Odeceixe

The white village where the Seixe meets the Atlantic, on the Rota Vicentina.

Odeceixe, on the border between the Algarve and the Alentejo, is a village of white houses above the river Seixe — and, at its feet, one of the most beautiful beaches of Portugal, where the river meets the Atlantic between sandbanks and cliffs. It is a stage of the Rota Vicentina, the walking route of the Costa Vicentina, and one of the favourite stops of the south-west coast.

The village and the beach

The village climbs the hill above the river, with its church, its lanes of white and blue and its old mills on the banks of the Seixe. Below, the Praia de Odeceixe opens in a great curve: the river runs between the sand to meet the sea, in a landscape of dunes, cliffs and Atlantic light that changes with every tide, at the heart of the protected coast of the south-west.

What to see

Praia de Odeceixe, where the river meets the ocean.
The white streets and church of the village, above the Seixe.
The cliffs and beaches of the Costa Vicentina around Odeceixe.
The paths of the Rota Vicentina, which pass through the village.

Visiting

Odeceixe lies on the road between Aljezur and the Alentejo coast, with the beach a short walk or drive below the village; in high summer the car parks fill early. The ocean has strong currents and the cliffs are fragile, so bathers and walkers should follow the flags and the advice of the authorities, and plan the walks of the Rota Vicentina with the official information of the route.