A far cry from the crowded spots further east, the Costa Vicentina is a remote, rural stretch of the Algarve, where a coastline pocked with rocky coves is thrashed by surf, and inland hiking trails through cork groves link quiet, tucked-away villages. One such stop is the whitewashed Aldeia da Pedralva, an immaculately restored village built from the ruins of a deserted settlement, located at the heart of Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park. Further north along the coast, Sofia von Mentzingen and Elsa Ribeiro run Burros & Artes — a donkey sanctuary-cum- workshop that organises treks and pottery classes in the hillside village of Aljezur.
