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The Alentejo coast is the part of Portugal people drive past on the way to the Algarve. It is a long, windy stretch of cliffs, sandy coves and small white towns, with a walking trail along the top and an Atlantic that is colder than you want it to be. We rented a flat for June in one of those towns, above a river mouth, and stayed long enough to learn the bakery’s schedule.
Getting there without a car
This is the honest downside first: there is no train to the coast. The nearest railway runs well inland. From Lisbon, express buses take roughly three to four hours to the main coastal towns, with a few departures a day that fill up on Fridays in summer.
| Leg | Mode | Roughly |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon city centre to the southern bus terminal | Metro | 30 minutes |
| Lisbon to the coastal town | Express bus | 3 to 4 hours |
| Town to trailheads and beaches | Walking, local bus, the odd taxi | 10 minutes to an hour |
We did the whole month without a car. It worked because we chose a town with a supermarket, a pharmacy and a beach in walking distance. In a smaller village it would not have.
The month, week by week
Week one: orientation. We walked everywhere, found the market day, and learned that restaurants close between lunch and dinner and that dinner starts later than we thought. The water was about 17 degrees. We swam for four minutes at a time.
Week two: the trail. The coastal walking path runs along the cliff edges in sandy stages of 15 to 20 kilometres. We did three stages using buses to get back. The sand is the hard part: it is like walking on a beach for five hours. Start early, because there is almost no shade.
Week three: the slump. Every long stay has one. Grey mornings, the novelty gone, the flat’s one good chair contested. We fixed it with routine: work until one, walk, swim, cook.
Week four: the reward. By now the woman at the fish counter set aside the small sardines for us, and we knew which cove was sheltered when the wind turned north.
Why June, not August
In August Portuguese and Spanish families fill the coast, rentals can double, and the buses sell out. In June the days are long, the towns are awake but not full, and the sea is only a degree or two colder. September is the other good window, with warmer water and a quieter trail.
What the month cost
Two people, June, rounded. Rentals vary a lot by town and how far ahead you book.
| Category | Approximate total |
|---|---|
| One-bedroom flat for the month | 1,300 to 1,700 euros |
| Groceries and market food | 450 euros |
| Eating out, about twice a week | 300 euros |
| Buses, including Lisbon return | 90 euros |
| Coffee, pastries and the odd glass of wine | 120 euros |
| Total | about 2,250 to 2,650 euros |
Would we go back?
Yes, but in September, and with a better kettle. The Alentejo coast rewards the people who stay: the first week is just wind and cold water, and the fourth week is the best month of the year.