Back in the day, the city was known as Sinus, which can be translated as “bay”.

It was in Sines that the special fermented fish sauce “Garum” was created and exported to other areas of the Empire.

Even though with the presence of other important towns like Miróbriga, close to the actual Santiago do Cacém, Sines still gained more relevance.

This heritage is still present today, with Sines having one of the most important ports in Portugal. In Sines port that large shipments are received that supply the country with energy, crude oil and natural gas.

However, even before modern times, the link to the sea was still evident in Sines, as the birthplace of Vasco da Gama, the navigator who discovered the maritime path to India.