Praia do Guincho

Where the coast of Cascais turns west towards the end of the continent, the beach of Guincho opens under the dunes: nearly a kilometre of open Atlantic sand where the wind blows with such regularity that the beach became one of Europe’s great boardsailing arenas, framed by the fossil dunes of Cresmina and the hills of the Sintra-Cascais natural park.

Wind, waves and a world stage

Behind the sand, the moving dunes of Cresmina run inland through pine and scrub, part of the protected park that limits what may be built here. The 17th-century Fortaleza do Guincho, raised against corsairs on this exposed coast, now works as a hotel and restaurant above the beach, and the coast road continues west towards the sister beaches and the cliffs of the nearby capes. The town of Sintra lies over the hills, and the old fishing streets of Cascais are close at hand.

Dunes, fortress and the road west

Behind the sand, the moving dunes of Cresmina run inland through pine and scrub, part of the protected park that limits what may be built here. The 17th-century Fortaleza do Guincho, raised against corsairs on this exposed coast, now works as a hotel and restaurant above the beach, and the coast road continues west towards Guincho’s sister beaches and the cliffs of the nearby cape. The town of Sintra lies over the hills, and the palaces and museums of Setúbal‘s rival coast are far across the water; closer at hand are the old fishing streets of Cascais.

What to see

• The wind-driven boardsailing on the beach
• The moving dunes of Cresmina
• The Fortaleza do Guincho above the sand
• The winter surf on the sand-bottom peaks

Practical information

The Guincho lies on the Estoril coast, about five kilometres west of Cascais, inside the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. The beach is exposed and currents are strong: swim only on the guarded section, bring wind protection, and check the official websites before setting out.

Image credit: Guincho May 2012-2 by Alvesgaspar — CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.