Sines is a Portuguese city of Setúbal District, the Alentejo region and subregion of the Alentejo coast, with about 18,298 inhabitants (2015 INE). It is the largest and the first port area of Portugal and the main city industrial port logistics in Portugal and the birthplace of fifteenth-century explorer Vasco da Gama.

It is the seat of a municipality with 203.30 km ² of area and 18,598 inhabitants (2015 INE), divided into two parishes. The municipality is bordered to the north and east by the municipality of Santiago do Cacém, south and west by Odemira has coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. The coastline of the city, south of São Torpes, is one part of the natural parks of Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park.

Geography[edit]

Physical geography[edit]

Praia da Costa Norte is the starting point of the longest uninterrupted beach in Europe, stretching from Sines to Setúbal^[9]Cork oaksavanna in rural Sines

The municipalities territory is distinguished by three morphological structures: a coastal plain, the residual relief of the Sines Massif, and the eastern escarpment.

• The coastal plan (which occupies the major part of the municipality) slopes gradually from the interior and occupies an area of 3-12 kilometres cut by several water courses.
• Little remains of the Sines Massif, but from Monte Chãos to the Cape, there are elements of its morphology still present: the Sines promontory is relatively elevated from the sea, and limited by an abrupt escarpment, which slopes to the south until the Ribeira da Junqueira., where beaches and dunes predominate. But after the beach of Burrinho, it continues to be rugged until the vicinity of the island Pessegueiro, where beaches are also evident, while sheltered coves and mini-beaches, such as Porto Covinho, are inter-cut along the coastline. From the north of the city the coast is low sandy beach that extends to Tróia. From this coast, extensive dunes, particularly north of the mouth of Ribeira dos Moinhos dominate the landforms.
• The eastern escarpment, which is limited by the coastal plain forms part of the Serra do Cercal Massif (which rises 100–200 meters in altitude).

The coast, which is physically rugged (the Sines Cape) is separated into two differentiated areas: a sandy northern section, and a rocky southern area of cliffs.

Climate

Sines has a Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and warm, dry summers. The cape of Sines, shown in the weather box below, has minimal diurnal temperature variation and little seasonal temperature variation, never having registered a freezing temperature (below 0 °C (32 °F)) or a temperature above 40 °C (104 °F) since records started. This is due to the strong upwelling common in the central and southwest Portuguese coasts during the summer months. The city itself has warmer summers, averaging a maxima of 26 °C (79 °F) in July and August, and slightly cooler winter nights, though very mild for European standards. Sines is remarkably sunny, averaging close to 3000 hours of yearly sunshine.

Economy

The economy of Sines municipality depends on energy, oil refining, port activity, fishing, tourism and trade. The municipality has an important investment park managed by AICEP Global Parques, and a science park, the Sines Tecnopolo.

Sines is the location of one of the largest maritime-industrial complexes in Portugal, whose tenants include Sines Power Plant (Electricidade de Portugal), Petrogal Sines (National Petrochemic Refinery) and Repsol (Polymer Refinery). Although rapidly industrializing, the town still preserves many of the historical landmarks and tries to cater to tourism. The nearby village of Porto Covo attracts many tourists owing to its coastline and the well-preserved historical buildings.

There is a large shortwave broadcasting station at Sines. The most remarkable antenna towers are the rotatable towers looking like a big „V“. It was used by Deutsche Welle and was switched off on November 1, 2011.

Railways serve the cargo traffic and petroleum industry, but there is no more passenger train service; the city’s station has been converted into a restaurant.

Sines Port appointed as ‚critical point‘ for the success of the ‚Silk Road‘

The Schiller Institute updated its 2014 study on the impact of the Chinese ‚New Silk Road‘ project and considers that the Alentejo port of Sines is a fundamental link for the success of this global initiative. The port is considered by the world’s leading experts in the sector as a key link in the global trade liaison project launched in 2013 by the current president of the People’s Republic of China, in particular for its special and privileged geostrategic position of connecting the continents of Africa and North and South America.

The latest version of the study ‚The New Silk Road becomes the world’s terrestrial bridge: a shared future for mankind‘, which updates a first version of 2014 by the Schiller Institute (Germany) considers that the port of Sines is one of the two „critical points“ for the development of this project, due to its more Atlantic vocation, alongside the Spanish port of Algeciras, which is more Mediterranean. „Not only Spain, but also Portugal, have eagerly welcomed Xi’s proposal and, over the last year, have been actively working on specific proposals and projects to make this a reality,“ said the Schiller Institute study. However, this situation may have changed in recent weeks, with advantage to Portugal, since Spanish policymakers have not hidden a certain opposition to the growth of Chinese investment in the neighboring country, unlike Portugal, which is to strengthen political, diplomatic and economic relations with the People’s Republic of China, as was seen during the past week, with Xi Jinping’s official visit to Portugal.

