Vila do Bispo - Sagres
District: Vila do Bispo
Region: Faro, Portugal
Post Code: 8650
Distance from Faro: 103 km
Residents: 5.000
The district of Vila do Bispo with its 70.000 ha Parque Natural do Sudoeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina is one of the few locations of the Algarve where the nature environment has been almost untouched and the rich cultural and historical heritage has been preserved.
Tourist passing trough Vila do Bispo on their way to Sagres should have a look at the octagonal tower of the main church completed in the 18th Century and the nearby Ermida de Nossa Senhora de Guadalupe, built by the Knights Templar in the 13th Century.
The gastronomy is known for its fresh fish and local sea food, including rock barnacle harvested by the fishermen at no small risk from the rocks along the shore.
There is a very diversified range of beaches to choose from: the windswept sandy beaches of the western coast, battered by the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, nestle amongst sheer rocky cliffs; whilst, on the southern coast, the cliffs are less imposing, but have been sculpted into some impressively aesthetic shapes and the beaches take the form of small coves sheltered from the wind and waves.
The mythical atmosphere surrounding Sagres and Cabo de São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent), places dedicated to the gods for thousands of years,the unspoilt coastline, with its dramatic horizons of cliffs and sea. The many menhirs that bear witness to prehistoric rites. Memories of the epic of the Discoveries and the enigmatic figure of Prince Henry the Navigator.
Such are the attractions of Vila do Bispo and its municipality, a vast triangle in which the sea is a constant presence and where nature combines with history to create a unique region that is worth taking the time to get to know.
