Go along side the coastal area to find incredible beaches, rocky cliffs, small hidden lagoons...lots restaurants and local small cafes where you can have meals, snacks and find typical local food.

We grab one parting shot of sunrise over Ponte Piedades and head for the next region, the Alentejo (“ah-len-tay-zhoo”) coast. In this region, it is like the wildness of nature squatted down and claimed the land for her own. Windswept and sparse, eucalyptus and umbrella pines, there are few villages or homes. Running with the windows down, the almost cold breeze begins to smell different. Suddenly there it is, the untamed water of the Atlantic, spending its energy on the rocks as if to mix the water with the air. Just open your mouth and taste the salt. This shore has the “fisherman’s trail” along the cliffs, where you can wander for days on end. We stop for a coffee at a roadside bar, and the dog is quite happy for the distraction from the mundane. As I sip my cafe, I glance down at the huge ants as they busily parallel the road. Jeeps and vans piled with surfboards mimic them in front of me. At every overlook surfers are unloading, looking a bit rough around the edges. At least the wild wind can’t mess with their dreads. Time for lunch at Odeceixe, where the river swings around to spill into the ocean to form a most unusual beach. At the restaurant perched above all this, the waitress convinced me that their fresh octopus must be tried. Well, you can’t have too much of that! She was right, it was the best I’ve had. Caught local, served with local sweet potatoes languishing in Portuguese olive oil and garlic and finished with fresh orange juice, served up with their effervescent local white wine. Ultra tender, perfect balance of salty-sweet. I raved over this little lunch spot, and she almost cried she was so proud, no kidding! So cool to connect with them, just by appreciating their craft and identity. Every beach is a different flavor, every spot has a different way to enjoy it. Wish we had the time to spend on the trails along this coastline; must save it for another vacay. Go for the adventure and discovery, go here to play hard or relax, go here for the food.