Sines

Typical cuisine is based on fish and seafood. Noteworthy is the seafood or limpet and bread stew and the whelk or seafood and bean stew. Influenced by the interior region of the Alentejo, there is an irresistible combination of flavours from the coast and the plains, such as migas (cabbage with cornbread) with fried fish. Then there are the rice dishes, the snails, the limpets, the mussels and the seafood. And first of all, there are the salads, always varied and always irresistible, with cuttlefish, whelk or roe.

Other Flavours: include the regional sweets, such as the vasquinhos, paying tribute to the navigator, small almond cakes and the areias de Sines, simple biscuits, but with a refined taste.

The protected areas of the Parque Natural of Sudoeste Alentejano and Costa Vicentina, and the Lagoa da Sancha integrated in the Natural Reserve of Lagoa de Santo André and Lagoa da Sancha.

The island of Pessegueiro, where there are many lithified (consolidated) sand dunes is an ecologically rich area with beautiful landscapes. It is also a sleeping and nesting area for birds (jays, seagulls, cormorants, etc), some in danger of extinction.

Beaches with vast expanses of sand and other smaller beaches nestled under rocky cliffs

Streams and Reservoirs, for the importance of the aquatic fauna, the Morgável and Junqueira and the beauty of the waterways, the streams of Moinhos and Sancha, near the sea and which are valuable ecosystems for migratory birds (home to a colony of reddish egrets)

Recreational Marina, near the Vasco da Gama beach, a mandatory stop for cruise boats travelling along the Portuguese coast on national or international tours

Discover the tradition of S. Torpes rafts and local handicrafts

Ocean Experiences (fishing and underwater fishing, boat trips, surfing, windsurfing and body boarding, sailing and kayaking)

Land Experiences (the Vicentina Route / walking trails, Badoca Park – Safari Park)

Historical and Cultural Heritage (Sines Museum / home of Vasco da Gama, Arts Centre; historical centre of Sines and Porto Covo, Sines Castle, Revelim Fort and Pessegueiro Fort)

 

Tasquinhas: gastronomic event occurring over 10 days, where some contests are held involving regional cuisine

Festival honouring Nossa Senhora das Salas, patron saint of the fishermen of Sines, who pay homage to her with their decorated trawlers. It also showcases the economic activities of the county, restaurants and snack bars – 15^th August

Tall Ships Races, with the participation of dozens of sailboats from all around the world – 28^th April to 1^st May 2017