Moradia Concelho is located in the amazing, beautiful Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina Natural Park. It offers glorious countryside views, delightful nature walks and beautiful, unspoiled beaches, the nearest being Praia da Quebrada.
At the foot of the Monchique Mountains, the nearby town of Aljezur offers traditional restaurants, supermarkets and some excellent shops. It is brimming with charming rural architecture, whitewashed buildings, castles, ancient churches and scenic sea views. The town is set along a narrow river, split into two halves. Its tenth-century Moorish castle sits at the top of a very steep cobbled hill with stunning views of the old town where the Moors first settled. The oldest building in the new town is the eighteenth-century Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Alva which sits in the main square, surrounded by cafes and shops.
Praia de Odeceixe is a stunning beach within easy reach. It is famous for its horseshoe pattern, surrounded by the Ribeira de Seize River. With excellent waves, a stunning lagoon and dramatic cliffs, the beach are very popular with surfers and families. Praia de Amalia was named after the well-known Portuguese fado singer Amalia Rodrigues who had a house next to the beach. Close to this is the village of Carvalhal, which is surrounded by rice fields and sits next to the Sado nature reserve.
Further south, you will discover Sagres, with its many cafes, bars and restaurants. It offers surfboard rentals, bicycle rentals, a colourful market, a supermarket, a bakery and other shops. There is a busy nightlife and fantastic cuisine, particularly fresh fish, at the restaurants. Praia do Martinhal is close by as well as other glorious beaches including Praia da Mareta with its long stretch of golden sand and fabulous bars and restaurants, Praia da Baleeira which is much smaller and more sheltered and Praia do Tonel which faces west, right into the prevailing wind so is extremely popular with brave surfers. The relentless, powerful Atlantic waves draw surfers to Sagres. Slightly northwest is Praia do Beliche, another popular surfing spot. There are many surf schools in Sagres for lessons and equipment hire. The Sagres fort sits on the top of the headland to the south of Praia da Mareta. It dated back to the 15th century and was built to deter pirate attacks from North Africa. There is a pleasant cliffside walk inside the fort as well as a lighthouse, grotto and a large wind compass.
The most western point of mainland Europe is Cabo Sao Vicente, around four miles from Sagres. The lighthouse sits atop the two hundred and fifty-foot cliffs, the beam from which can be seen thirty-five miles out to sea. The area is very barren with the constant winds and is in keeping with the once believed that it was the end of the world. It is the starting point for two long-distance hikes, the Via Algarviana GR13 route east and the Rota Vicentina, which heads north for two hundred and eighty miles. For a challenging one-day hike, there is a circular route from Praia do Beliche to Cabo de Sa Vicente, past Telheiro Beach and through the hamlet of Santo Antonio and back to Beliche.
The Region
Please be aware that the location tab shown on the website is not based on the property's exact location; therefore, all location amenities are an approx of facilities, restaurants, and villages/towns you might find around the property. The property's exact location will be provided to you before arrival and might come along with some recommendations about the area and what to visit.
ABOUT THE ALGARVE
Though most people tend to see the Algarve as all about the beaches and a holiday on the Med, there’s far much more to it than that. There’s actually a load of fascinating culture and history, superb cuisine and enthralling adventures to be had, though we’d be the first to admit that the beaches are pretty special too, with lots of sand, spectacle and wonderfully clean water.
But while you’re enjoying one of our fantastic villas in Algarve, you may well want to take some time out from all that sun worship to explore everything else the region has to offer – so we’ve put together this handy travel guide to give you a little help and inspiration!
