Porto Covo – Alentejo’s Loveable Beach Haven

Where is Porto Covo (and how to get there)?

Porto Covo is on the Alentejo coast just south of the town of Sines.

It’s basically equidistance from the two biggest airports that serve the south of Portugal: Faro, in the Algarve, and Lisbon’s major international airport.

I really like the drive up from Lagos, because you can detour around Sagres to take the N268 road – it’s a constant run of fantastic surf spots that, with secret bays at the end of dirt tracks next to legendary spots like Arrifana.

Coming from Lisbon ain’t bad either – you’ll go past the Costa da Caparica and through Comporta, which has some really nice beaches.

The upshot? Porto Covo is a fricking awesome option if you’re keen to pick somewhere to aim for on a road trip. You can drive a few hours, taking a few days, surfing multiple spots, and end up here in the wild west of a region not many people visit.

If you choose to hire a car, I recommend checking DiscoverCars first because they’re usually the cheapest ones in Europe, or at least I’ve found that to be the case over the last few trips to Portugal.

Surfing in Porto Covo

I’m tempted to say here that Porto Covo is simply the best base for surfing in Alentejo. Truth is, there’s an argument to be made for Vila Nova de Milfontes, for Sines, and perhaps even for Comporta, it just depends what you’re after.

If sheer variety of beach breaks is what you want, Porto Covo can’t be beaten IMO.

There are about 3-4 spots north of town, between here and Sines, and around 3-4 south on the way to Milfontes. Plus, there’s one good town beach that you can walk to from the center. None of those are ever that busy really.

Let’s start with the obvious one: The local town beach…

Praia Grande, Porto Covo

The only spot that really works that consistently in Porto Covo itself is Praia Grande. It’s the only place with enough clearance between the rocks and reefs to allow to a decent-length wave to form, and even with that it’s rarely a long wave.

Grande opens up to face due west on the north side of town – it’s about 10 mins walk from here to the absolute center.

Because of the way the rocks poke out to the north and the south, the spot tends to be a lot more sheltered than other, long, open Alentejo beaches. For that reason, it does nicely in bigger swells, and tones down a bit in the spring and autumn to be a rare log wave in a land of punchy shortboard spots.

Yes, you’ll need to watch out for some patches of rock underfoot, but it’s not that bad. Couple that with the shelter from NW big swell and north winds and it’s a really good beginner location on moderate swells, plus it has the benefit of being easy to access from town.

There tend to be two main take-off points: One, a left on the south end of the bay, which is usually the bigger wave, and a right on the north side, which is softer and more peely.

Other surf spots near to Porto Covo

Here’s where the real pull of basing yourself Porto Covo comes in – 20 min drive in either direction gets you to some of the best, most beautiful spots Alentejo can offer.

For the most part they are scything, gold-sand beaches that remind me a bit more of Galicia than southern Portugal.

Most are highly consistent. Most are all-level breaks – good for learners in summer or when swell is small, better for advanced surfers on bigger winter and autumn days.

• Praia de Sao Torpes (10 minutes’ drive north) – A jetty protects this one from the north, hooking those NW winter swells into long peeling walls that can be good for learners when it’s smaller. This is basically south of the main harbor in Sines. Not the prettiest around, but awesome when its heavy NW swell and you want some protection.
• Vieirinha, also known as Praia de Vale Figueiros (just over 5 minutes’ drive north) – A gorgeous beach. Like, supppper nice. Access is from a long car park on the north side, which is also where the best waves form. Again, it’s a hook-around NW swell spot, but instead of a jetty you have a patch of reef that does the work. Great beginner location in summer but can get wompy in winter.
• Aivados Beach (around 20 minutes’ drive south – be ready for dirt-track roads) – One of the jewels of the Alentejo if you ask me. Never busy, very consistent, and classic south Portugal sandbar beach break the whole way along. Aivados does face NW a bit, so be ready to get heavier swells in the deep winter and whatnot, but that does mean it’s a real swell magnet so can be great in summer on those flatter spells.
• Malhão (25 minutes’ drive south) – Very consistent beach break, also pretty. Gets nice left wedges off the south wall on summer SW pulses but is classic beach break on the dominant NW swells.

When to surf in Porto Covo?

Porto Covo has surf all year round – it really depends on what sort of surf you want.

Learners should come by in spring or summer. Smaller waves work nicely in the Alentejo because beaches like Aivados are very well exposed. Generally speaking, the spots south of Covo will be better in summer since they face NW and pick up more swell. Go north and there’s a bit too much protection.

Fall will kick-start the big-swell season in southern Portugal and is typically better for more advanced surfers. That said, Porto Covo is a bit special in that it has a highly sheltered town beach that keeps working on big N winds, and a few spots like Praia de Sao Torpes, with its own breakwater shelter, a bit to the north. If you must come in winter, and you’re, say lower intermediate or something, this won’t be the worst region in Portugal by far!

Other things to do in Porto Covo

Bring a book, bring your Zen – PC is very much about slowing the pace down. Between surf sessions here, you’re likely to be people watching and reading and sunbathing. Heaven.

• All the other beaches – One thing that’s super nice about Porto Covo is the fact that it’s not just a surf spot. The town has about 4-5 other beaches, each of them really stun in their own right. They sort of string around the town, popping up in little coves below the cliffs. I’ll let you discover them at your own pace, since that’s the fun, though my personal fav is Praia da Cerca Nova, a sandy cove-type beach to the north.
• Rua Vasco da Gama – Get here for people watching. It’s like a euro for an espresso, so drink 10 and watch the world go by on this pedestrianized street. It’s a bit touristy but hey ho.

Where to stay in Porto Covo?

There’s a new sort of breed of ocean-country hotel starting to emerge in Alentejo. We’re a big fan. They’re sort of toned down boutique hotels with a whiff of boho about them.

Porto Covo has….

• O Lugar – Just six suites make up this intimate guesthouse on a sleepy street on the edge of the village. Guests can use the kitchen and living space, and some rooms have lovely balcony views over the surrounding farm fields.
• MUTE – A hostel that sort of defies what hostels are supposed to be, MUTE has a pool overlooking the ocean, stunning sun terraces all around, and stylish dorm rooms. It’s also within super easy walking distance of the main surf beach in town, Praia Grande.

Surf camps in Porto Covo

• Dreamsea Surf Camp – The Dreamsea people run a spring and summer camp (May to Sept) out of a campsite south of Porto Covo. It’s a good option if you like more planned surf camps, since you get 5x lessons across the week and will surf at least 2 hours a day, plus transport to the breaks is included.