As praias

As praias
The enormous sand strip that can be seen from the train, near the station of Lagos, with a length of about 4 km, is very different from the other beaches around the city.

In Meia Praia, where the sand is specially white and soft, clams can be found at low tide.

For its size (it´s one of the largest bays in Europe) and absence of rocks, this beach is ideally suited for the practice of several nautical sports.

There is a windsurf centre and visitors can gather at the Marina information about other activities: diving, water skiing, big game fishing and so on.

In the summer, the horizon is spotted with small white triangles, the sails of ships that come to participate in regattas.

When the north wind blows stronger, the beach can be rather unfriendly; in those days, visitors should opt for one of the beaches enclosed by the cliffs.

In the coast line, the beaches of Solaria, Batata (potatoe) and Estudantes (students) succeed each other, linked by tunnels carved in the rocks.

Then, there is Praia do Pinhão (pinenut): a strategic area for sea monitoring, it had once a fortress, presently destroyed.

Praia de Dona Ana enjoys great popularity among tourists, maybe because it is portrayed in many postcards.

Camilo, Canavial and some other beaches in the direction of Ponta da Piedade offer calm and refreshing shadows near the rocks that enclose them.

Porto de Mós, at the end of a steep ladder, is an equally charming sand strip.

If all these beaches, protected by rocky cliffs, are good alternatives in days of north winds, Meia Praia is, on the other hand, the best option when the southeast wind is blowing or there are bigger tides: it´s size allow the waves to roll softly than in the smaller, rocky beaches elsewhere, making the sea appear calmer and easier.

In days like these, it is a paradise much sought by surfers.