During that time, the theme of the port of Sines was certainly at the table of talks at the highest level, as it is well known that several Chinese groups are interested in securing the concession of a new container terminal in Sines, supposedly named Vasco da Gama, and whose public tender is slow to proceed. „The Iberian Peninsula is in fact the natural geographical interface of the economic belt of the ‚Silk Road‘, which now stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic through the land mass of Eurasia, with the ‚Silk Sea Route‘ to the Iberian-American, Caribbean and United States, as well as south towards Africa,“ says the study of the institute led by Helga and Lindon La Rouche. During the official visit of the president of China this week, Xi Jinping has repeatedly mentioned the interest of the world’s second largest economy in investing in and creating business partnerships with Portuguese companies and other entities in the field of port infrastructure and the economy of the sea, among other sectors of activity. Aware of this lively interest of the People’s Republic of China in our assets in port infrastructure and the continental shelf, one of the largest in the world, the Minister of the Sea, Ana Paula Vitorino led, about a year ago, an official visit to the Middle Kingdom, with one of the largest business rewards ever – 126 companies.

The results of these contacts and talks could soon be known, knowing that China’s interest is not limited to the new container terminal in Sines. The Alentejo port, due to its geographical location and natural conditions that allow the large vessels to dock – which continue to grow in size from year to year – has other advantages, including energy, logistics, and other branches of activity. The port of Sines is the largest national port in a busy cargo, with a share of more than 50% of the total Portuguese port sector of the continent. According to data released by the AMT – Mobility and Transport Authority – in the first nine months of this year, the port of Sines handled a total of 36.3 million tonnes of goods. Despite a 6% drop compared to the same period last year, the Alentejo port was responsible for a 51.4% share of the national port sector from January to September, excluding the Autonomous Regions of the Azores and Madeira.

In the containerized cargo segment, the predominance of the port of Sines is even more evident. Despite a slight fall of 0.1% in the period under review with respect to the number of TEUs (the standard measure equivalent to 20-foot-long containers) moved, the Alentejo port handled a total of nine of 16.5 million tons in this cargo segment, 11% more than in the same period of last year. Thus, the port of Sines accounted for 58.2% of the containerized cargo handled in mainland Portugal during the first three quarters, having been in the top 100 of the world’s largest container ports for several years.

Architecture

The front façade of the Matriz Church of SinesOld railway station of SinesThe simple façade of the Church of Porto Covo

Civic

• A Primorosa (Portuguese: Loja A Primorosa)
• Arts Centre of Sines (Portuguese: Centro de Artes de Sines)
• Cinema/Theatre Vasco da Gama (Portuguese: Cine-Teatro Vasco da Gama)
• Customs Delegation of Sines (Portuguese: Delegação Aduaneira de Sines)
• Emmérico Nunes Cultural Centre (Portuguese: Hospital da Misericórdia/Hospital do Espírito Santo/Centro Cultural Emmérico Nunes)
• Fountain of D. Bataça (Portuguese: Chafariz de D. Bataça)
• Fountain of Caminho das Bicas (Portuguese: Chafariz do Caminho das Bicas)
• Sines Lighthouse (Portuguese: Farol de Sines)
• Pidwell Residence/Palace (Portuguese: Casa Pidwell/Palácio Pidwell)
• Railroad Station of Sines (Portuguese: Estação Ferroviária de Sines)
• Ravine Warehouses (Portuguese: Armazéns da Ribeira)
• Statue of Vasco da Gama (Portuguese: Estatua de Vasco da Gama)
• Windmill of Monte Chãos (Portuguese: Moinho de Vento de Monte Chãos)
• Wine Cellar of Sines (Portuguese: Adega de Sines)

Military

• Castle of Sines (Portuguese: Castelo de Sines)
• Cross of São Torpes (Portuguese: Cruzeiro de São Torpes)
• Fort of Pessegueiro (Portuguese: Forte do Pessegueiro)
• Fort of Pessegueiro Island (Portuguese: Forte de Ilha do Pessegueiro)
• Fort of Revelim (Portuguese: Forte de Nossa Senhora das Salas/Forte de Nossa Senhora das Salvas/Forte do Revelim)

Religious

• Chapel of the Misericórdia (Portuguese: Capela da Misericórdia)
• Church of Porto Covo (Portuguese: Igreja de Porto Covo)
• Church of São Salvador (Portuguese: Igreja Matriz de São Salvador)
• Hermitage of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios (Portuguese: Ermida de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios)
• Hermitage of Nossa Senhora das Salas (Portuguese: Ermida da Nossa Senhora das Salas)
• Hermitage of São Bartolomeu (Portuguese: Ermida de São Bartolomeu)
• (Old) Hermitage of São Sebastião (Portuguese: Ermida Velha de São Sebastião/Igreja Evangélica)

Culture

Festivals

Every summer, the town hosts the FMM Sines – Festival Músicas do Mundo, a world music festival that brings thousands of enthusiasts and musicians from all continents.