The coastal region between Odeceixe and São Vicente is part of the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentina Coast Natural Park, and throughout the years I have written many times about the region. Today I would like to make a visual summary of the main points of interest along this coastline. This comes as a result of the several Rota Vicentina trails that I have been walking in the last few years.
The main reference points along this coastal region are often associated with a few villages and/or nearby beaches. From North to South, we will find: Odeceixe, Aljezur (Amoreira, Arrifana and Monte Clérigo beaches), Bordeira (Carrapateira, Amado, and Murração beaches), Vila do Bispo (Cordoama and Castelejo beaches), and finally Sagres/Cabo São Vicente (Telheiro and Ponta Ruiva beaches). In all of these it is possible to admire wonderful seascapes, which are dominated by tall cliffs that drop precipitously into the azure ocean.
These cliffs are formed by heavily compressed, folded and faulted Paleozoic rock formations with around 300 million years of age. Quite often, it is this geologic complexity that shapes the topography of the coastline. Given the nearby mountains, like Monchique, several small rivers and brooks make their way to the coast, where their estuaries lead to the formation of several of the beaches mentioned above (like in Amoreira, Bordeira, and Odeceixe). What follows is a compilation of photos from these beaches, most of them taken off-season, when the silence and tranquility prevail.
