The Portuguese south west coast is inside a natural park, and the building restrictions that come with that status are the reason it still looks the way it does. Between Melides and Sagres you can find beaches in July with a few dozen people on a kilometre of sand.
What to expect
Cliffs, wooden walkways down to the sand, and wind that builds through the afternoon. The water sits around 17 to 19 degrees in summer because of Atlantic upwelling, so swimming is short and bracing rather than lazy.
How to visit well
- Go in the morning if you want calm water
- Bring everything with you, most beaches have one cafe at best
- Watch the tide, several coves lose their sand entirely at high water
May, June, September and early October are the best months. In August Portuguese families arrive and the quiet stretches shrink, though even then it is far from Mediterranean density.
