Santiago do Cacém

The eels from the Lagoa de André are considered to be the best in the country. They are served in stews, fried, grilled, marinated and even prepared on skewers. Doing the Alentejo’s tradition justice, the bread stews with pennyroyal accompany the fish, or codfish if so preferred. Octopus and shrimp, separate or together, also enrich the cuisine, as does river mullet, prepared with pasta.

Other Flavours: traditional pork dishes with migas (cabbage with cornbread), Alentejo style or in boiled dinners. The soups are varied, but the pennyroyal and hare soups are special. Traditional sweets include alcomonias (diamond-shaped honey and pine nut biscuits), Santiago cakes, crackling cakes and many others using pine nuts.

The Santo André Lagoa, a lagoon with a beach that extends for kilometres, perfect for relaxing, fishing and nautical sports

Visit to the rugged mountains of São Francisco and Cercal, conducive to walking trails

The beaches of Santiago do Cacém, known for their beauty (Fonte do Cortiço Beach; Costa de Santo André Beach; Monte Velho Beach/Porto das Carretas Beach and Areias Brancas Beach)

Discovery of local handicrafts and, if possible, a visit to a local wood, cork, clay, leather or tile workshop

Gastronomic festival of the Santo André Lagoa, festival in appreciation of the fishing community of Lagoa and in homage to the local flavours, of the ocean and land, selling alcomonias (diamond-shaped honey and pine nut biscuits) – November and December

Feira do Monte, exhibition of local gastronomy and handicrafts, in honour of the town’s patron saint Nossa Senhora do Monte – 1^st weekend in September