Alcácer do Sal

One of Portugal’s oldest port cities, Alcácer do Sal has been a cultural crossroads for nearly 3,000 years. Founded by the Phoenicians long before the rise of Rome, this Alentejo town still whispers its past through a landscape of medieval fortresses, Moorish echoes and riverside elegance. Just an hour south of Lisbon; 45 minutes from Setúbal; and 30 minutes from Comporta’s wild coastline, the town is perfectly poised between history and the Atlantic’s golden horizon.

Its name is steeped in legacy – Salacia Urbs Imperatoria under Roman rule; later becoming Al-Kassr during its time as a Moorish stronghold, meaning “the castle.” The medieval fortress still crowns the town, standing as a sentinel over the Sado River, which swells into a vast estuary before spilling onto the beaches of the Tróia Peninsula.

Alcácer do Sal is a living timeline, etched in Roman, Islamic and Renaissance architecture. Cobbled streets weave past whitewashed facades and historical treasures such as Santa Maria do Castelo Church, the Chapel of Senhor dos Mártires and the 16th-century Convent of Santo António. The Municipal Museum of Archaeology pieces together the town’s past, while hidden chapels and ornate tilework reveal the stories of centuries.

Life here rolls at an easy pace. Riverside bars and seafood restaurants serve up fresh catches, while tiny stalls sell pinhoadas – a local sweet made from honey and pine nuts. Artisan embroidery shops nod to Alentejo’s traditions, and time seems to pause as you sip local wines in a sun-drenched square.

Beyond a pitstop to Comporta, Alcácer do Sal is a cultural retreat – an under-the-radar blend of heritage, charm and Portuguese soul. Whether exploring its salt-soaked past, lingering over Alentejo’s rich flavours or chasing the Atlantic breeze to Tróia, this town is a timeless escape.