Monte Gordo is a beach town and parish of Vila Real de Santo António, with 3 197 inhabitants across 4 km², near the mouth of the Rio Guadiana and the border with Spain.
A former fishing village, it became a town in 2001 and is the main tourist centre of the eastern Algarve. Fishing boats still work from the western end of the beach, next to hotels, apartments and the casino.
History of Monte Gordo
Around 1770, Monte Gordo had thousands of residents, mostly Catalan and Levantine fishermen, with about a hundred xávega crews fishing for sardines. In 1773 the Marquis of Pombal nationalised the fisheries and ordered the building of Vila Real de Santo António, and the inhabitants of Monte Gordo were expelled.
Fishermen slowly returned to the beach during the 19th century. Sea bathing began in the 1890s, two casinos opened in the 1920s, and in the 1960s one of the first hotels of the Algarve was built here.
Beaches in Monte Gordo
- Praia de Monte Gordo: wide, flat sandy beach in front of the town, suited to families with small children, with water warmed by the Levante winds.
- Praia de Monte Gordo Poente: western end of the beach, where the fishing boats come ashore.
- Praia de Monte Gordo Nascente: eastern end of the beach, towards Vila Real de Santo António.
The beach is part of a stretch of sand almost ten kilometres long, from the mouth of the Guadiana to near Cacela Velha.
Fishing in Monte Gordo
- Artisanal fishing: each morning, colourful boats land on the western part of the beach, and the fishermen clear the nets and sell fish directly on the sand.
Leisure in Monte Gordo
- Avenida Infante D. Henrique: wide seafront avenue closed to cars, paved in Portuguese calçada, with cafés, bars and restaurants.
- Casino de Monte Gordo: casino on the seafront, run by the Solverde group, with gaming rooms and an entertainment programme.
Nature in Monte Gordo
- Mata Nacional das Dunas: pine forest on the dunes between Monte Gordo and Vila Real de Santo António.
Golf near Monte Gordo
- Monte Rei: Jack Nicklaus Signature course north of Vila Nova de Cacela.
- Quinta da Ria: two courses, Quinta da Ria and Quinta de Cima, next to the Ria Formosa.
- Castro Marim Golfe: three courses, Atlantic, Guadiana and Grouse, with views over the Guadiana.
Places near Monte Gordo
- Vila Real de Santo António (18 824 inhabitants · 61 km²): Pombaline border city to the east, with Praia de Santo António about half an hour's walk along the sand.
- Castro Marim (6 439 inhabitants · 301 km²): neighbouring municipality to the west, with Praia do Cabeço and Praia Verde.
- Vila Nova de Cacela (3 873 inhabitants · 46 km²): parish to the west, with the village of Cacela Velha.
Further reading about Monte Gordo
- Os Filhos de Monte Gordo: history of Monte Gordo by José Carlos Barros, published by the Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos in 2025.
Places to visit in the Algarve
