Guincho Beach (Praia do Guincho)
Praia do Guincho is a stunning wild and rugged beach to the west of Cascais. Guincho faces the might of the Atlantic Ocean and this makes the beach ideal for body boarding, surfing, kite surfing and, at the northern end, wind surfing. Praia do Guincho is the beach to head to for all adventure sports while the backdrop landscape of the Serra de Sintra will captivate the less adventurous. One of the factors that makes Guincho great for water sports is the almost constant breeze but this makes it less desirable for sun seekers or families. Praia do Guincho is the most scenic beach of the Lisbon coastline and the best location for surfing or alike sports.
Praia do Guincho Tourist Information
Guincho Beach is 6km north-west of Cascais and is connected by a regular bus service that departs from Cascais train station. The bus route is operated by Scotbus with services 405 and 415 pass the beach and the journey time is 25 minutes. At the beach there are good amenities including public showers, beach bars and restaurants. There is plenty of parking at the beach and driving is easiest method to reach Praia do Guincho. To drive to Guincho follow the N247 west out of Cascais.
Further Information for Praia do Guincho
Guincho Beach has a shore line of approximately 800 meters and this means that there is plenty of space on the sand and in the sea even during the summer months. While other beaches to the east of Cascais become dangerously crowded in the sea for surfing or body boarding there is always ample room. The northern side of the Praia do Guincho has favorable conditions for wind and kite surfers while the southern side is chosen by both types of surfers. The beach almost always has a constant breeze which blows from the sea side in the summer months. The waves and currents can be very strong and are suitable for only competent swimmer. This means that Praia do Guincho is really suited for families or young children. There is lifeguard supervision in the summer season.
The sea is always very cold and comes as a shock to many tourists new to the region. The difference between the winter low temperature and the summer high is only 2°C (17-19 °C). If planning a visit during early spring or late autumn consider bringing a thin wet suit as the sea temperature can be surprisingly sapping and tiring. The majority of the day will be spent with onshore breeze but the ferocious Atlantic Ocean still produces some large waves. For extended off shore winds plan to visit during December. The beach is the location for the Portuguese National Surfing and Body Boarding Championships and has appeared on the wind surfing world championship circuit.
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Memories of Cascais
Cascais had such great beaches
The great surfing beach of Guincho.
That pretty central beach
The beach close to our hotel