Sesimbra has one of the finest coastlines in Portugal. Golden beaches, clear water, and the Serra da Arrábida mountains rising behind it all. Along this coast you will find beaches for families, hidden coves you can only reach by boat, wild surfing beaches, and calm lagoons.

What makes it work is the geography. Each stretch has its own character. The beaches inside Sesimbra's sheltered bay have the calm water that families want, while the Arrábida coastline hides a run of quiet coves below limestone cliffs and pine forest. Go west and the land changes again. There the exposed Atlantic beaches of the Costa da Caparica give you good surf and miles of open sand.

This guide is here to help you pick the right beach. That might be the convenience of the town beaches, the scenery of the Arrábida, or the open Atlantic coast. I will tell you where I would go, and why.
Related articles: Sesimbra introduction - Costa da Caparica

5) Praia do Meco. A magnificent Atlantic beach, and the place where Portugal's naturist movement began in the 1970s. Today you will find both family sections and clothing-optional sections along a vast sweep of sand. One warning. It can be windy.

4) Praia da Califórnia. This is where convenience meets beauty. Golden sand, calm water, and beachfront restaurants, all of it a few minutes from the town centre. It does get busy. And at high tide the beach shrinks to half its size, so time your visit.

3) Praia da Ribeira do Cavalo. A cove that the Portuguese used to keep to themselves. Social media has changed that. Access is limited and you will need to scramble down a cliff path to reach it, but at the bottom you are met with turquoise water and a stretch of coast that nothing has touched.

2) Lagoa de Albufeira. A coastal lagoon that gives you two beaches in one. Sheltered, shallow water for young families on one side. Powerful Atlantic surf on the other. You choose your day.

1) Praia do Creiro. For my money, one of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal. Soft sand, still water, dramatic cliffs, and shelter from the winds that trouble so much of this coast. The catch is parking. In summer you will struggle to find a space.

Map of Sesimbra’s beaches
The map below shows all the major beaches of the region, split into three areas: the town beaches, the Serra da Arrábida beaches, and the Costa da Caparica and Atlantic beaches. Zoom out to see every point.

Legend: 1) Praia do Ouro 2) Praia da Califórnia 3) Praia do Ribeiro do Cavalo 4) Praia da Mijona 5) Praia do Creiro 6) Praia dos Galapos 7) Praia dos Galapinhos 8) Praia da Figueirinha 9) Praia dos Coelhos 10) Praia de Albarquel 11) Praia das Bicas 12) Praia do Meco 13) Lagoa de Albufeira 14) Praia da Fonte da Telha 15) Tróia

Praia de Galapinhos

The right beach depends on what you want, how you are getting there, and the time of year. Here is how I would decide.

Staying in Sesimbra without a car. Head to Praia da Califórnia (2). It is a golden sandy beach with clean water, right beside the town centre. If you are coming to Sesimbra by public transport from Lisbon, this is the one.

Families with young children. The Lagoa de Albufeira (13) gives you the safest swimming of any beach here, with shallow, warm lagoon water. The huge sand bank keeps the wind off, and at low tide the retreating water leaves shallow pools that children love. Praia da Califórnia (2) is the other strong option, with lifeguards, gentle waves, and amenities close by.

You want paradise, and you have a car. Go to Praia do Creiro (5). Soft sand, still turquoise water, the hills of the Serra da Arrábida all around you. Arrive early, before 9:30am in summer, because the car park fills fast. If you fancy something more adventurous, hike down to Praia do Ribeiro do Cavalo (3). The twenty-minute scramble down the cliff path is worth it.

You want quiet. Try Praia das Bicas (11). Kilometres of empty, clean sand with almost no development. Most tourists overlook it in favour of the busier Arrábida beaches, which is exactly why it stays calm. It is also your best fallback when the Arrábida car parks are full.

Out of peak season. Make for the Serra da Arrábida beaches, either Praia do Creiro (5) or Praia dos Galapos (6). You get the same beauty without the summer crowds, and the steep hills behind shelter you from the strong sea breezes.

The Praia do Creiro

There is plenty to do across the Sesimbra and Arrábida region, on the water and along it. Some of the best, run by GetYourGuide, are:
• A boat tour from Sesimbra to four glorious beaches and hidden caves
• A guided kayak tour along the Arrábida coastline
• A coasteering adventure in the Arrábida Natural Park

The links above are affiliate links, and I earn a small commission if you book through them. I really appreciate it, as it helps me keep this website running.

The beaches of Sesimbra fall into three areas:
• The town beaches, all within walking distance of Sesimbra
• The beaches of the Serra da Arrábida, often called the Portinho da Arrábida
• The beaches of the Costa da Caparica, which include the Lagoa de Albufeira

The beaches closest to town are the easiest to reach, which also makes them the busiest in summer.The bay of Sesimbra splits into two. Praia do Ouro sits at the western end, nearer the fishing harbour, where you will still see the boats come in and the catch landed. Praia da Califórnia runs east from it towards the newer part of town, with most of the cafés and restaurants along the front. The two are much alike: golden sand, calm water, easy swimming for families. Ouro has the more character of the pair. Califórnia is the more convenient.

