Rick Steves' Favorite European Retreat Is A Coastal Paradise He's 'Recommended For Decades'

Rick Steves is one of the world's foremost experts on travel in Europe. He's explored pretty much every corner of the continent, from the most iconic landmarks to relatively undiscovered European destinations. His articles, website, blogs, and reports are full of fascinating and practical information, from game-changing guides for history buffs to tips on how navigating language barriers, as well as recommendations on the best places to visit.

So, when Rick Steves describes somewhere as his "favorite European retreat" and somewhere that he has "recommended for decades" (as he does on his blog), it is worth paying attention. The small village of Salema on Portugal's sun-drenched Algarve coast is an oasis of calm relaxation and spectacular sea views, a place where Steves "loves to recharge ... after a busy schedule of filming and guidebook research".

Salema is tucked away in the southwest corner of Portugal, halfway between Lagos and Sagres on the southern Atlantic Coast. The nearest international airport is Faro, a drive of around an hour and fifteen minutes away. Faro is served by routes across Europe, as well as by flights from Toronto and New York. Lisbon Airport has an even wider variety of incoming flights and is just under three hours' drive away.

According to Rick Steves, one of the problems with finding hidden gems and under-the-radar spots in Europe is that "by the time any place is famous for being a 'last undiscovered tourist frontier,' it no longer is one." And while Steves says that the Algarve "disappoints many who come looking for fun on undeveloped beaches," Salema is still a place "blessed with a long, broad, gorgeous beach — luxurious with powder-fine sand, framed off by steep vivid-yellow cliffs, and relatively untrampled by rowdy tourists."

Salema's beach is its main attraction, a stunning stretch of sand that Steves says is "the most purely enjoyable beach in all of Europe". Colorful fishing boats sit on the sand or bob in the waves off the coast during the day, before heading out to fish for squid, sardines, and octopus at night. There's a strong local community "that seem to live their traditional routines in a parallel existence with the modern world" (according to Steves), "oblivious to the tourists who are just another and necessary slice of the local economy."

Steves says that the town itself is charming, sleepy, and pretty much unchanged from how it was in the 1970s when he first visited. Its twisty, cobbled streets and blue-and-white fishermen's huts provide a wonderful, old-fashioned atmosphere, while the ruined fort of São Luís de Almádena, which overlooks the nearby beach of Praia de Almádena, is worth a look. There are plenty of excellent, family-run seafood restaurants, and Steves recommends the Atlântico, right on the beach, and the Boia Bar, "within splashing distance of the surf."

Beyond Salema itself, this stretch of coastline offers a more bohemian, quiet, and under-touristed experience than the more popular spots and is a great place to escape the crowds in the rest of the Algarve. Rick Steves describes Cape Sagres as "the Land's End of Europe," and you can visit the lighthouse that looks out to sea from Cape Vincent, the westernmost point of Europe. The arrangements are informal, in that you have to knock on the door and wait for the lighthouse keeper to arrive and take you on a free tour, but it is an unusual and eccentric experience that is definitely worth doing.

Salema is also close to the beach that Rick Steves describes as "the most romantic in the region," Praia do Castelejo. This magical spot is just to the northwest of Salema and north up the coast from Sagres, and is a fantastic option for a day at the beach. It is also fabulous for surfers, and the waves on the less-protected western coastline are among the best in the world.