Follow the sun to Portugal
Sending clients on a winter escape means they will discover Portugal’s coastline at its most inviting
Outside of British summertime, from October to May, Portugal continues to enjoy blue skies and balmy sunshine, perfect for exploring. With average winter temperatures above 10C and boasting more than 300 days of sunshine per year, it’s warm enough – but not too hot – for clients to hike, cycle or savour alfresco seafood lunches along two of the country’s coastal routes, the Estrada Atlântica in the Center of Portugal and the Rota Vicentina in the Alentejo.
Atlantic paths
The Center of Portugal’s Estrada Atlântica is one stretch of the country’s longest dedicated cycling path, winding along the sun-drenched coastline via well-marked trails. The mix of beaches, woodland and villages makes it ideal for clients who want variety while being active. They can start at the golden dunes of Osso da Baleia Beach near Pombal, before gliding gently along to Ervedeira Lake for canoeing or a bracing winter swim.
Pedrógão Beach is popular for windsurfing, before the route follows the Lis River into Marinha Grande’s São Pedro de Moel, a clifftop village where clients will be rewarded with fresh seafood from the nearby Atlantic Ocean. Clients should be encouraged to linger for a while, so suggest a pause at Água de Madeiros to see the São Pedro de Moel lighthouse or, for families, a dip in the calm waters of its eponymous beach or river.
Coastal trails
For those who prefer more of a challenge, the Rota Vicentina offers unspoiled clifftop walking for more than 200km along the Alentejo coast. Porto Covo welcomes walkers with creamy crescents of sand and a relaxed village feel, and clients will trek past seemingly unending dunes, streams and the distinctive palheirões (islets). The Água de Madeiros Beach, Center of Portugal path soon winds inland to São Teotónio. Here, riverside woodland and cork oak groves give way to farmland, with cafes serving fresh fruit and produce grown by local farmers who work the land.
Suggest the section between Almograve and Zambujeira do Mar as a highlight, which features towering cliffs carved by wind and tide, and is home to nesting seabirds that can be spotted overhead. The Rota Vicentina is divided into easily navigable, one-day stages, meaning Portugal’s coastal secrets can be revealed on even the briefest winter holiday.
For more information, head to visitportugal.com
PICTURES: João Mariano/Rota Vicentina; Rui Miguel Pedrosa/Slideshow
Straight to the sun
It’s never been easier to reach Portugal, with short, direct flights from both London and regional UK airports to Porto and Lisbon to access central Portugal, and to Lisbon or Faro for Alentejo.
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