While much of the southern coastline of the Algarve has been built up, the far western end, which forms the Costa Vicentina Natural Park, remains unspoilt and is a protected area of natural beauty.

The tiny town of Salema sits just a few minutes off the main N125 road that runs along the Algarve, and is dotted with small whitewashed houses with blue trim (to ward off evil spirits) and the latticed chimney pots characteristic of the Algarve. In nearby fields of wildflowers, storks nest on telegraph poles.

There is ample evidence of traditional life in this old fishing village: you approach the beach via the cobbled Rua dos Pescadores, which is lined with fishermen’s houses, a few of which have become restaurants that spill out at the front onto the beach.

Nearby, at the entrance to the beach, is a little covered marketplace where fish used to be sold. Today, thanks to increasingly stringent health regulations, the fish is sold elsewhere, but you can still see fishermen unloading their catch of octopus, sardines, sea bass and gilt-head bream here each morning before mending their nets or putting a lick of paint on their brightly coloured wooden boats.

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The half-mile-long beach, with its sugar-fine, golden sand, has a Blue Flag certification, meaning that it meets high standards for water quality, safety and environmental education. Here, the sea is ideal for swimming and windsurfing because it lacks the strong waves found on the west coast that so delight surfers. The crystal-clear waters, which wash onto the gently sloping beach, are free from seaweed, bringing instead small shells to wonder over. Even at high tide, there is a good margin of sand to dig your toes into.

^{The half-mile-long beach, with its sugar-fine, golden sand, has a Blue Flag certification}

At either end of the beach are yellow limestone rocks dating from the Lower Cretaceous, or around 150 million years ago. Above them are the more recent red Quaternary strata, contrasting beautifully with the azure blue sky. It is among these limestone rocks that fossil hunters will be most handsomely rewarded with deeply entrenched remnants of shells and scales and even the footprints of dinosaurs.

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Discovered in 2001 by geologists from Lisbon University, these large footprints are clearly visible on the western end of the beach, in the sedimentary rocks near a staircase that takes you from the beach to the upper end of the town on the cliff above. Continue along the cliffs and you’ll find the neighbouring cove of Boca do Rio.

In summer you should find sea daffodils at your feet and, in among the scrub and trees, you might well see hoopoes with their brilliant crown of feathers.

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Another colourful bird that frequents the Algarve at this time of year is the bee-eater. A vivid mix of gold-brown, turquoise and yellow, these beauties are most easily spotted on telegraph wires, where they pause for a rest in between catching bees, wasps and hornets on the wing.

Salema is the ideal spot to relax and soak up the sun in peace in an unspoilt corner of Portugal.

^{The tiny town of Salema sits just a few minutes off the main N125 road}

Getting there

Salema is just over an hour’s drive (64 miles/103km) from Faro Airport. Faro has flights via British Airways (britishairways.com) from London City Airport and London Gatwick; easyJet (easyjet.com) and Ryanair (ryanair.com) fly to Faro from across the UK. Monarch (monarch.co.uk), Jet2 (jet2.com), Fly Thomas Cook (flythomascook.com) and Thomson Airways (thomsonfly.com) all fly from London Gatwick.

Taxis cost from €90 (£65) (). Eva Bus (eva-bus.com) operates between the airport and Faro, and onwards to Lagos, around 15 minutes from Salema (£8.50 return or £4.25 single).

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Where to stay

Hotel Residencial £
Just back from the beach, this simple hotel offers sea views, a nice bar and a buffet breakfast (hotelsalema.com). Doubles from €55 (£40).

Casa Praiamar ££
In its third season, this apart-hotel offers 10 modern, clean rooms with air conditioning, kitchenettes, sea views and a swimming pool (). Doubles from €75 (£54), excluding breakfast.

Vila Valverde Design Country Hotel ££££
For a more luxurious option, a 10-minute drive will bring you to sleek Vila Valverde, set in blossom-filled gardens with indoor and outdoor pools (vilavalverde.com). Doubles from €199 (£143), including breakfast.

Villas £-£££££
The efficient local agency CaALMA RI A offers a variety of villas to rent, from luxurious ones with a pool to charmingly renovated, one-bedroom fisherman’s houses on the beachfront (00351 282 695 132; salema-propertyandservices.com; note: the website is in Portuguese only.)

^{There is ample evidence of traditional life in this old fishing village}

Restaurants

Boia ££
At the edge of beach, Boia delivers perfectly grilled fish, which still tastes of the sea (Rua dos Pescadores 101; boiabar.com; 10am-midnight daily).

Atlantico ££
On the main square this large restaurant serves regional dishes of octopus and squid alongside pasta favourites (Praia da Salema; 10am-10pm daily).

Agua na Boca £££
On the cobbled Rua dos Pescadores (82) with much to please the carnivore (open daily, evenings only).

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Inside track

A cultural diversion can be found between Budens and Raposeira on the N125, the beautiful 13th-century chapel of Our Lady of Guadalupe, where Prince Henry the Navigator used to pray before his voyages of discovery set sail. Open daily from 10.30am-1pm and 2pm-6.30pm.

When to go

The best times to visit the Algarve are June, July, August and September, when the sun is hot and rain minimal. Salema is enough off the beaten track that you’ll find a rural paradise even during school summer holidays.

More information

Tourist office – visitalgarve.pt.

For an expert guide to the area, see .

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