Beaches in Portugal

What are the Best Beaches to Visit in Portugal?

Portugal has more than 1700 kilometers of coastline. That is hard to select the best beaches because we have thousands of famous beaches. Each one is famous for different reasons! But, we will help you choose the best beach for your next vacation in Portugal.

How to say beach in Portuguese?

It is Praia.

The 10 Best Beaches in Portugal Near Lisbon:

1. Praia de São Julião – Sintra.
2. Praia do Magoito – Sintra.
3. Praia da Adraga – Sintra.
4. Praia do Guincho – Cascais (famous for surf and windsurf).
5. Praia da Poça – Cascais.
6. Praia da Azarujinha – Cascais.
7. Baia de Cascais. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa (the President of Portugal) is always here swimming!
8. Praia de Tamariz – Estoril.
9. Praia de Carcavelos – Cascais.
10. Praia do Meco – Sesimbra, Setúbal.

Travel to Portugal.

The 7 Best Beaches in Algarve, Southern Portugal

These beaches have fine light golden sand and calm water, making them suitable for swimming.

1. Praia da Rocha – Portimão.
2. Praia da Marinha – Location: between Carvoeiro and Armação de Pêra. It is considered one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in Europe. That is perfect for hiking or snorkeling.
3. Praia Dona Ana – Lagos.
4. Praia de Tavira – Natural Park Ria Formosa, Tavira.
5. Praia de Benagil – Carvoeiro. This beach is famous because of a cave in the form of a dome with a hole in the middle, which seems to be a gate to heaven.
6. Praia da Culatra – Ilha da Culatra , Faro. This is perfect for you if you are looking for more uncrowded beaches!
7. Praia de Santa Eulália – Albufeira.

We have thousands of wonderful beaches in Portugal. Take a look at this small video made by Two Creative Travelers.

The 6 Best Beaches in Northern Portugal

These beaches have coarse sand, but they are rich in iodine. In addition, the cold wind that comes from Galicia, Spain, is perfect for windsurfing and other sports.

You can see local people take off the sargassum sea from September to October. They use tractors to dry sargassum on the sand. These seaweeds will be warehoused and used in the next year. They use seaweed as a natural fertilizer and herbicide to improve the harvest of corn, squash, chili, potatoes, carrot, and beans. And the seaweed is rich in iodine. So, Northern Portugal’s vegetables have more iodine than other regions.

1. Praia do Cabedelo – Viana do Castelo. That beach is perfect for windsurfing and surfing.
2. Praia de Vila Praia de Âncora – Viana do Castelo. Vila Praia de Âncora is a typical village with authentic Portuguese restaurants.
3. Praia de Afife – Afife.
4. Praia do Senhor da Pedra – Vila Nova de Gaia. This beach has a chapel surrounded by water when the tide comes in.
5. Praia dos Beijinhos – Povoa de Varzim. This quiet beach is perfect for families with children.
6. Praia de Miramar or Praia do Senhor da Pedra – Vila Nova de Gaia. Twenty minutes – Beaches near Porto. What makes it so unique is the chapel at the top of a rock! You can see a thousand photos on Instagram. According to the legend, it was built to honor a miracle that saved many fishers’ lives!

Find here: Best Family Vacation in Portugal.

The 7 Best Beaches in Portugal for Surfing

1. Praia do Norte – Nazare. This fishing town was recently known as a pre-eminent big wave surfing spot where the surfer, Garrett McNamara, set a world record by surfing a massive 30m wave.
2. Praia do Sul – Ericeira. Did you know that Ericeira was considered the first surfing reserve in Europe and 2nd planet? Moreover, you can surf different kinds of waves that, make it a destination sought by surfers worldwide.
3. Praia do Baleal – Peniche.
4. Povoa de Varzim – This city is perfect for bodyboarding.
5. Praia do Guincho – Cascais.
6. Praia do Amado – Aljezur (Costa Vicentina).
7. Praia de Carcavelos – Cascais.

If you are an experienced surfer, the best time of year to surf in Portugal is between September and April.

Find here: Customized Tours in Portugal.

Are there sharks in Portugal?

Yes, there are. However, these sharks hunt small fish such as sardines and mackerel. Portugal has no recorded shark attacks.

Do we have lifeguards on the beach?

Yes, during the bathing season. From May to September.

Tips for clothes

If you plan to visit the beach in the North of Portugal, we advise you to pack some warm clothes. The wind can cut like a knife after 11h00 am. This wind is called Nortada; It is the north wind.

Is Portugal expensive to visit?

Please read our post: Budget Travel Portugal.

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