Portugal is not only known for its delicious food but also its natural beauty. When speaking of such, we can't—by no means—not mention the dozens of beaches that spread from the north to the south of the country.
This travel guide to Portugal will make sure you won't miss any of the country's most important places, along with this article, which will make sure you will visit these least crowded beaches (regardless of the Portuguese city you're in).
During your stay, and after a long day at the beach, don't forget to visit at least one of the 10 best wineries in Portugal.
Trust us: this is the country to visit if you are looking for good food, incredible wine, and beautiful (not crowded) beaches!
10 Praia Forte Do Paço, In Viana Do Castelo (In The North Of Portugal)
Viana do Castelo is very near to Porto, in the north of Portugal (by the way, these are the 10 free things every visitor should do in Porto), and that's where you find Praia Forte do Paço.
If you're looking for a beach in the middle of nature, that you can only find after walking through vegetation and dunes, this is the place. This beach is not very visited by locals, so it's the perfect hideaway.
9 Dunas De São Jacinto Is A Wild Beach With Impressive Birdlife
If you're a nature lover who loves to know more about birdlife—and actually witness it—then Dunas de São Jacinto, in the center of Portugal, is the beach to go. You can not only enjoy the endless sands but also walk a bit back to watch the birds flying around.
Never forget this is a nature reserve, so you need to be extra careful. If you wish, you can always explore this natural reserve online.
8 Praia Do Baleal Is Bathed By Beautiful Crystal Waters
Praia do Baleal, as well as other beaches in Peniche, are a surfing mecca for surfers who come from all over the world—did you know that one of the stages of this sport's world championship takes place in Praia dos Supertubos (Peniche)?
Besides being a beach with a lot of sand area, Praia do Baleal also has a lot of restaurants and cafes around in case you want to grab a bite or drink something.
7 Praia Santa Is The Best Spot For History Lovers
No, you're not hallucinating, you're seeing dinosaurs' footprints on a rock in a Portuguese beach!
Praia Santa, in the Algarve, has dozens of these footprints all over the place, along with Praia Salema. Besides being the best place for history lovers to stop by, it's also a very quiet beach to spend some time roasting under the sun!
Don't forget we're speaking of one of the best Portuguese regions to find amazing beaches (the Algarve).
6 Praia Da Adraga Is Not Your Typical Beach
Praia da Adraga is located in Sintra, half an hour away (by car) from Lisbon. As you can see, this is one of the least crowded beaches in Portugal because very few people want to walk there to enjoy the beach—except surfers, who love this beach for practicing their favorite sport (in case you want to give it a go, visit Adraga Surf Camp, where you'll find all sorts of water sports to try out).
5 Praia De Benagil Has A Cave Over The Beach
There simply aren't enough words to describe how incredible Praia do Benagil is, don't you agree?
This is one of the least crowded Portuguese beaches because of its access. In fact, you can only visit this cave if you come from the sea (swimming or by boat). Tourists normally prefer to rent a boat and, while visiting the beaches nearby (all over the Algarve coast), also take the opportunity to visit Praia do Benagil.
4 Praia Da Amália: A Quiet Beach Surrounded By Cliffs
Welcome to Costa Vicentina (in Alentejo), where some of the most beautiful Portuguese beaches can be found. Praia da Amália is the perfect example of such natural (quiet) beauty.
This is also the place to go if you love grilled fish since the Café Central (very close to the beach) serves the best one.
Besides, this beach holds a particular curiosity: the fact that it was named in honor of Amália Rodrigues, the most famous Fado singer.
3 Praia Da Senhora Da Rocha: A Lot Of Sand And A Lot Of Cliffs
Welcome, once more, to another of the Algarve's amazing beaches: Praia da Senhora da Rocha.
Rocha means "rock" in English and you can probably guess why this beach as such a name. The huge cliffs surrounding the place protect the beach, and also the people who visit it since there's little no to wind around.
Don't worry about the facilities around: you will find plenty of bars and restaurants to delight yourself with Portuguese food.
2 Praia Do Barril Is A Naturist-Friendly Beach
Praia do Barril, in Tavira (Algarve), benefits from being very close to the train station, which makes its access much easier.
This is such a huge beach that you can't even guess where it ends and where the following beach begins.
We strongly advise to, besides enjoying the weather at Praia do Barril, you hop on the boat that takes you to Tavira Island. It's such a lovely ride to experience all of the natural surroundings.
1 In Ponta Da Ferraria You Can Jump From The Rocks To The Sea
Contrary to the other beaches mentioned in this article, Ponta da Ferraria's not in mainland Portugal—but in the Azores, one of the country's islands.
This rocky beach is located in Ponta Delgada, on the island of São Miguel. You can already guess that the experience you get in such a place is very much different from the one you have on regular beaches.
However, we can tell you that, here, the water is much warmer!