Situated on a quiet stretch of the "Silver Coast", between the city of Aveiro and resort town of Figueira da Foz is the pleasant little beach town of Praia de Mira. Despite its off the beaten track feel Praia de Mira is a popular, lively spot which gets pretty busy in the summer months.
Between the sand dunes, the central section of beach here backs onto the town with a promenade running along the seafront. There are plenty of cafes and facilities along here and directly behind this is a large lagoon known as the Barrinha. Here you can hire a paddleboat and enjoy pootling about on the lake.
The beach itself is made up of the finest sand and stretches off, apparently endlessly, in both directions beyond Mira. Much of the coast here is backed by low lying sand dunes which have been planted with extensive pine forests to help prevent them blowing away.
On the main beach there are colourful "Xavegas" (local wooden fishing boats) pulled up on the sand and a pretty little striped fishermen’s chapel perched on the beachside.
