Founded by D. João II in 1486, and added to the municipality in the 19th century, Vila Nova de Milfontes is one of the oldest and best known parishes in the municipality of Odemira, in Alentejo, Portugal. It is a charming tourist village located in the heart of the beautiful Alentejo coast and inserted in the Natural Park of Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina.
The village grew near the mouth of the River Mira, developing from the river-sea port. For centuries, the town had a turbulent history, faced with the dangers coming from the sea, piracy and privateering. Recording episode was in 1590, when a powerful attack by corsairs destroyed the village.
After this close attack on the Alentejo coast, Filipe II of Portugal decides to build a fort on the right bank of the River Mira, - Forte São Clemente, which can be seen in this panorama, which had the function of protecting the port from attacks by pirates from the North Africa.
Vila Nova de Milfontes is dominated by a large estuary and ecosystem, dominated by the Mira River that gives shelter to several species of birds and marine life, in addition to wild boar and fox in the surrounding woods.
Vila Nova de Milfontes is called the Alentejo princess, known for its beaches, fluvial and maritime that are characterized by the vast extension of the sands, its gastronomy and social nightlife. It is also a great starting point to discover the beaches of the Costa Vicentina, and, through the River Mira, the Natural Park of Southwest Alentejano.