Planning holidays in Portugal, yet you’re unsure which beach to choose? Understandable, as Portugal has quite a selection. Don’t worry though, we’ve prepared a list of the prettiest Portuguese beaches. Whether you’re looking for any good ol’ golden sandy beach, one you can enjoy with your family, one you can enjoy with not a soul around or in the nude, we’ve got you.
Beaches in Portugal
What to keep in mind?
Portugal is full of beautiful and long sandy beaches. In fact, a massive part of its coast is just a never-ending series of beaches you can visit. We wouldn’t want you to leave this post thinking that the 15 positions that we’ve listed are all that Portugal has to offer in this regard, as it’s far, far more. Most of the beaches that we do list below are accompanied with restaurants, cafes and equipment rentals.
Do keep in mind that the ocean temperatures here are a bit lower than in the Mediterranean Sea. The waves here are also bigger, though, if the ocean is calm, you can safely swim in the ocean too.
Martinhal
A perfect beach for learning windsurfing
This is one beautiful Portuguese beach next to the town of Sagres in southern Algarve. You’ll find two small restaurants here, though mainly peace, quiet and a bit of wind. It’s got fine soft sand along its entire length. It’s also a calm enough beach that we’d recommend it if you ever wanted to give windsurfing a shot.
Praia da Ursa
The most beautiful beach in Portugal?
Praia da Ursa is commonly called the most beautiful beach in Portugal. It’s located near the westernmost point of Europe and you can get here easily from Lisbon. The golden beach is surrounded by beautiful huge cliffs and rock formations.
There is a gravel rocky path leading down to the beach, though it’s very steep. If you have a fear of heights, maybe skip out on this one. Don’t worry, it’s just as beautiful from above.
Guincho
Surfing beach in Portugal
It’s unlikely you’ll find steady calm waters here. Instead, it’s a perfect beach for water sports! To be fair, it’s also just a beautiful beach in and of itself with lots of dunes and golden sand. You can find sun lounger and umbrella rentals and a bar right next to it.
Guincho beach is located next to Lisbon.
Praia de Marinha
Another beach surrounded by cliffs
This is Praia de Marinha, with exotic views, emerald waters and golden sand. It’s hidden between cliffs and you can find small hidden beaches around the cliffs too. It’s said to be one of the 100 best beaches in the world. You can find a car park right above the beach. Next to the steps leading down, you’ll find a snack bar and an equipment rental. There are many tight passages and tunnels in the rocks, but be careful, as the tides may cut off your exit. It’s a perfect place for photoshoots.
Camilo
More rocky surroundings!
Another beautiful beach in Portugal – it certainly may remind you of Praia de Marinha. This small golden beach is also hidden between lovely cliffs and greenery. There’s also a car park with stairs leading down by a restaurant. Be careful, as the beach can be very crowded in the high season. Still, in our opinion, this is one of the most beautiful beaches in Europe, so we’d highly recommend trying to find a time of day where it’s not all that overrun with tourists yet.
Praia da Costa Nova
A beach with colourful houses in Portugal
This is a beach further to the north than all the others here. Costa Nova is not mainly known for the beach itself, but rather the charming colourful striped houses along its shore. It’s a perfect spot for pictures.
Porto Santo
The beach on the island of Porto Santo
This time, it’s not a beach on the mainland, but rather one on the island of Porto Santo. It’s a long, sandy beach on the south-eastern coast of the island. You’ll find small villages full of small restaurants, cafes and, of course, equipment rentals along the beach.
The waters here are clear, blue and surprisingly warm and calm, given that it’s an ocean.
Porto Santo is located not far from Madeira.
Nazare
Wide sandy beach in Portugal
Which resort in Portugal should you choose if you just want to spend your holiday days on a beach? Nazare would certainly be a good pick. You’ll find three very large, wide golden beaches here. Next to them are plenty of hotels, restaurants and equipment rentals. The beaches are suitable for swimming, water sports as well as just lying dead on the blanket.
You can also find a funicular which will take you to the centre of Nazare above if you wish to spice your beach holidays up with a tiny bit of exploration.
Praia da Falésia
Praia da Rocha Baixinha
This long sandy beach is as straight as an airport runway. It’s hidden behind an equally long red cliff. Above the beach, you can find small towns, motorhome parks and restaurants. Of course, you’ll also find equipment rentals by the beach. Thankfully, if you want a bit of a break from people, you can easily isolate yourself from the main hubs – you just walk a few hundred metres in either direction because the whole beach is nearly 3.5 miles long.
It’s a perfect place for watching sunsets with the red cliffs and all.
Praia da Bordeira
A massive beach in Portugal
This is one huge beach in the Algarve region. It’s full of dunes and peace and quiet. It’s certainly not as clogged as Nazare, for instance. The beach juts deeply into the land, with the Ribeira da Carrapateira river flowing through and into the ocean on its side.
You’ll have a beautiful view of the beach from the car park above.
Praia do Porto do Seixal
Madeira beach
Of course, we couldn’t skip out on Madeira. The views here are simply marvellous. You’ll, of course, find restaurants, cafes, car parks and any other essential beach services here. There’s also a real natural waterfall on the side of the beach! As with Madeira as a whole, it’s a treat of a place.
We also included it in our list of the best places to see in Madeira.
Carcavelos
A beach close to Lisbon
This is a beach very close to Lisbon – you can even get here by train from the city in around 20 minutes. There’s a long promenade, a surfing school, many sports venues, restaurants and even the Fort of São Julião da Barra (which you can see in the pic). A good place to take a break from the big city frenzy.
Praia da Rocha
A nightlife beach
This is a beach, a town and a resort in the Algarve. It’s a wide sandy beach with all the necessary infrastructure for everyone, children, surfers, sunbathers, anyone.
It is also a party place. Mainly a party place. There are hotels, restaurants and clubs nearby which mean both the young and the not-so-young-anymore flock here at night to party. If that’s your jam, then it’s a perfect place for you. If that sounds tedious, maybe visit it early in the day.
Magoito
More cliffs!
It’s not exactly the best beach for a peaceful swim in the ocean, but it sure is one of the most beautiful sights Portugal has. Beautiful cliffs, the endless barrage of waves and the greenery peeking through the top. There’s a restaurant above the cliffs with a car park and a beautiful view from the terrace.
For the record, the ocean does get calmer sometimes and you can take normal swims here too.
Nudist beaches in Portugal
Can you find a beach in Portugal as a naturist?
Yes, just like in Spain, there are nudist beaches in Portugal. There are 9 official nudist beaches:
- Praia das Adegas
- Praia do Homem Nu
- Praia da Barreta
- Praia do Salto
- Praia dos Alteirinhos
- Praia do Malhão
- Praia da Bela Vista
- Praia do Meco
- Praia da Adiça
(per https://www.beportugal.com/nude-beach)
…and about 50 unofficial nudist beaches. Frankly, you’ll find a private lane in most beaches where no one will look at you weirdly if you sunbathe topless. Many habits come here from Spain, including this one.
Map of beaches in Portugal
The best beaches in Portugal
Here is the map with of the best Portuguese beaches:
1) Praia de Marinha
2) Guincho
3) Praia da Ursa
4) Martinhal
5) Camilo
6) Praia da Costa Nova
7) Nazare
8) Praia da Falésia
9) Praia da Bordeira
10) Carcavelos
11) Praia da Rocha
12) Magoito
13) Praia do Porto do Seixal
14) Porto Santo
As you can see, even if we narrow the selection down quite a bit, it’s still incredibly varied in Portugal. We hope this article has helped you with your choice at least a bit and that you’ll have a great holiday, whichever beach you’ll choose.
See also:
