Much like the UK, Portugal is a small country with a surprisingly varied coast. Together the long eastern section and the southern Algarve coast give you not far short of 600 miles of remarkable seascapes and sunrises, towering craggy cliffs, perfect sandy stretches, caves and coves, quaint fishing villages, mighty rivers and bustling seaside towns.
In this Portugal day trips post we explore Portugal’s coast in all its glory, blending history with culture and cuisine to give you a flavour of this tasty holiday treat.
Endless coastal wonders – This is a Portugal day trips heaven
Portugal sits on the Iberian Peninsula’s Atlantic coast, criss-crossed by rivers flowing north to south and east to west. These make their way to the sea, where cities and towns have sprung up around their estuaries.
Rough cliff coastlines alternate with fine sandy beaches, making this a great place for people who love to discover geology, clamber on rocks and play in rock pools as well as discerning sun-worshippers. The Algarve is adored for its lovely beaches, the rugged rocky coast around Cape St. Vincent is high drama, and Ria Formosa’s delightful microclimate makes it a heavenly haven for humans as well as wildlife.
Visit Ria Formosa
Visit various small villages in Ria Formosa for friendly bars, cafés and restaurants along the riverfront. Chill out and watch the birds – this is an important migratory corridor and is the last place left for some species to breed. The villages of Fuzeta, Santa Luzia, Cabanas de Tavira, Vale do Lobo, Cabanas de Tavira, Cacela Velha, Manta Rota and Cacela Velha each have their own personality.
The beaches in the Ria Formosa estuary are world class and the sandy islands of Armona, Barreta, Cacela, Culatra and Tavira are beautiful as well as fascinating. Barril Beach is a top destination for naturists, and there’s a handy campsite at Tavira Island Beach. Go to Olhão to find local boats and ferries to the islands, where no cars are allowed.
Tour Portugal’s own ‘Venice’
Aveiro is nicknamed The Portuguese Venice, built upon a dramatic river delta famed for its fabulous sea life and seabirds. As you near the sea four vast rivers meet, the Vouga, Antuã, Boco, and Fontão, and the beautiful brackish lagoon is home to wetlands stuffed with wildlife. The tiny fishing villages are scenic and quaint, and the water sports are exceptional.
The people here have Phoenician ancestors, giving the place a unique flavour. This is one of Portugal’s finest harbours, and the city of Aveiro was named Portuguese Capital of Culture for 2024. There are vividly colourful gondola-like boats bobbing around, actually called moliceiros and traditionally used for fishing. Foodies love this region for the super-fresh bream, skate, mullet, shad, eels and more, on the menu at excellent local restaurants.
Aveiro is built around a network of canals, as pretty as Venice and more colourful. The buildings go back to the 1400s with a maritime history to match. Nearby Costa Nova is a stunner of a coastal village, charm itself, and there’s the remote and spectacularly lovely São Jacinto Dunes Natural Reserve to visit.
Wandering more of the Portuguese coast
Alcoutim is where the Via Algarviana long-distance walking route kicks off, giving keen hikers 185 miles of ‘amazing’ all the way to Sagres. Sagres, in the far west of the Algarve, is a place of extremes. It’s barren. The winds are powerful. The dizzying craggy cliffs are constantly battered by violent seas. If you want to get a feel of the challenges faced by Portugal’s legendary seafarers, you’ll get it here. This is Europe’s most south-westerly edge, where the great Portuguese explorers set sail.
Head to Faro, then Tavira, then beyond to discover the delightful eastern Algarve, a land that time forgot where the deserted beaches, obscure islands, wetlands, tiny villages and mouth-watering sea food comes with ancient Moorish roots. Visit Santa Luzia to sample octopus, which can be cooked in at least twenty ways.
You’ll find Costa Vicentena immediately to the Algarve’s north, another unforgettable stretch of coastline and a place that’s unknown to most visitors. What a treat it is, with miles of unspoiled sandy beaches and a few really big breaks for surfers.
The western Algarve is home to Ferragudo, a fishing village of spotless whitewashed houses and bobbing boats. Some of the Algarve’s finest beaches are in the area and there’s a cool medieval fort to marvel at.
Porto, on the Costa Verde, is your base for the fertile coast running north. This is home to Port wine and, inland, the mighty Duoro river is lined with wineries and vineyards. The city’s Ribeira district is UNESCO-listed, there are loads of really good museums, and nearby Viana do Castelo is just as exciting.
Sample the coastal suburbs of Cascais and Estoril, both with gorgeous beaches and lush gardens, set like exotic jewels on the north bank of the Tejo River. Estoril’s magnificent casino building whisks you back to a more glamorous age.
Peniche is one of the biggest traditional fishing ports in Portugal and a hub for sea-based fun. Popular with surfers, it’s an ideal place to watch surfing competitions. Berlenga Grande island lies six miles off the coast, one of a small archipelago of volcanic islands with snorkelling, diving, kayaking and canoeing on the menu, along with wildlife-watching and a lovely beach, Carreiro do Mosteiro. Berlenga Grande is the only island you can visit, and it has a daily limit of 550 visitors. Tours are limited to March – October to protect the wildlife.
Lisbon is a well-loved city break destination, but just south of it you’ll find a place rated high by the locals, called the Setubal peninsula. The beaches are backed by craggy cliffs, the food is wonderful, and it’s cheaper to eat here than in Lisbon itself. At the southern tip there’s the Parque Natural da Arrábida with its thickly-wooded cliffs, pretty coves and a particularly nice beach at Praia do Portinho da Arrábida.
Cascais, easily accessible from Lisbon, is loved for its Mediterranean vibe, even though it’s on the Atlantic. Think the south of France and you get the picture. This is the Portuguese Riviera, an old fishing village transformed into one of the country’s poshest resorts, wealthy and spotless and awe-inspiringly beautiful. Surfers and windsurfers head for the beaches at Carcavelos and Guincho, where the World Surfing Championships have been hosted, and it has plenty of cultural attractions too.
Go wild in the Minho, a fresh green place with vineyards and valleys, mountains, remote beaches and interesting river towns. The city of Braga is rich in Roman ruins, a place of flower filled squares and relaxed places to sit with a drink or snack, watching the world go by.
The city of Sintra is your gateway for Azenhas do Mar, ‘watermills of the sea’, a place named after the stream that once drove the area’s many watermills. Perched on top of high cliffs with endless views of Atlantic Ocean, this is a sleepy place, a fishing town of white-painted homes set in a curved bowl against a blue, blue sky, offering an excellent sandy beach, great seafood, and a big natural seawater swimming pool on the beach below the cliffs.
And that’s just the start of your Portuguese coast adventures. There’s so much to see and so much variety. Take a look at our Portugal Day Tours, see what you fancy experiencing first.
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