Today we are going for a walk around a place that, like my beautiful small country, is a sea-side garden!
Welcome to Porto Covo :)
It is such a special place that it even has a dedicated song:
"Ao longe a cidadela de um navio
Acende-se no mar como um desejo
Por trás de mim o bafo do destino
Devolve-me à lembrança do Alentejo"
"Havia um pessegueiro na ilha
Plantado por um Vizir de Odemira
Que dizem que por amor se matou novo
Aqui, no lugar de Porto Côvo"
Rui Veloso
For obvious reasons I will not translate the lyrics because it would lose all the semantic :P
The letter ends in a slightly tragic way, but we can't stop thinking about this song when we visit this beautiful village of Portugal, by the way, many people got to know this place in Vicentina coast, thanks to this song.
Whenever I spend time there, it never disappoints, i can say that in Alentejo we can live the slow life style, which does not mean that it is a pampering.
The village itself is not very large, but it is very cozy.
It has a small square where every day and night we can see people relaxing eating and walking, reading books and watching the kids playing in the street.
Nowadays it is not very usual to see children playing in the street, and it is great to be able to appreciate that freedom.
Here we can find the famous Pessegueiro Island, which Rui Veloso talks about in his song, although reversing the meaning of the words “um pessegueiro na Ilha”.
During those days there, from the beach of Pessegueiro Island also known as island beach, we had the opportunity to watch some of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen adding to that beautiful event all the birds returning to the island to stay overnight while the sun goes down.
The island lies in the Natural Park of South-West Alentejo and the Costa Vicentina. and was once used as a base for a small fishing center, as evidenced by some ruins that have survived to this day.
There was also an attempt to turn it into a small fort against privateers attacks, at a time when invasions were fashionable.
Today is just something beautiful to see, and the house of all those birds.
All this surrounded by warm and arid landscapes always losing sight with those characteristic tones and smells.
A junction between toasted plains, cliffs, beach ...
I love the beach, and as an accredited member of the “sand in the foot” club I can guarantee and prove that the Vicentine coast has the most beautiful, clean and preserved beaches on the planet, see my luck: D
Although I'm from the north of the country, I jump on my way and when I find myself, I'm already bathing in those crystal clear waters, until I have cramps or until my skin is soaked with so much sauce. For those who are part of the club, the Vicentina coast is a dream.
As enjoying the beach is not synonymous with toasting in the sun, we have the possibility to visit several beaches a day along the coast, there are many, almost all surrounded by beautiful cliffs (so far safe, rare exceptions) and even finding authentic deserted paradises, without a living soul besides fishes, have you ever imagined? Like, a beach just for you? It's a real dream for those parts.
The water is a greenish blue, warm and mostly calm.
The arrival to the beach is always through wooden stairs, placed on the slopes, some so extensive that we enjoy and on the way we are already warming up
It is in the north of the country that we can enjoy the best cuisine of our country is true :P but if we know how to search, even in the south we can find restaurants and small bars where we eat and lick our fingers.
We found a restaurant, in the middle of nowhere, we had to follow a dirt road, always keeping an eye on the ostriches that accompanied us all the way, always looking curious.
I ate the best "redenho" of my life (to this day I haven't eaten better)
The seafood restaurants are the strong point of the area, for more than obvious reasons, where the sea is king and lord, most people live from the sea, and always have fresh seafood ready to go to the table.
No, i don´t have photos from food :P
Well, nostalgia now
All photos presented in this article are my own
Thanks for watching
@aleister
