The stunning coastline of the Silver Coast boasts some incredible beaches. These beaches weave along the coastline, where the waves of the Atlantic ocean crash onto golden sandy beaches. Many of these beaches are a surfer’s paradise, but caution must be paid to the strong under-currents of the sea.
Please help preserve the beauty of these beaches, by taking your garbage with you when you leave.
Please scroll down to see some of our favourite places…
This family-friendly beach is located at the mouth of the Tornada river. There is a sand beach running along the bottom of a huge sand dune – which is great fun to run, slide or roll down. The water is very gentle and during low tide, reveals the inhabitants of ‘tide pools’. There are no cafés on the beach, so you need to take everything you want with you for your time there.
This natural bay of clear, calm water is super family-friendy. Its long sandy beach runs along most of the edge of the bay and near to the town centre, you can find lots of cafés, restaurants and shops. In the 12th century the bay was the sea port of Alcobaça, and today you can still observe the local fishing boats sailing out of the bay onto the open sea.
This stunning beach is a little off the beaten track, but well worth the trek, if you can walk down (and then up again) the fenced path that winds down from the cliff top to the beach. There are no cafés on this beach (only on the cliff top), so you need to take everything you need with you. There is a swimming area, which is popular with local families, where you will usually find a life guard. Further down the beach is much quieter, but unsupervised. The undercurrent of the sea is much stronger here, so can be a challenge even for the most experienced swimmer, but ideal for a dip in the water and a relaxed picnic on the beach.
This popular location offers two main areas for you to enjoy its golden sand beaches. One side faces the Óbidos saltwater lagoon, and the other runs along the Atlantic Ocean. There are plenty of cafés and restaurants and showers all within walking distance. To drive here, be sure to take the road from São Martinho do Porto – this route runs along the high cliffs, offering spectacular views the sea and coastline.
This beautiful, deserted beach is the perfect place to find fossils in the rocks at the bottom of the cliffs, or marvel at the power of the crashing waves. This long (approx. 6 kms long), quiet, unspoilt expanse of sand has no cafés or facilities – those are only found on the north side of the beach, near the car parks.
The two beaches of Baleal and Peniche boast some of the best surfing in Portugal. The waves are full of boards throughout the year. There are lots of surf schools in the area, offering the possibility to take lessons or just rent boards and suits. There are also lots of cafés and restaurants along the beach.