Tourism in Portugal has been booming in the past few years, and the Portuguese landscape is one of the reasons. It’s a great destination for beach lovers. Along the country’s coast, there are kilometre long beaches, beautiful cliffs and stunning ocean views.
Whether you are in the North, Centre or South, there are a lot of beaches you can enjoy. Here are some of the best:
Praia de Miramar, Porto
Praia de Miramar is a very peculiar beach with the chapel Senhor da Pedra, from the 17th century, standing on top of a rock. Usually the beach is not crowded and the sand strip is quite large. We suggest you stay until the sunset, the scenery is beautiful at that time.
Miramar beach in Porto.
Praia da Nazaré, Leiria
This beach is very famous for its waves and one of the go-to places for surf lovers. If you like surfing, you must go to Nazaré’s North Beach, where the largest wave in the world was surfed. It’s located in the former fishing village of Nazaré where you’ll be able to eat amazing fresh seafood.
Nazaré beach in Leiria.
Troia Peninsula, Setúbal
This is a beautiful beach, known for its 17km-long sandy coastline, crystal clear water and nice boat trips for dolphin watching in Sado Estuary. To reach the peninsula, it’s faster to take the ferry boat from Setubal, a city famous for its delicious fried cuttlefish.
Praia do Baleal, Peniche
This magical beach is one hour north of Lisbon and stretches for 4km along the Peniche peninsula. When the tide is low, there are lagoons and rock pools full of tiny crabs and shells, and if you get tired of the beach, you can visit some sea caves and ravines 2km north. In Peniche there are also a lot of bars, cafes and restaurants with great food, especially seafood.
Baleal beach in Peniche.
Portinho da Arrábida, Setúbal
Real paradise just under one hour from Lisbon is Serra da Arrabida, a beautiful place where the mountains meet the ocean. You can hike along the coast, enjoying the incredible views while making a few stops in some of the beaches. One of the best is Portinho da Arrabida with white sand and clear water with different tones of blue, contrasting against the mountain green.
Praia da Zambujeira do Mar, Alentejo
Located in Costa Vincentina and Sudoeste Alentejano Natural Park, you can enjoy both wild nature and the oceanside view. It’s usually quiet but already a popular destination, especially in August, when there is in the area one of the largest music festivals in the country.
Zambujeira do Mar beach in Alentejo.
Praia da Comporta, Grândola, Alentejo
Located in the northern Alentejo, about 1h20 south of Lisbon, this is one of the best beaches in Portugal. It is incredibly long and wide, and the soft sand leads to the Atlantic Ocean. There are several café-restaurants, and a lot of space so you can stay and relax for a day.
Praia da Marinha, Lagoa, Algarve
This is one of Portugal’s most iconic beaches. It’s not easy to access it by public transportation, but there is space to park the car. It is usually one of the less busy places in the area also because there is a long climb down the stairs to the beautiful white sand beach. Once you reach the bottom, you are surrounded by massive cliffs, and the view is definitely worth it.
Marinha beach in Lagoa (Algarve).
Praia da Falésia, Albufeira, Algarve
In this southern beach, the sand has an orange tone, and the steep red cliffs go along for over 6km. You can walk along the trails admiring the view from the clifftops, or relax down in the sand. The sea is very calm, and there are several watersports you can try. The access is easy, and fun is guaranteed.
Praia de Benagil, Lagoa, Algarve
This is one of the most heavily photographed beaches in Algarve, located in a fishing village called Benagil. It’s surrounded by the typical Algarve cliffs, but you cannot miss The Algar de Benagil which is a beautiful sea cave with a unique hole in the ceiling. It’s only accessible by water, so you can take a short swim there, rent a kayak from the beach or take a boat, the easiest option.
Benagil beach in Lagoa (Algarve).
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