North Portugal Tourism Guide - North Best Beaches/Surfing

Peniche Portugal

The long stretches of sand around Peniche and to the north and south are all excellent beaches, the majority of which have Blue Flag status.

Peniche is also one of the most famous surfing resorts in Portugal, with its coastline all around the peninsular you can always find a great surfing spot suitable for all, ranging from beginner to expert level.

It has the most consistent swell in Europe and is famed for its "Supertubos", very fast and powerful (tubular) waves, on the south side of the peninsular. Scuba diving, kitesurfing and windsurfing are also popular and there are a wide range of surf camps and schools that offer lessons and courses for all skill levels.

Obidos

From Peniche the coast continues up to the Lagoa de Obidos, a calm waterbody popular for windsurfing and yachting.

The historic town of Obidos makes a good inland stop to explore more of the country's history.

Obidos is famed for being the "wedding gift" town steeped in artistic history having been associated with several painters, sculptors and ceramicists. There are several good museums to visit to find out more about their art and even a working ceramic factory that still produces typically Portuguese ceramic products.

The Silver Coast to Nazare

The stretch of coast north of Baleal all the way up to Figueira da Foz is a fantastic stretch of golden sands bordered with dramatic cliffs with the Atlantic Ocean crashing onto the beaches. Small coves and sheltered bays form the bulk of the accessible beaches along this stretch with bigger resorts at Sao Martinho do Porto, Nazare and Sao Pedro do Moel.

Nazare was once a picturesque seaside village which has today grown into a busy seaside resort. The main beach is a vast stretch of white sand that has Blue Flag status and disabled access. Although many of the beaches along this stretch of coastline can be pretty dangerous for swimming, the main beach at Nazare is patrolled by lifeguards and the bay offers a degree of sheltered swimming. To the south between Sao Martinho do Porto and around the village of Gralha there are several quieter small coves. To the north Praia Norte is a popular spot for nude sunbathing.

Marinha Grande

Marinha Grande is the main town servicing the Silver Coast between Nazare and Figueira da Foz. The town is set amongst 100 square kilometres of 700 year old pine forest, Pinhal de Leiria. Marinha Grande is most famous for its glass manufacturing industry which was first established in the middle of the 18th century by Englishman by William Stephens.

The beaches along this stretch of the Silver Coast are excellent, white sandy beaches, some with plants and birdlife of interest to wildlife lovers. The most popular beach is Sao Pedro de Muel which is easily accessed from Marinha Grande near Leiria. This is a sheltered beach in a natural bay. Fishing, surfing, beach volleyball, tennis, jogging and bicycle riding and walking are all popular activities here. A long stretch of sandy, less busy beaches line the coast from Marinha Grande up to Figueira da Foz.

Figueira da Foz Surfing Spots

Fifteen kilometres of beach is the staggering extent of sand in and around Figueira da Foz, the main coastal resort for the central region. The beaches include: Praia da Figueira da Foz - Relgio, Praia da Gala, Praia da Murtinheira, Praia do Cabo Mondego, Praia da Leirosa, Praia da Costa de Lavos, Praia da Orbitur, Praia da Cova, Cova Gala (Figueira da Foz), Praia do Cabedelo, Praia da Claridade, Praia de Buarcos, Tamargueira (Figueira da Foz), Praia do Vale do Emide, Praia de Quiaios. The beaches along this part of Portugal's coastline are considered to amongst the finest in the country. There is certainly a higher proportion of Blue Flag beaches in and around Figueira than other parts of the Silver Coast.

South of Figueira across the mouth of the Mondego is Praia de Cabedelo - a prime surfing venue. Four kilometres south of Figueira is Praia de Gala. The seas at Buarcos, north of Figueira, are popular with surfers and sea kayakers and can be less busy in the height of summer.

Mira, Praia de Mira and Quiaios & Horseriding

Between Figueira da Foz and Aveiro is a quieter stretch of coast that you can only reach by a couple of minor roads. This means that the beaches along this stretch are much less busy and even deserted on occasions, brilliant if you fancy some quality me-time. There are beaches at Praia de Quiaios, Praia de Tocha and Praia de Mira.

Mira is a pretty village set around a lagoon and has the most facilities for that stretch of coastline. The village is full of restaurants and cafes in the summer and looks set to become an aquaculture centre for sea bass. To get to Mira drive off the N109 following the N342 through hectares of forest at the end of which are picnic benches in the leafy shade. Carry on into the town and you'll go past the lagoon and find the beach on the west of the town centre. To the south are the Quiaios sand dunes and the Praia de Quiaios which is even more remote. There are riding stables in Quiaios from which you can explore the surrounding forest on horseback. Figueira da Foz Horse Riding Centre, Quinta do Monte Alto de Baixo, Quiaios, Figueira da Foz. Tel: 351 233 910 404 and Quiaios Horse Riding Centre, Quinta das Rolas - Tapadas - Quiaios, Figueira da Foz. Tel: 351 233 910 694 / 919 298. Fax: 351 233 910 392.

