Beaches in Portugal

One long Atlantic coast with a hard division in it. South of Cape St Vincent, the Algarve is limestone: arches, stacks, pocket beaches under cliff, warm and sheltered. North and west of it the same ocean arrives unimpeded onto long dune-backed strands with serious surf. The two are ninety minutes apart and completely unalike. The water is the thing visitors misjudge. Upwelling along the Atlantic coast keeps sea temperatures in the high teens even in August, so the Algarve's sheltered coves feel Mediterranean and the west coast an hour away does not. Lifeguards operate in summer with a flag system that is enforced, and the surf beaches of the west and the Azores are not places to swim outside the flags. Access is public throughout, and beach concessions are limited and licensed. Practicalities: the Atlantic tide changes beach size substantially, cliff bases are fenced where falls occur, and parking at the popular Algarve beaches fills by mid-morning in July and August. The country's coast path network is extensive and underused.

They spread across four beach worlds, the largest group being three cliff and calanque beaches. All sit on open ocean. Together they account for 20 km of shore. · computed from the 6 records below