Portugal’s coast is over 1,700 kilometers long, a good portion of which is available for shore fishing. If you have an apartment or villa along the coast, you can fishing from the rocks, beach, or harbour walls without booking a boat trip. No prior experience is necessary, and you can easily obtain the required gear.

What You’ll Need

For shore fishing in Portugal, you’ll want a decent rod and reel, some fishing line, weights, hooks, and bait. If you have not brought tackle with you, most coast towns have fishing shops where you can buy or rent equipment. The staff are often friendly and can make suggestions that work best for the area’s fishing conditions. A basic rod and reel setup costs around €30-€50, and expect to pay a bit more for bait and tackle.What to use for bait varies from target species, but prawns, squid, and lugworms are available at tackle shops and are good all rounders. For bass and other predatory species, some use lures, but for beginners bait tends to work best.

Where to Fish

In the Algarve, there are many good fishing locations, especially for shore fishing. Albufeira, Sagres, and Lagos have rocky areas and fishing harbor walls with locals, which are great fishing spots. Fish are more often caught at rocky shorelines than at the sandy beaches, as the rocky shorelines have more food, cover, and fish. Look for spots with deeper water near the shore, as that is more likely to be areas that fish hang around.

Piers and harbors are good starting points because of the ease of access to different water depths for fishing and for fishing at different times. The only downside is the crowd, especially during weekends, so getting there early will often give you a greater chance of getting a good fishing spot.

Fishing is very famous in the Peniche, Nazare, and Ericeira areas, and for good reason too. The fishing here is very good, and it is some of the most popular fishing in the country. The Atlantic swells are larger in this area, and so the conditions can be a little rougher, but they do have a greater variety of larger fish.

What to catch

Fishing from the shore, some of the more common fish you will find are, bream, bass, mullet, and mackerel. Out of the bunch, bream are common, are not too tricky to catch, and will bite on small bits of squid or prawns. Getting a bass can be a bit more tricky, however it is worth the effort, especially if you are fishing out of mouth of the rivers or rocky areas as they can be a little more abundant. Getting a mullet can also be a bit tricky as they are very cautious and do not bite too often, however if you are able to land one they are worth the effort as they are decent fish to eat.

During the summer months, mackerel become very abundant and are also very easy to catch. They are a very entertaining catch too, especially if you are fishing with a light setup. They are also a very good fish to eat if you plan to bring some back to your apartment.Timing and Conditions

Tide changes impact shore fishing. The best time to fish is generally around high tide, as water is more likely to push fish closer to the shore. Early morning and late evening are more productive than midday, as fish are more active and it’s cooler outside.

Calm weather is best for beginners, but fishing conditions are often better with a little swell, as it can stir the seabed and bring food closer to shore. When it comes to rough weather, they are probably better off staying on land.

Fishing from the shore of Portugal can be a relaxing way to spend a few hours, and, while boat trips catch more fish, it doesn’t break the bank once the gear is set up.