Porto Covo Portugal Travel Guide – The Colourful Fishing Village by the Alentejo coast in Portugal

Do you want to see the place, where the colour of the deep blue sky matches the bright paint of the buildings? Where the redness of the door and the window shutters contrast with the whiteness of the little houses? Come and visit Porto Covo, Portugal! (There are very nice beaches, too)

We visited Portugal out of high season in March. You can find our full Portugal road trip itinerary for 4 days here.

When we planned our trip to Portugal, I was a bit disappointed, that we won’t be able to visit the northern town Aveiro, full of beautifully painted houses. However, while searching through the internet for the places to see in the south of the country, I found the city of the red doors – and I knew that this is going to be our must-see stop.

Porto Covo, Portugal

Porto Covo (or Porto Côvo), located in the Alentejo coast of Portugal, is a tiny fishing village. Populated only by over 1000 people, it’s a hidden gem. With access to the beautiful beaches, sheltered by the jagged rocks and colourful old quarter, it makes a nice place to visit during the road trip around Portugal.

Porto Covo is known for its pretty beaches and the connection to the ocean. Its name translates to the “port of covos”, which means the port of the fishing nets, that are used to capture crabs and lobsters. Not a surprise, since the town is a fishing village and has some of the best seafood restaurants around.

The town was rebuilt in 1755 after being hit by the earthquake. In the center there is the main square – Praça Marquês de Pombal, designed by the first Baron of Porto Covo. That’s, where you can find the prettiest white houses with a bright red door and blue paint. Most of them were shut when we were visiting, but they looked like restaurants and small local shops – in the high season they should be open and bring more life to the square.

What to see in Porto Covo, Portugal

The town also has a harbour and a fort partially destroyed during the earthquake. In the sea, around 250 meters from the shore you can see the small uninhabited island Pessegueiro. It was one of the first center of activity of the region leading back to the Roman trade. There is also a fort there, that can be seen from the land. The island can be visited, however, there are no organised trips, so you would need to arrange it yourself.

Beaches in Porto Covo area – the best Porto Covo beaches

If you are looking for someplace to relax (it’s Portugal after all), Porto Covo will not disappoint you either. Porto Covo beaches are stretches of yellow sand and blue water. All the way along the coast is full of peaceful sandy beaches hidden in between the cliffs, where you can slow down and enjoy the views.

Praia dos Buizinhos in Porto Covo

Few steps away from the Porto Covo market square there is located Praia dos Buizinhos, a small beach surrounded by natural cliff rocks. We met there a local guy collecting tiny shells for his home collection. He explained to us the town history and invited us to come back again for the big Easter celebrations, during which the locals eat the sea urchins (that black spiky sea animal – I think I understood correctly, if someone knows otherwise, please correct me).

Praia Grande de Porto Covo in Porto Covo

Another beach is just a few minutes drive away from town – Praia Grande de Porto Covo with fine sand and yellow cliffs towering above it. It was entirely empty when we arrived – you can feel like it’s your own paradise, and so we did with our wine in a box (yay).

Porto Covo restaurants – where to eat in Porto Covo

And then the food comes. Oh man, just to be able to eat there more, I would want to stay longer. It was just A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. There are a few restaurants in Porto Covo to choose from.

We chose one random restaurant and it turned out to be one of the best meals ever (and all the food in Portugal has been delicious so it was a very hard competition). I can definitely recommend restaurant Ze Inacio . We ordered Octopus „A lagareiro” and Pork meat „alentejana” with clams – both were perfect, but I was dreaming about the octopus during the night – it was that good! It could even compete with Moroccan tagine, which we had in Silves, yum.

Where to stay in Porto Covo? The best Porto Covo hotels & Porto Covo accommodation (Porto Covo alojamento)

It’s worth to take a break and stay in Porto Covo for some time. There are several hotels in Porto Covo to choose from, that will allow you to relax.

• Budget hotels in Porto Covo: Casa No Campo – a great, quiet place, located out of the main area, allowing for the ultimate relaxation. You can choose from the beds in the dormitory rooms or the whole private rooms. Check the prices and availability here.
• Mid-range and higher-end hotels in Porto Covo: Porto Covo Hotel Apartamento – ec0-hotel with access to the outdoor swimming pool, located 10 minutes walk from the beach. Check the prices and availability here.

Porto Covo camping sites

In Porto Covo, you can also find some places for camping.

• Parque Campismo Porto Côvo – Porto Covo camping site with a great location, outdoor pool and garden views.

Vila Nova de Milfontes

You can also stay in the nearby town – Vila Nova de Milfontes, located just 17 kilometers from Porto Covo. Recommended Vila Nova hotels:

• Hotel Eira Da Pedra – the hotel is located only 300 m from the beach in the Costa Vicentina Natural Park. It offers apartments and rooms with a private balcony, as well as a common outdoor pool.
• Hotel HS Milfontes Beach – excellent location, just 100 m away from the Mira River Bay Beach, with a restaurant terrace overlooking the beach. There is an outdoor pool and the views from rooms are great.

If you like the peaceful and calm feel of tiny towns, small beaches, and cute colourfull buildings, accompanied by the delicious food, then Porto Covo is the one for you. Would you go? Have you been? Let me know in the comments!

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