Vila Nova de Milfontes is a charming and picturesque old fishing town on the Alentejo coast, popular with locals, travellers and holidaymakers alike, and retains much of Portugal’s traditional culture. It has a daily market with farmers selling locally grown produce, freshly caught fish direct from harbour, a number of excellent restaurants and shops and all the services you would expect in a thriving communal centre.

Our little town is located at the point where the sheltered waters of the Rio Mira estuary meet the wild Atlantic Ocean. Beyond the river mouth and across the dunes are ideal surfing spots, with any number of pristine and deserted beaches heading both up and down the coast.

Despite its attractions, all this the area remains quite untouched as it falls within the designated Nature Park, which stretches for about 150 km along the Atlantic coast of the Alentejo and Algarve regions. The landscape here is defined by high, rugged cliffs which some centuries ago were popular hiding spots for pirates, and boasts incredible geological variation.