Photo story: surf culture and local traditions along Portugal's Vicentine Coast
Cape St Vincent, Europe's most southwesterly point, witnessed the beginning of Portugal's 15th century Age of Discovery. Since then it's drifted back to a peaceful pace, where dramatic cliffs and sun-baked scrub form a backdrop to life on land and at sea.
Carved by the wind and tides for thousands of years, the Ponta da Piedade — just south of the city of Lagos — is one of the Algarve’s most spectacular stretches of coastline. A far cry from the crowded spots further east, the Costa Vicentina is a remote, rural stretch of the Algarve, where a coastline pocked with rocky coves is thrashed by surf, and inland hiking trails through cork groves link quiet, tucked-away villages.
The harbour remains the beating heart of the small town of Sagres, gateway to the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park. This was the cradle of Portugal’s Age of Discovery from the 15th to the 17th century, but the town dances to a different rhythm these days. Instead of seafaring galleons, the quayside bustles with fishing boats bringing in the day’s catch.
A portrait of Nelson, a local fisherman working at Sagres harbour.
Of all the fresh seafood landed in this corner of Portugal, percebes (known as ‘goose barnacles’) are perhaps one of the most curious-looking. The crustaceans are harvested from the rocks and are a local delicacy, best enjoyed lightly boiled and served with a cold glass of vinho verde at the beachside Mar à Vista restaurant.
Local children swim from the pier at Sagres harbour.
The wild Atlantic waves that buffet the coast make the region a magnet for surfers. Possibly the coolest siblings in the Algarve, Marta and João Mealha founded the Freeride Surf School in 2002 on the golden sands of Praia da Cordoama. Along with coach Tatiana Alexandre and surf-loving labrador Maika, they’re one of several surf schools dotted along the coast, offering a windswept introduction to the Portuguese coast to novice and seasoned surfers alike.
Surfers at Odeceixe Beach, Vicentine Coast Natural Park. There’s no shortage of spots to grab a board and take to the water, including this picture-perfect beach: a golden flank of sand, ringed by the Ribeira de Seixe river and fanned by curling, white waves.
Badger, a surfer, at Odeceixe Beach, Vicentine Coast Natural Park.
Flora at Odeceixe Beach, Vicentine Coast Natural Park.
Sofia and Elsa, of Burros & Artes, a donkey sanctuary that organises treks in the Vicentine Coast Natural Park near Aljezur.
Elsa working at the wheel in her pottery studio in the village of Aljezur.
As part of travel outfit Burros & Artes, Elsa teaches pottery. Here, she throws a small clay pot on a wheel in her village studio.
The whitewashed Aldeia da Pedralva, an immaculately restored village built from the ruins of a deserted settlement, located at the heart of Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park.
Situated on the west coast of the Algarve, the traditional hilltop village of Aljezur is surrounded by the wild and unspoiled nature typical of the Vicentine Coast Natural Park. Enswathed by wild and unspoilt greenery, Aljezur is a perfect postcard of the Costa Vicentina: blocky white houses with ochre roofs jostle for space on steep streets, and the ruined fortress offers spectacular views of the natural park. Located between Sagres and Odeceixe, the village is perfectly placed for exploring the region, be it pine-scented hikes through the landscapes or catching the last of the day’s sun out on the water.
Marta heads out for a sunset surf.