10 of the Best Beaches in Torres-vedras

Just 35 minutes north of Lisbon on a section of toll-free motorway, the beautiful and wild Praia Azul, whose name translates to 'blue beach' is one of the first beaches associated with the famous waves of Peniche. This relatively unspoilt blue flag beach is a long, sandy surfer's paradise located where the Sizandro River meets the Atlantic Ocean. There is fairly consistent surf...

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Located just out of easy range of Lisbon, Santa Cruz beach is still a popular spot but less cosmopolitan than the beaches in the Sintra area. The beach itself is a huge stretch of beautiful sand backing on to the village of Santa Cruz at the southern end. At one end of the beach is a huge triangular shaped rock with an arch running under it.
There are plenty of facilities and the Santa Cruz has frequently received the prized Blue Flag award.

Facing directly into the Atlantic...

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Despite being located right next door to the busy resort town of Santa Cruz, Praia das Amoeiras is a world apart. You won't find much in the way of facilities here but what you will find is a beautiful stretch of golden sand backed by tall ochre cliffs.

Like its neighbours the surf at Praia das Amoeiras gets pretty good and it tends to pick up more swell than the popular spots in Ericeira and Peniche. With its quality waves and being a bit of a...

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The Praia de Porto Novo is located in a cove, sheltered by high cliffs, at the mouth of the Alcabrichel river. This sandy beach is somewhat protected from the wind but takes the full force of the Atlantic Ocean making it popular with surfers.

Porto Novo has a place in the history books as in 1807 it was the place where the Duke of Wellington landed his troops to take part in the Battle of Vimeiro. This was part of the Peninsula War in which the British aided the Portuguese to fight...

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Set in a valley between high cliffs, just to the north of Ericeira is the beach of Ribeira d'Ilhas. A lovely sandy beach complete with river and lots of interesting nooks and crannies, there's plenty here for the kids to do.

What Ribeira d'Ilhas is best known for though is the surf. Having hosted numerous rounds of the WQL surfing World Tour championships there is no doubts this is a world class break. There are actually better waves in the Ericeira area but most are harder to get too...

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At a around 7km from Ericeira, Praia de São Lourenço is the most northerly of what are considered the area's beaches. This wide sandy and sheltered bay is a popular spot and is best known for two things; surfing and seafood, although sunbathing is pretty high on most people's list too.
São Lourenço is home to a number of quality restaurants specializing in fresh and seafood fish.

Surfing at São Lourenço is fine for all on calm days. However, this is known as Ericeira's big wave...

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Porto das Barcas is a large sandy beach near the town of Lourinhã and about 15km south of Peniche. Within about an hour's drive of Lisbon the beach here was once very popular. However, things have quietened down over the years and the beach has something of a wild feel most of the year.

The beach is backed by high cliffs for most of its length. These rocks are of some interest to paleontologists with several fossils of dinosaurs being found here.

About halfway along the length...

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The Praia dos Pescadores (Fishermen's beach) is Ericeira's central beach, but not by coincidence. Rather, the town was built around this beach which also serves as a harbour. Sheltered to the south by the small headland of Furnas and from the north swells by a breakwater, this is about the most protected beach on the Ericeira coast.

Despite being a busy working harbour this is a pleasant enough sandy beach, although not as stunning as many of the other beaches in the area. It does...

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As the name suggests, Praia do Sul is on the southern fringes of Ericeira, or at least the old village. As the seaside village constantly expands the area around the beach feels more and more developed.

Praia do Sul is Ericeira's main beach and is the only easily accessible beach within a stone's throw of the village. This makes it popular, which is nothing new and the beach has catered for the Lisbon holiday weekenders for many years. The beach is dominated by the Vila Galé hotel...

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This long sandy beach stretches for just over a kilometre before it joins with the Praia do Areal. Despite having a wild and remote feel to it Praia da Peralta is an accessible beach with good facilities. It is a popular spot for both surfing and fishing.

Praia da Peralta is backed by imposing cliffs which run the length of the beach. These cliffs were the site of a significant archaeological find in 1982 when a local farmer discovered the bones of a new species of large carnivorous...

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