Subject: Re: Coastal areas of Portugal
Hi Julie,

I must agree with Joao on his recommendation of the Alentejo coastal area. Three or four years ago I did a driving trip all along the portuguese coast, and probably the place we liked more was Vila Nova de Milfontes. I donīt have a clue about the public transport ( we were driving ), but it looked to me a bit on the complicated side and also that you would be missing a lot. A friend of mine had recommended us to skip the Algarve and head to the Alentejo if we were looking for unspoiled, beautiful beaches, and he was dead right (although the only place I felt safe to swim was Vila Nova ... the Atlantic can be really rough ...).

On the trip up from Lisbon we enjoyed a lot Ericeira (had to go there to check the surfing) and Peniche. Nazaré is pretty and another place with a beautiful beach is Sao Martinho de Porto Check the panoramic view http://www.pbase.com/pliborio/image/35171003 Itīs not far away from Obidos, in case you are tired of the beach ...

Joao also mentions Aveiro. To me, the coast south of Aveiro was one of the most wild and impressing I have seen. It really deserves a visit ...

Some links : http://www.galenfrysinger.com/obidos.htm http://www.ericeira.net/home.htm http://www.cm-peniche.pt/ http://www.cm-nazare.pt/ http://www.pbase.com/pliborio/s_martinho_do_porto http://www.cm-aveiro.pt/

Kind regards, Covadonga Bilbao - Spain