I’m a big fan of Portugal and it has a special place in my heart. I wanted to talk about Vila Nova de Milfontes in the Alentejo region. This stunning location is about 7 hours drive from South Spain including stops for the children and we arrived in this amazing green place which is located on the Mira river and in the natural protected park of the Costa Vicentina. The route to get there was excellent with lots to see and not a boring highway. It had quite relaxed stretches along the coast, and then more winding roads as we left the Algarve and entered the interior of the country. If you choose to fly to Portugal, the closest airport is Faro (162kms) and then Lisbon at 190 kms distance.
Accommodation: We stayed in agritourism accommodation, 3km outside Vila Nova de Milfontes. It was our first time to trying this and we literally loved it. It was perfect for the kids as they had plenty of space to run around and play,so no extra activities needed to be found. It was perfect for us too as we could go for walks, bike rides and explore and afterwards we could enjoy a relaxing massage. Overlooking the river we enjoyed a picnic and also visited the nearby beaches. In effect it was 2 in one: both nature and sea spaces. Unfortunately we went on May Day and the waters were cold. Portugal especially has very cold waters.
I think it was one of our best short trips because there was a change of scenery, so we were not bored at all. From the river, to the city and from the beaches to going for bike rides. We wanted to do some canoeing but we didn’t have time. We visited other impressive places in the area such as Porto dos Barcas and walked a very, very, very small part of the Fisherman’s Trail of Rota Vicentina. The whole trail is 230 kilometres long and is located next to the Atlantic coast! Maybe when the kids are older we’ll be able to walk a big part of it. But we promised to return in the future!
What did we love? The food! If there’s one thing we always do on our travels it’s to try the local cuisine. Our kids not only didn’t complain, but actually ate with gusto. Queijo serpa, the individual soft cheese of the region and especially the cataplana de pescado were their favourites
Wish we could have more days to stay, but next stop was waiting: Evora.