Campersite Malhadinhas

Lose yourself in the old historic centre of Sines (half an hour’s drive), with its whitewashed fishermen’s cottages and narrow alleyways, using the ruins of the medieval castle as a point of reference. Just under one of the castle towers is a statue of the navigator and explorer Vasco da Gama, who was born here. The South West Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park (40 minutes) runs all the way to the Algarve region and features spectacular coastal landscapes with vertiginous cliffs and wind-eroded rock formations. You can spot white storks and fishing eagles here, plus the rare maritime otter. There are more than 100 animal species at Zoo de Lagos (an hour and a half), including kangaroos and capybaras. In addition to feeding sessions (lemurs, otters and penguins among others), the zoo has a Flight Tunnel, from where you can watch the colourful winged residents as they take to the air.