Aljezur is a small town with about 3,300 inhabitants and the seat of the same-named county as well as of the community in the West of the Algarve.
Coordinates: 37° 19′ N, 8° 48′ W
Castle ruins from the 10th century overtop the town that presents visitors a center rich in variety, a daily market and a number of interesting museums with regard to the history of regional development, religious art and life in the different eras.
The Ribeira de Aljezur flows today as a trickle through the town. Before the river silted up in the 16th and 17th century, it was important for the trade of the town as well as of the region.
Aljezur was the first natural harbour that could be approached once you had left the harbour of Lagos.
The castle has been enlarged repeatedly after its erection. Mentionable is a 7,3 x 5,7 x 3,8 m watertight cistern which still is preserved today.
Important articles of commerce were cloth, dry fruits, honey, olive oil, spices and medical drugs. Moreover, there were fishing, animal farming and cereal cropping.
The museum Municipal is signposted in the town. It houses over 2,000 years of regional history and is divided in the sections Roman, Morisco and Christian.
The entrance fee includes the visit to the exposition Christian art (only about 80 m away). On request the church will also be shown to you where, in a side room, the artefacts are accommodated.
Further museums and expositions of the local handicraftsmen can be found in the town.
Furthermore, there are the post office, banks, supermarkets, a number of restaurants, cafés, bistros and snackbars.
The daily market supplies inhabitants as well as tourists with fresh food.
Fruit and vegetable depending on the season.
Freshly caught fish: cheap, varied, tasty and healthy.