Salema holidays

Holidays to Salema will give you a glimpse of the traditional life and character of a Portuguese fishing village. Narrow cobbled streets lead down to a Blue Flag beach that boasts its own dinosaur footprints. There's also a golf course near Salema where you can take part in one of Portugal's favourite sports.

Blue Flag beach

Salema is on the south coast of Portugal, towards the west end of the Algarve. You can fly here direct from Dublin or Cork, and make straight for the sea. The Blue Flag beach is just over a kilometre of clean, rich cream-coloured sand and clear, clean water for swimming. Most of the village is clustered around the beach, reflecting its long fishing heritage.

Fishing

In Salema, the local population is very friendly and the fishermen approach celebrity status. You can watch them bringing in the morning catch if you're up early enough. One highlight of a day in Salema is to see how the fishing boats are dragged back and forth to the shore by a tractor. Another is to sample the fresh seafood, of course.

Nature park

This whole region is protected for its natural beauty, and it's great for hiking and biking. There are many other activities to try in the area, including water-skiing, windsurfing, sailing, fishing and diving. Not far offshore, there's some wreckage from a French ship which was sunk in 1759.