Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina Natural Park

Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina Natural Park protects the coastline of south-west Portugal, from São Torpes, just south of Sines, through Odemira and Aljezur to Vila do Bispo, at the tip of the Algarve. It covers almost 90,000 hectares, about two thirds on land and one third at sea. The coast was first classified as a protected landscape in 1988 and became a natural park in 1995.

This is a broad zone where land and sea meet, with cliffs, dunes, Mediterranean temporary ponds and wetlands. The park has one of the highest levels of biodiversity in the country, with more than a dozen endemic plant species and several nesting sites for birds, and it is often described as one of the last stretches of wild coast in Europe. Under the name Costa Sudoeste it is part of the Natura 2000 network, both as a Special Area of Conservation and as a Special Protection Area.

Walking is the best way to see it. The Rota Vicentina network of hiking and cycling trails crosses the park: the Fishermen's Trail follows the coast for 226.5 kilometres between São Torpes, Porto Covo and Lagos, in 13 stages, while the Historical Way runs for 263 kilometres along rural tracks from Santiago do Cacém to Cape St Vincent. Sines in the north, Odemira and Aljezur in the centre and Vila do Bispo in the south are the main gateways.

The national conservation institute ICNF is the authority for the park, which is co-managed by a commission chaired by the mayor of Odemira together with the universities of the Algarve and Évora, environmental organisations and local development associations. Its co-management plan for 2025 to 2028 includes the restoration of habitats on land and at sea, the control of invasive species, better ordering of access to sensitive places and environmental education. The spread of intensive farming, climate change and habitat degradation are the main pressures on the area, which is one more reason to keep to the marked paths.