Praia do Ouro overlooks the fishing harbour

The beaches of the Portinho da Arrábida are some of the finest in Portugal. Green hills and steep cliffs rise behind them, the water is turquoise, and you look out across to the Tróia Peninsula. Getting to them is the hard part, and the rules have tightened, so it is worth understanding the situation before you set off.

The Costa da Caparica is a different proposition altogether. This is a 17km Atlantic-facing stretch along the western edge of the Setúbal Peninsula, and it means powerful waves, strong currents, and a steady sea breeze. The upside is space. The beaches are so vast that you will always find room, even at the height of summer. The southern end is much quieter than the northern side.

Fishing boats are still launched from the beach of Costa da Caparica

Social media likes to call this one of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal. It takes some effort to reach. A loose rock path winds down the side of the cliff, and you will need to pick your way down it.

That difficulty is the whole appeal. There are no facilities, no lifeguards, no development of any kind. The water is calm and shallow, ideal for swimming and snorkelling, and because so few people make the climb, it stays quieter than most beaches near Sesimbra.

The walk from the fishing harbour takes about twenty minutes, but the last section is the one to respect. It is a loose, steep scramble down the cliff face, more a route than a path, and the rock shifts under your feet. Wear proper shoes, take your time, and do not attempt it in poor weather or with young children. Once you are down, there is nothing at all.

No lifeguard, no shade, no café, no water. Bring everything you need and carry your rubbish back out. If that does not appeal, take a boat trip from Sesimbra instead. You arrive without the climb and see the coast from the water on the way.

The Serra da Arrábida coastline is beautiful: soft golden sand, calm turquoise water, and pine-forested mountains behind. The difficulty is getting to them. Car parking is very limited, and the main coastal road near Praia de Galápos is closed. What this means in practice is that you cannot reach Creiro, Galapos, Galapinhos or Coelhos from the Figueirinha side at all, and have to approach from the Azeitão direction instead.
Related articles: Serra da Arrábida guide

The Serra da Arrábida coastline

Praia dos Galapos and Praia dos Galapinhos
These two are often counted among the most beautiful beaches in Portugal, and it is easy to see why. Clear water for snorkelling, soft sand, and scenery that stops you in your tracks.

Galápos is the larger of the two. It has two restaurants, O João and Ondagalapos, along with parasols and sun loungers. Galapinhos, just to the east, is smaller. This is where you will take your photographs. A headland separates the two beaches, and you can walk around it at low tide.

The Praia dos Galapinhos

Praia do Creiro
Creiro is every bit as beautiful as Galapinhos, with one advantage. It has a car park, and it stays easier to reach when the coastal road is shut.

Steep forested hills run down to white sand, and the sheltered bay curves round to the tiny village of Portinho da Arrábida. The water is calm, a mix of deep blue and green, with plenty of sea life beneath the surface. It is a fine place to spend a day. Just expect it to be busy at the peak of summer.

One more thing worth seeing. Between the car park and the beach lie the Roman ruins of Creiro. This was a fish-salting works, where the catch from this coast was preserved in salt and turned into garum, the strong fermented fish sauce the Romans traded right across their empire. The Setúbal area was one of the great centres of that industry.

The Praia do Creiro beach

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Praia dos Coelhos
Praia dos Coelhos is a tiny cove that tourism has left alone. If you are after an undeveloped paradise, this is the one.

Be warned. There is a rough 400m path down and no facilities at all. That is the trade-off for somewhere this wild. The only parking is on the main road, shared with Praia dos Galapinhos. For most people, Praia do Creiro nearby is the better bet for a day on the beach.

Praia da Figueirinha
Praia da Figueirinha is the best beach in the Serra da Arrábida for a day trip, and Portuguese families know it. It is one of the larger beaches in the region, with good facilities, cafés, and restaurants.

The beach itself is lovely, as it is everywhere along this coast: soft, pale sand backed by the craggy cliffs of the Serra da Arrábida. The water is clean and calm, fed by the ocean and fine for swimming. It does get very busy in summer, mostly because it is the best beach within easy reach of Setúbal.

The Praia do Meco
Praia do Meco sits at the southern end of the Costa da Caparica coastline, a long stretch of sand worth the drive. It is well known across Portugal as the country's first nudist beach. These days the line is clearly drawn: there are family-friendly sections, and the nudist beach lies further south along the coast. Meco is huge, and there is plenty of parking. That makes it a sound choice when the Serra da Arrábida gets too crowded in summer.
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The Praia do Meco

The Lagoa de Albufeira
The Lagoa de Albufeira gives you two very different beaches in one place. On one side, the full force of the Atlantic. On the other, the still water of the lagoon, held back from the sea by a long sandbar. That flat, sheltered water has made the lagoon one of the best-known spots near Lisbon for windsurfing and kitesurfing, and it is a fine place to learn. Families settle on the calm side while the wind chasers work the open water.

Every so often the sandbar is cut through to let the lagoon drain to the sea, which keeps it fresh. Inland, the forests around the lagoon hide quiet footpaths and empty countryside, if you fancy a walk away from the sand.
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The calm waters of the Lagoa de Albufeira are a popular place to learn to windsurf