This quite working fishing village sits on the south-west tip of the Algarve. Set Between Sagres and Lagos, in the Costa Vicentina national park, Salema is a relaxed collection of houses set above a sandy beach.
In Arabic "Salema" describes a place of purity, somewhere flawless, somewhere safe.
One of the most amazing things about Salema is how it still remains as such. The pristine beach has been repeatedly voted as the best in Europe, yet it has never lost its place at the heart of what makes the Algarve so unique.
Many extraordinary journeys have passed by these shores, enriching the unspoiled sands with memory of their passing. From the armadas that set sail from Lagos to voyages of discovery launched from Sagres, from guiding light of the Pota da Piedade to the meandering trails of ancient dinosaurs, history succeeded where mass tourism failed by finding sanctuary at Salema. The landscape surrounding Salema is unspoilt. A fleet of brightly painted wooden boats catch sea bass, bream, octopus, sardines and mackerel. You can still watch fishermen unloading their catch each morning before mending their nets and resting after a night at the sea. Salema is a world of peaceful co-existence and that´s what makes it such a delight.
