After the success of our
discovery of a ‘proper’ Portuguese campsite at Camping Galé north of Sines i.e.
not dominated by northern Europeans like us relying on what we have come to recognise
as ‘ACSI comfort’!) we decided to do a bit of old-school exploration by reading
the topography of the coast and looking for a beach-side campsite. And so we
decided to give what looked like a perfect horseshoe-shaped cove at Saõ
Martinho do Porto a go (north of the famous surf beaches of Peniche).
As we drove through the
small town that stretched out along one end of the cove, it was clear that we
had hit fiesta time, with a stage, loads of stalls and overhead street lights
being set up. With mounting excitement, we continued along the beach, spotting
loads of campervans in the distance at the other end of the cove – was this the
campsite, or a bunch of free campers? In a couple of minutes all was revealed –
the municipal site (Baía Azul) looked on first impressions like a combined
refugee camp and traveller park, with masses of near identical plastic tented
areas set up in rows, augmented by an assorted range of white vans and caravans
parked in the car park area at the front, with washing strung between the
lampposts. So we drove past and explored the row of campervans at the other end
of the beach. Sure enough, this was where free camping happened and seemed to
be tolerated even though it was only 500m or so from the campsite.
Deciding that we fancied
giving the municipal site a more thorough look over, we walked back and asked
for the rates and to look around. Our first impressions were soon overcome and
although the site was indeed ‘varied’ in its appearance, there was a large
grassed area where we could camp up with a view of the cove, a short walk to
the beach, and good enough facilities – all for €11 plus €1 each for a hot
shower (strangely, set to 10 minutes – more than enough!). The rows of plastic
tents turned out to be generally well tended weekend homes for local
Portuguese, and the ‘traveller camp’ at the front of the site, nothing more
than a group of labourers from the nearby roadworks!
And so we found ourselves
amongst an eclectic arrangement of campervans that included a very tasty 4x4 French
overlander…
…with a Portuguese camper
that had been on-site for a good while and had been converted into a more
permanent home!
As the national holiday weekend
arrived (Portugal Day on the Friday), so did many of the inhabitants of the
‘tent city’, giving the site a busy and more family oriented feeling. We never
did quite figure out what had happened to the tent on the corner in this pic
though – no sign of its inhabitants!
The cove itself delivered on
our hopes of calm seas and a nearby sandy beach, with enough wind for one of
our fellow campers to get out on his windsurfer, catching the small swells that
rolled in from the Atlantic. (Any dog owners amongst you considering Portugal,
note the new ‘no dogs’ on the beach sign – apparently, a new law passed into
effect his year and catching out lots of peeps.)
As the sun set and we
prepared for a trip into town to enjoy the fiesta, the wind picked up – and
kept blowing through the night and the next day – a bit of a recurrent theme
for this trip!
As the wind increased and
the sound of English language cover versions of all your favourite cheesy songs
drifted in on the wind from the town, we decided to skip the fiesta and explore
the town the next day.
We discovered that Saõ
Martinho has been a holiday destination for quite some time, with the small
fishing village giving way to tourists as long ago as the early 1900s. And, at
this time of year particularly, it’s very much a Portuguese destination.
Unfortunately, the lovely but now derelict central park hotel has been replaced
by modern low-rise developments – but still low key, with over ¾ of the beach
still backing onto undeveloped dunes.
As we wandered further south
along the beach, we stopped for lunch at a small bar/café overlooking the cove,
offering the ever popular ‘caracois’ (snails – in various sizes and colours)
and – a first for us – the equally popular ‘bifana’ – a flash-fried bit of marinated
pork, covered in mustard/mayo and piri-piri sauce in a bread roll (yum!). With
two of those, a Sagres beer and Portuguese sangria coming to €8, what’s not to
love about eating out in Portugal!
Having spotted the free
campers the day before, we thought we’d explore further to the other end of the
cove. Here we found even more campervans, a municipal swimming pool, an
unopened aire for camping cars, and a picturesque estuary that seemed to be as
popular as the other end of the bay!
After a relaxing couple of
days, we decided we were ready to gird our loins for more culture and an inland
visit – this time to Coimbra with its famous university, and the nearby Roman
ruins of Conímbriga. As we drove off the site we reflected on what a pleasant
stay we’d had – OK the site looked a bit odd, but it had a great vibe and was a
great example of not letting first appearances put us off – and of seeking out
places that many Portuguese go to on holiday!
S.
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