out to form vast expanses of sand that are perfect for long walks, these beaches are the ideal place for enjoying complete rest and relaxation.

Along the coast roads you’ll find many small towns serving fish in various restaurants that look out over the sea. Such as Porto Covo, a picturesque fishing village, where visitors are immediately welcomed by a pretty square ringed by low, one-storey houses. The beach is also very welcoming and in the village’s small harbour, where you’ll see brightly coloured boats bobbing up and down, you can ask one of the fishermen to take you to the Ilha do Pessegueiro.

This is a small, curious-looking island that King Filipe I once considered linking to the mainland. All that’s now left of this royal dream are two small fortresses, one on the island and the other on the coast.

If you’d prefer somewhere more lively, go to Vila Nova de Milfontes at the mouth of the River Mira. Here you can choose between the ocean beaches and those along the river. And you can also take an enjoyable canoe trip along its banks.

Another quite different spot is the small beach at Zambujeira, nestling between beautiful cliffs, where you can walk along footpaths once used by the fishermen as you set off to discover the Fonte dos Amores (the Fountain of Love).