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Family beaches: bathing pleasures with quality and safety
The main beaches of Sines have permanent surveillance during the bathing season, are equipped with the appropriate beach resources and have an excellent sanitary quality. The Beaches of Morgavel, Vale Figueiros, Grande of Porto Covo, Ilha do Pessegueiro and S. Torpes, which, in the last few years, were rewarded with the Blue Flag of Europe, are excellent due to their natural characteristics, and due to the possibility of receiving the whole population, from the children to the elders.
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Small beaches of Porto Covo: choose yours
There are no beaches as the beaches of Porto Covo, one of the most beautiful villages of the country, and, for certain, one of the most beautiful coasts. Praia Grande and the Beach of Pessegueiro Island are the widest and the most accessible, but the whole parish's coast is full of small beaches with fine sand and clear waters, separated by large rocks, that look like they were made to create a feeling of intimacy and exclusivity. The beaches are for everyone, but we feel like saying: choose yours! Vieirinha, Oliveirinha, Foz, Burrinho, Samouqueira (the magnificent Samouqueira...), Pequena, Espingardeiro, Búzios, are some of the names of these treasures as small as they are precious.
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All these beaches have good sanitary conditions, but some of them have a difficult access and have no permanent surveillance.
Naturist beaches
One of the small beaches of Porto Covo is Praia do Salto (Beach of Salto). Located between Cerro da Águia and Cerca Nova, with a private and peaceful environment, it is part, since 2002, of the restricted group of naturist beaches officially recognised in Portugal.
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Historic beaches
The beaches of Sines do not offer only sun and sea. They also offer history and soul.
Praia Vasco da Gama (Vasco da Gama Beach): Integrated in the urban tissue of the city of Sines and testimony of the main events of its history - from the pirates attacks to the embarkation of D. Miguel to England -, it is part of the face of Sines and of the heart of its people. Adjoining the Fishing Harbour, it remains charming and deserves to be visited, both in the summer and in the winter. Its marginal avenue is much used for walks and jogging.
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Praia de São Torpes (São Torpes Beach): The most crowded beach of the district is associated with the legend of São Torpes, whose martyrised body was supposed to rest on its sands in the first century of the Christian era. The raft of São Torpes, a curiosity of the Portuguese naval archaeology, is still used in fishing, but not very often.
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Praia da Ilha do Pessegueiro (Beach of Pessegueiro - "Peach-Tree" - Island): The channel of Pessegueiro Island was used as a harbour of refuge by the Carthaginians and the Romans in the difficult climb of the coast of Alentejo. In the Island, there are traces, laid open, of a Roman fish salting factory (it is from the word fish, "piscis", that comes the name of the island, and not from the fruit-tree). In the 18th century, there were plans to use the Island as a large seaport (the blocks that confirm the beginning of the building works are still visible). |
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Evading beaches: Northern Coast
The cape of Sines divides the coast of Alentejo in the middle. In the south there are small beaches cut by rocks. In the north there are kilometres and kilometres of continuous sands, until the peninsula of Tróia. It is another way of being and living the beach. It is the domain of the large spaces, of the vigorous sea. The rich fishing banks in the underwater caves attract divers and underwater fishermen.
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