The area of the Natural Park of Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina encompasses several towns and villages. Over the centuries the population was dedicated to fishing and agriculture and livestock, but tourism is an increasingly important activity, particularly in places such as Porto Covo and Vila Nova de Milfontes and throughout the Algarve coast park. The industrial sector is virtually nonexistent.

The main tourist activities are: hiking, orienteering, climbing, paragliding, horseback riding, kayaking, surfing, windsurfing, diving and mountain biking.

Some villages and park sites have great historical and cultural interest, with many national monuments and buildings classified as public interest, with particular emphasis on the area of Sagres and Cape St. Vincent.

The main threats to biodiversity of the park are the greenhouses and grass plantations in the coastal zone, and inside the eucalyptus plantations. It is further noted that the great industrial activity in Sines, and the extension of its port, also influence air quality and the area of water.

The wind regime is an important factor in climate. The prevailing winds are from the north quadrant. Sometimes occur southwesterly winds, especially in winter, while the uprising occur with low incidence throughout the year. On summer afternoons are common and intense moisture laden sea breezes.

Temperatures increase from north to south; annual averages of 16/17 ° C in Old and Sines Monte and 17/18 ° C in Vila do Bispo and Sagres, in the summer (June-September) the monthly averages are around 20-23º and winter (December to February) 11/13 with annual peaks can vary between -4 ° (inside in January) and 40 in July.

The area of Sagres headland has the lowest temperature range of Portugal.

The maximum rainfall occurs in December, with the annual average between 400 mm in the Sagres area and 600/800 mm in the interior hills and the remaining coast north of Odeceixe. In general, it rains further north and into (mountain area), the rainy season sets is between November and April.

Precipitation shows a typical torrential nature of south of the country and the other Mediterranean areas.

The fogs are not very common, occurring in just a few days of the year, but the humidity tends to remain high, even in warmer periods.

The average annual insolation is very high, the highest in the country and in Europe.

The sea presents generally rougher than the Algarve, but calmer than the north coast of Cabo Raso, waving predominant NW / WNW 2 m.

When strong pressure systems approach shore or directly affect, in the winter time, there may be temporal W / SW with curling up to 10 m.

The sea water is very rich in biodiversity but also fresh and pure, given the frequent upwelling, with temperature ranging between 14/15 in February and 20/21 in September.

The site of the castle was occupied, successively and uninterrupted by Lusitanians, who constructed a castro to oversee their lands, before being pushed aside by the Romans, who constructed a lookout.By the 7th-8th century, the Visigothsalso used the space as a sentry to safeguard their territory.

By the beginning of the 10th century, a small town was founded by Arabs, who reformulated their defences, constructing various dependencies within and outside the walls.^[1][3][4] Of these constructions, only the cistern in the castle survives their period of occupation. The castle was part of the Moorish defensive line of Silves, during the Almohad Caliphate and era of the Iberian taifas.

In 1242 (or 1246), Aljezur was conquered by knights loyal to Paio Peres Correia. As legend suggests, the conquest of the castle aided by a Moorish woman, who betrayed her fellow countrymen and delivered the citadel into the hands of the knights The Lenda of Maira Aires, also suggests that the castle was taken by Paio Correia on 24 June, on the feast day of the village’s patron saint. Its occupation did not result in the partial or total destruction of the castle, although alterations to the fortress occurred in the first decades of its Christian occupation.

Following the 1267 Treaty of Badajoz, the castle and other fortresses along the Algarve were transferred into the dominion of the King Afonso III of Portugalby Alfonso X of Castile.^[3] King Denis of Portugal issued a foral (charter) to the region of Aljezur on 12 November 1280, while staying in Estremoz. Thirty years later, the monarch bartered away the Castle of Aljezur and other lands for the town of Almada (1 December 1297).

In 1448, during a visitation by members of the Order of Santiago to the town of Aljezur, they referred to the castle being in a state of abandon, at the same time prohibiting the removal of rock and masonry from the site for other constructions.^[1][3]Further, the report mentioned directions by the Order to reconstruct the walls and the cleaning of the cistern.

On 20 August 1504, King Manuel of Portugal reissued a foral from Lisbon, where he conferred the title of honrada(honoured) to the charter (seen as a way to attract new settlers to the region).

The 1755 Lisbon earthquake caused the destruction of all the homes in the town, and demolishing most of the castle, saving only the tribune and the Presbytery in the church.