Since Nat Geo moderators decided to not publish my blog reply to a post about Portugal's Alentejo coast, I thought best to post it here to my lovely listeners. Enjoy!
Portugal's most magnificent coastal region by a country mile. Allow yourself to be taken forty years back to the seemingly untouched coastline that is visited almost exclusively by Portuguese, Spanish and French holiday makers alone. Yes that's right. The louts from across the water rarely give it a second glance. (No offence intended to my friends from the UK, but surely you can understand if you have ever visited the south coast.)
Best eat for me? Can't go past Restaurant Ze Inacio in beautiful Porto Covo. It is certainly not five star dining but amazing food, cheap and the locals are friendly and lively. After dinner stroll five metres for the best gelateria in the region and stumble softly down the cobblestone streets after a few too many glasses of Portugal's wonderful red wines (from a bottle complete with cork as to support one of the countries main exports.) For the late night sober up snack, bifana (mouth watering pork roll with condiments) is the way to go and you can find it almost anywhere.
If you're visiting anytime in July or August you're sure to be pounded each night by traditional music, dance and food as each town hosts its own festival consecutively as they have done from bygone days. For those who want the full blown experience, FMM Sines , Festival Músicas do Mundo is a must. The multi day festival turns old abandoned castles and pristine beaches into amphitheaters where the newest and best talent in world music take the stage from various places around Europe, Africa, South America and many other parts of our great planet. Some of the worlds best artists have been born from FMM Sines but it is still a relatively unknown event.
Obsessed with Alentejo? I should be as it is the birth place of my family. Every time I leave my home in Melbourne I can't help to stop by, visit some family and soak up what is in my eyes, the most beautiful place in the world.
Enjoy it when you get there.
@obsessedtrav
FMM Sines
Portugal's most magnificent coastal region by a country mile. Allow yourself to be taken forty years back to the seemingly untouched coastline that is visited almost exclusively by Portuguese, Spanish and French holiday makers alone. Yes that's right. The louts from across the water rarely give it a second glance. (No offence intended to my friends from the UK, but surely you can understand if you have ever visited the south coast.)
Best eat for me? Can't go past Restaurant Ze Inacio in beautiful Porto Covo. It is certainly not five star dining but amazing food, cheap and the locals are friendly and lively. After dinner stroll five metres for the best gelateria in the region and stumble softly down the cobblestone streets after a few too many glasses of Portugal's wonderful red wines (from a bottle complete with cork as to support one of the countries main exports.) For the late night sober up snack, bifana (mouth watering pork roll with condiments) is the way to go and you can find it almost anywhere.
If you're visiting anytime in July or August you're sure to be pounded each night by traditional music, dance and food as each town hosts its own festival consecutively as they have done from bygone days. For those who want the full blown experience, FMM Sines , Festival Músicas do Mundo is a must. The multi day festival turns old abandoned castles and pristine beaches into amphitheaters where the newest and best talent in world music take the stage from various places around Europe, Africa, South America and many other parts of our great planet. Some of the worlds best artists have been born from FMM Sines but it is still a relatively unknown event.
Obsessed with Alentejo? I should be as it is the birth place of my family. Every time I leave my home in Melbourne I can't help to stop by, visit some family and soak up what is in my eyes, the most beautiful place in the world.
Enjoy it when you get there.
@obsessedtrav
FMM Sines