The beaches of Sintra

(Updated in January 2021)

Sintra is not primarily a beach destination, but it does have some great beaches.  Golden sand, beautiful round stones and magnificent cliffs.  Surfing, tanning, walking.  Great restaurants, dinosaur footprints, paragliding and fishing. Attention though – the beaches are Atlantic beaches, so the water is not as warm as the Mediterranean ones in the Algarve – and the waves are stronger and more dangerous as well. The long Atlantic Walk (GR11) passes on the cliffs over many of these beaches.   I will start from the Southern most beaches and work my way up.

Here is a short 2-minute introduction video to the beaches:

Praia da Ursa – (Our cover  foto) The southernmost of Sintra beaches got its name from a double arch that used be on the beach that resembled a bear sculpted by a giant. The beach is accessible by foot only, on a accentuated footpath (good shoes are advisable due to loose rocks). Though the ‘bear arches’ no longer exist, there are many other rock formations on the beach, and the effort of the descent is well worth it. This is the closest beach to Cabo da Roca,  the westernmost point of Continental Europe.  This is the only beach in Sintra where you will see nudists.

Bus #403 toward Cascais gets you to Azoia and Cabo da Roca – distance from Casa do Valle is about 14 kms.

Praia da Adraga comes next. With its stone arch it is one of the most beautiful beaches of Sintra.  It is an accessible beach, with parking and a great restaurant.  It is popular for walks even outside the bathing season, and during the bathing season it has lifeguards and also lounge chairs and shades to rent. A few of our guests actually got married on the beach there!  The cliffs have caves that you can explore.  Busses #403 and #439 take you to Almoçageme, the beach is another 2.8 kms down from the village. Distance from Casa do Valle to Almoçageme is 10 kms, 13 kms to the beach.

Praia Grande has a long stretch of sand. The sea offers a great swell all year around, attracting surfers and body boarders. The World Body board championships, which are part of the sport’s international circuit, are held there every year, in the beginning of September.  Praia Grande has good facilities, as well as the advantage of having a car park  located very close to the sand, in an area with cafés and restaurants along the road on the beachfront. Life guards are on duty during the bathing season, lounge chairs and shades for hire as well.  In a basalt cliff face on the south end of the Praia Grande there are dinosaur footprints.  There is a paragliding take-off site close to the footprints.  You can reach Praia Grande with busses #441 and #439.  Also the old Sintra tram passes about 1 km from the beach.  Praia Grande is 10 kms from Casa do Valle.

Praia Pequena is just North of Praia Grande.  No facilities, great for fishing.  It is also sought after by lovers of water sports.  Though it has no lifeguards, it is favourite for bathing as it is sheltered. Same busses as to Praia Grande, #441 and #439.  It is also about 10 kms from Casa do Valle.

Praia das Maçãs, the Apple beach, is the first of the Sintra beaches to become famous for tourism; many families from the Lisbon region had their vacation houses here. An ‘eating house’ was built there in 1888 and holiday houses soon began to appear.  In 1904 the tramway terminus was built, and you can still take the tram down from Sintra centre.  Its name came from the large quantity of apples that used to to appear on the beach, carried by the water of the brook that crosses the lowland, where once there were numerous orchards.   It is well served by restaurants, shops, bars and parking. Public outside swimming pool with slides, and tennis courts are near by.  Lifeguards and lounge chairs are available during the bathing season.  In addition to the tram, you can reach the beach with bus #441 – about 10 kms from Casa do Valle.

Next beach to the North is Azenhas do Mar, a picturesque village sitting on a cliff and natural sea water pools down at the bottom.  Sometimes, depending on the tide, there is an accumulation  of sand, creating a small beach on the top of the rocks.  A nice restaurant, great for fishing, no lifeguards. Distance from Casa do Valle is about 11 kms, and the busses #440 and #441 take you there.

Praia da Aguda is reachable by a long staircase from the parking lot.  It is a long beach that in the winter months is often almost non-existent; during very low tides it is connected to Praia do Magoito. In the summer it is popular among families, as it is a dog-friendly beach.  There are no services here. The area on top of the beach is a take-off site for paragliding.

Praia do Magoito, like Praia Grande and Praia das Maçãs, has a large stretch of sand.

Formed in a valley cut by the Mata Brook, it forms a contrast with the surrounding cliffs.  It has good facilities, parking is up the hill, and it is quite popular during the bathing season.  It is reachable both with stairs and ramps from the parking area. It is 9 kms from Casa do Valle, and is served by bus #444.

Praia da Samarra is at the mouth of a brook between two slopes.  Its relatively small stretch of sand   opens itself to the quiet ocean in a vee.  The rocks on both sides of the mouth of the brook are great spots for line fishing.   The beach is only reachable through Assafora.  Follow the signposts till you reach Catribana, passing through Cortezia. At the end of the asphalted road  you will find the road to Samarra.  No facilities.   Assafora is about 15kms from Casa do Valle, Bus #443 takes you to Catribana.

Lastly, we have Praia de São Julião.  At the northern boundary of the municipality, and shared with the neighbouring municipality, Mafra. It is a large, sandy beach,  located at the mouth of Ribeira  de Falcão that has, throughout the years, excavated the cliff, forming a very sizeable creek.  It has good facilities, and can be quite crowded during weekends.  Access  to the beach is about 3 kms from Assafora village, 18 kms from Casa do Valle to the beach, and reachable by  bus #443 (to Assafora).