7 Day Surf, Nourish & Iyengar Yoga Retreat

Aljezur is a small market town of whitewashed houses and cobbled streets located thirty kilometers north of Lagos near the border between the Algarve and the Alentejo in south west Portugal. Nestling among the rolling hills of northwestern Algarve, Aljezur represents the untouched Algarve, an area of beautiful natural landscapes where donkeys work the land, cowbells tinkle on the plains and some of the best beaches in Portugal await you.

Outside the town, it’s hard to decide what is more appealing: countryside or coastline. Nature treks, mountain biking tours and donkey or horse rides around the hills offer the opportunity to admire wild boar, foxes and badgers in their natural habitat while Aljezur’s 40 km-long coast is a treasure trove of rich marine life, numerous species of local and migrating birds and a beautiful mix of virgin beaches and peaceful river valleys.

The Costa Vicentina, as this south-western coastal strip is referred to, contains some of the most beautiful unspoilt beaches in Portugal, many of which feature broad expanses of sand dunes flanked by towering cliffs and with hardly a building in sight. The swell size at beaches such as Arrifana and Praia do Amado attracts surfers and bodyboarders while Odeceixe, Bordeira and Amoreira are situated at the mouth of rivers, making them especially popular with families and offering a choice of river or sea to swim in.

Enjoy a short drive through wonderful countryside with spectacular views of the Western Atlantic coast as you approach the beach. In springtime the roadsides and the clifftops are covered in flowers of all colours and with all the foliage and grass fresh and green it really is quite a sight to see.

Aljezur and the villages and countryside in this corner of the Algarve are quite different from the more hectic south coast - there is no hustle and bustle. This makes Aljezur an ideal place for a relaxing holiday in the countryside, where you can enjoy walking, cycling or horseriding, or just sitting at a café with a good book. There are near deserted beaches within a short drive and lots of villages to explore the 'alternative' Algarve!