Grilled Sardines and Seafood Culture

Food & Drink

Sardines grilled over charcoal are the single most iconic food of the Algarve, and during the summer months their smoky aroma drifts through every coastal town and village. The fish are prepared with beautiful simplicity: whole, ungutted sardines are placed on a wire rack, seasoned with nothing more than coarse sea salt, and grilled over hot charcoal until the skin blisters and the flesh is cooked through. They are served on a slice of bread, which soaks up the oils and juices, accompanied by a salad of tomatoes, onions and green peppers dressed with olive oil and vinegar.

The sardine season in Portugal runs from May to October, with the peak months being June, July and August. This is when the fish are at their fattest and most flavourful, having fed on plankton-rich waters through the spring. Portuguese sardines are Atlantic sardines, Sardina pilchardus, and are caught by purse seine nets off the Algarve and Alentejo coasts. The fishing fleet based in Portimao, Olhao and Quarteira lands much of the Algarve's sardine catch, and the fish are often on the grill within hours of being pulled from the sea.

The Festival da Sardinha in Portimao, held annually in August, is the largest sardine festival in the Algarve and one of the biggest food festivals in Portugal. Tens of thousands of sardines are grilled each evening on enormous outdoor charcoal grills, and the event draws visitors from across the region. Live music, folk dancing and craft stalls accompany the eating, and the atmosphere is convivial and unpretentious. Smaller sardine festivals take place in Quarteira, Olhao and other towns throughout the summer.

Beyond sardines, the Algarve's seafood culture is extraordinarily rich. The region's fish restaurants serve whatever has been landed that morning, and menus change daily according to the catch. Robalo (sea bass), dourada (gilt-head bream), linguado (sole), tamboril (monkfish) and peixe espada (scabbardfish) are among the most commonly available species. Fish is typically priced by the kilogram, and a whole grilled sea bass or bream for two people will cost between 25 and 40 euros at a good restaurant, depending on size and location.

Shellfish is equally important to the Algarve's culinary identity. Ameijoas (clams) from the Ria Formosa are considered among the finest in Europe, sweet and tender with a briny finish. They are served steamed with garlic and coriander (ameijoas a bulhao pato), in cataplana, or simply with rice. Percebes (goose barnacles) are a delicacy that commands high prices, harvested at considerable risk from wave-battered rocks along the west coast. Camarao (prawns), sapateira (spider crab), lavagante (lobster) and polvo (octopus) all feature prominently on Algarve menus.

Octopus deserves particular mention, as it is prepared in numerous ways across the region. Polvo a lagareiro, roasted octopus with crushed potatoes and garlic-infused olive oil, is a classic. Salada de polvo, a cold octopus salad with onion, peppers and olive oil, is a common starter. Arroz de polvo, octopus rice, is a soupy, flavourful dish that showcases the Portuguese talent for rice cookery. The octopus used in the Algarve is often caught locally by fishermen using clay pots laid on the seabed, a traditional method that has been practised for centuries.

The best places to eat seafood in the Algarve are not necessarily the most expensive or the most prominently located. Look for restaurants that display the catch of the day on ice at the entrance, where the menu is short and changes frequently, and where local Portuguese families make up a significant proportion of the clientele. The waterfront restaurants in Olhao and Fuseta, the Zona Ribeirinha in Portimao, the fish market area in Lagos, and the harbour restaurants in Sagres and Burgau are all reliable areas to find excellent, unpretentious seafood dining.

Fish markets, or mercados, are central to the seafood culture of the Algarve. The municipal markets in Olhao, Loulé, Lagos and Portimao are lively, colourful places where the morning's catch is sold directly to the public. Arriving early, before 09:00, gives the best selection. Buying fish at the market and cooking it at home or at a rented villa is one of the great pleasures of an extended stay in the Algarve.