Sines tide times

Sines is on the Alentejo coast of southwest Portugal, south of Setúbal on the long Atlantic-facing stretch of coast that runs from the Sado estuary to Cape São Vicente. The town is home to Portugal's largest industrial port complex — the LNG terminal, crude oil refinery, and container terminal make Sines one of the most important energy hubs in the Iberian Peninsula. But 5 kilometres north of the port, the coast reverts to pristine Atlantic: dunes, beach breaks, and the start of the Costa Vicentina protected coast. Tidal range is Atlantic: mean spring range around 3.0 metres.

Vasco da Gama was born in Sines in approximately 1469; the explorer who opened the sea route to India set out from a coastal town that still functions as a maritime hub. The Vasco da Gama Castle and museum on the headland above the town are the historical focal point; the harbour below was the original departure point for the Portuguese maritime expeditions.

The beach at Porto Covo (14 km south) is the start of the Costa Vicentina — the southernmost major stretch of undeveloped Atlantic coast in Europe, running 120 km from Porto Covo to Cape São Vicente. The beach here is wide, exposed, and receives consistent northwest Atlantic groundswell. Surf quality is high on the Costa Vicentina coast — the beaches face directly into the dominant swell window without any island shadow or shoaling.

Fishing from the rocky Alentejo coast targets corbina (the Atlantic variant of the weakfish), sea bass, and sargo (white sea bream) from the rock ledges at low spring tide. The Alentejo coast has very few tourists relative to the Algarve south; the fishing spots are less pressured. The Costa Vicentina Natural Park prohibits commercial fishing in sections of the protected zone.

Birdwatching is exceptional on the Alentejo coast: the Cape Sines headland is a raptor migration watch point in autumn. White storks nest on the cliff tops and in town buildings; Bonelli's eagles hunt the coastal scrub. The dune slacks behind the beach at Porto Covo have chameleons (Chamaeleo chamaeleon, present at the northern limit of their range on the Portuguese coast).

Predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model, cross-referenced with Instituto Hidrográfico predictions. For the most accurate Portuguese tide predictions, consult the Instituto Hidrográfico at hidrografico.pt.