Praia de Mira is a beautiful wide sandy beach which can be a little windblown at times. It has Blue Flag status with disabled access and parking adjacent to the beach. There are cafes and restaurants nearby with some snack bars right on the beach. Lifeguards patrol the beach.

Aveiro

Aveiro is an interesting town that is the most northerly resort on the Silver Coast. It has some excellent beaches and interesting landscape that includes lagoons and canals for which it has been called the Venice of Portugal. The colourful striped buildings are something of a feature of the seaside parts of the town adding to the seaside feel. Colour is obviously important here as is reflected in the way-out football stadium - very eye-catching as you come into Aveiro via the motorway.

Aveiro is a good base from which to explore The Sao Jacinto Nature Reserve and the marshes at Ria de Aveiro where visitors can see a wide range of wildlife in marshes, sand dunes, woodland.

Ovar

Ovar, is a good base from which to explore Sao Jacinto and the Ria de Aveiro.

This is an attractive market town that still retains some of its rural traditions including one of the most colourful Carnival parades in Portugal. Furodouro, 5 kilometres to Ovar's west, has another long sandy beach fringed with sand dunes and pines.

Espinho - Beaches near Oporto

At just 18 kilometres south of Porto, Espinho is a lively beach resort where you have a choice of activities. You can laze on the beach, surf the Atlantic breakers, play a round of golf at Portugal's oldest course or gamble the night away at the casino.

It is hugely popular in the summer and draws Portuguese in from all over north and central Portugal particularly in July and August when the sea is at its warmest. Then the sands fill with sizzling bodies taking a break from cosmopolitan city life.

Vila do Conde - Beaches near Oporto

Vila do Conde is both seaside resort and important shipbuilding town that hasn't lost all its local charm giving it a calm and peaceful atmosphere.

It is within easy reach of Porto (27 kilometres) particularly since the new Metro stops at Vila do Conde along Line B (the red line). The beach is 3 kilometres of white sand with the fantastic Atlantic Ocean crashing on its shore.

It's a popular breach for surfers and sun-worshippers alike. Praia da Forno and Praia de Nossa Senhora da Guia have calm seas suitable for children while the swells near the castelo are favoured by surfers.

Povoa de Varzim - Beaches near Oporto

Povoa de Vazim is four kilometres north of Vila do Conde and only 39 kilometres from Porto, linked by the Metro. Povoa de Varzim is another lively Porto getaway geared up for fun and frolics on its enormous sandy beach and the nearby casino.

Povoa is a lively, touristy, developed resort aimed at the sun-worshipping, out-for-a-good-time masses. As such it has the usual accoutrements such as the 8 kilometre long beach, a casino and stacks of hotels, restaurants and bars offering good value for money.

Surfing and watersports are also popular and there are several campos desportivos in Povoa de Varzim.

Esposdende Beach Holidays

Twenty kilometres north of Povoa de Varzim is Esposende, a more chilled out resort than both Povoa or Viana do Castelo to the north. It sits on the Rio Cavado estuary and is essentially an old fishing village with modern sprawl around the town's outskirts.

Esposende is a friendly, low key resort with kilometres of sandy beach lined by sand dunes. The water here is clean and reputedly healthy being full of iodine. All the way up the coast you'll find deserted little beaches amongst the busier main beaches. Surfing and watersports are popular in this region as the Atlantic continues to pound the coast.

Viana do Castelo - Folkloric Capital of The Minho

Viana do Castelo is a lively resort with a historic centre that is famed for its festivals.

You can have the best of both worlds, lazing on the beach or finding out about one of Portugal's most important historic ports.

All the way up the Costa Verde are a string of beautiful beaches and seaside resorts with the majority not being hugely touristy. Viana do Castelo's beach is the huge, one kilometre, Praia do Cabedelo one of Minho's best. There is not much development to spoil it and it is of Blue Flag status with disabled access.

Ancora & Vila Praia da Ancora

North of Viana do Castelo is the city of Ancora. Ancora is located at the end of the River Ancora, in the valley sheltered from the winds by the Serra d'Arga hills in the north the Monte de Santa Luzia in the south. It has long been an area of settlements dating from the Palaeolitic era.

The beach of Vila Praia da Ancora is great for surfing. It tends to be better for bathers on the beach joining the Avenida Marginal coast road, where the waters are calmer and access is easier. If you want to get away from everyone, the southern area surrounded by the protected sand dunes, is accessible to walkers only over a wooden walkway and is almost always deserted.

Caminha, Minho, Portugal

Caminha is the first (or last) town on the River Minho as you head inland from the Costa Verde. These days it is a small, quiet market town but was once an important strategic point in Portugal's defences against the various invaders over the centuries.

From Caminha you are well placed to explore the rural North Minho area and the pretty towns of Ponte da Barca and Ponte de Lima. There are several beaches in and around the town including Moledo, Ancora, Afife and of course Viana do Castelo are within easy reach. Ancora and Vila Praia da Ancora, south of Caminha, have some important historic origins. Beaches here are great for surfing, bathing and getting away from the crows and enjoying the protected sand dunes of the Parque Natural do Litoral Norte.