Praia da Ursa – a hidden paradise in Sintra

It’s not a surprise that Portugal is full of amazing beaches on its coast and it is one of the reasons why so many people visit Portugal!

However, people tend to go to Algarve to see the beaches, but just an hour away from Lisbon you will find one of the most beautiful beaches of our country that was even considered one of the most beautiful beaches in the world by Michelin Guide.

This beach is very close to Cabo da Roca, the most western point of Portugal and mainland Europe, so if you’re planning to visit this beach you should also stop at Cabo da Roca lighthouse to enjoy the magnificent views! This is the perfect place for a sunset!

 

Cabo da Roca

The beach is accessible by a path that is located on the road to Cabo da Roca and the best is to park your car on the roadside and follow the trekking path.
If you just want to see the beach from up, the path is quite easy and it will take around 15 to 20 minutes to reach and you are always surrounded by ocean view the entire time.

View point to the beach

From the belvedere down to the beach the path is quite tricky down the cliffs, so if it’s not good weather or if you have any bad physical condition you should not do it!
For those who will go down, you’ll find one of the most beautiful and peaceful beaches since you will likely have the beach to yourself.

This is a wild beach and has no lifeguards, so take good shoes for trekking and be safe if going in the water! You should also take food and a trash bag as there are no facilities on the beach.

After enjoying this place you should try some of the local restaurants around it!

I’ll  leave you below two of my favourite ones:

Refúgio da Roca

A very typical restaurant with great seafood and portuguese traditional dishes!

Casa do mar sem fim

This one also has great fish and seafood and I brought it here as a suggestion, because, beside the traditional dishes you can also find more modern flavours and there are also vegan options on the menu! So this one is really great if you’re travelling with people with different food requests

This is just one of the amazing beaches that you can visit on Sintra’s coastline. If you’re up to a coastal trip in Sintra, besides Ursa Beach, you should definetly check these ones as well: praia da Adagra, praia das Maçãs, Azenhas do Mar and praia do Magoito.

The beaches in Sintra are some of the most beautiful ones in Portugal and they’re great for landscape lovers and for surfers! Although the water is quite cold and the ocean is rougher here, it would be totally worth it to pay a visit to all these places!

If you’re planning on a coastal roadtrip in this area these are some accomodations you should consider:

OUTPOST – Casa das Arribas 

Here you can find apartments with private pools and terraces just 1,5kms away from Magoito beach. It’s a great place for those who want to relax in privacy and with an amazing ocean view!

Oasis Backpackers Hostels 

This one is a very interesting place as it is located in Aldeia da Praia (“Beach Village”), an old village that was entirely refurbished and now has several restaurants, events and yoga place among many other things.

You can enjoy a nice terrace, nature contact and short walks to the beach and the place does as well yoga and surf activities!

Charm Nature

This one is a five-star hotel for those who are looking for a relaxed time with nature views and far away from crowds. All the apartments have breakfast and great views!

 

I hope you enjoyed this post and the tips and if you visit this area I’m sure you will love it!

Keep your travels!

Patrícia Ahmad

Travelling to the Green