Portugal's Hidden Paradise

The tranquil beachside villages of the Vicentina Coast are home to some of the country’s best dining.

- Stacey Leasca,MELANIE HANSCHE,STACEY LEASCA

“WE’LL TAKE THE ONE IN THE SUN,” I told the hostess in my best Portuguese, pointing to a corner table on the patio at A Azenha do Mar, a bustling cliffside tavern where there’s never a need for air-conditioning in the summer heat because a pleasant ocean breeze is always flowing.

We took a seat, bathing in the late-day glow before our waitress reappeared, bringing with her glasses of crisp Sauvignon Blanc produced up the road at the Vicentino winery. Just as I thought that things couldn’t get better, she came back with more. “Desculpe [excuse me],” she said as she delivered a heaving bowl of arroz de marisco to the table, crab legs cascading over the edges, mussels peeking out from the steaming rice, clam shells glimmering in the light. My dining partner and I barely spoke as we jostled for the crab crackers, vying for the juiciest bits. We devoured the entire bowl and sipped the rest of our wine, content to watch the sun sliding beneath the waves on this sleepy stretch of Portugal’s Vicentina Coast.

Sure, Lisbon and Porto have their charms—serious coffee cultures, enough azulejos to tile a small planet, and all the cultural sites you’d expect from two historic cities. However, this roughly 70-mile stretch of coast less than three hours south of Lisbon is a little more wild and free while still rooted in Portuguese tradition.