The Guardian | 30.04.22 | SATURDAY | 95region, loved by the Portuguese for its
wines as well as its coast. At the
foothills of the Arrábida mountains ,
Praia das Bicas is a vast expanse of fi ne
golden sand reached by a long
staircase descending from the cliff s. It
faces west and is exposed to wind,
making it popular with surfers. There
is a bar and a restaurant on the beach,
which serves local specialities; the
wine is defi nitely worth trying. A few
minutes’ walk from the shore is Villa
Epicurea eco-retreat (doubles from
€115 room-only , pt.villaepicurea.com ),
which off ers locally sourced vegan and
vegetarian dishes as well as yoga and
an impressive, ecologically sustainable
infi n i t y p o o l.NETHERLANDS23 | Beach Paal 31, De Cocksdorp,
T e x e l
Just a few miles off the north coast of
the Netherlands sit the idyllic Wadden
islands , with nature reserves teeming
with wildlife and miles of isolated
cycle trails curving alongside large
expanses of white sand beaches. On
the largest and most visited island of
Texel (pronounced tes-sel) agriculture
dominates – the sheep are prized – but
perch atop a saddle and venture
towards the North Sea to discover one
of the country’s most extraordinary
landscapes. Reached through dunes,
forests and heaths, the beach at De
Cocksdorp is one of the island’s
widest , with the picturesque Eierland
lighthouse off ering a dreamy view
over Texel and the island of Vlieland.
Three miles south of De Cocksdorp ,
Boutique Hotel Texel
( d o u b l e s f r o m € 1 3 0 B & B ,
hoteltexel.nl ) has anlagoons brimming with sea life. Ten
minutes inland, Hospedaria (doubles
from € 170 B&B, two-night minimum ,
h o s p e d a r i a. c o m. p t ) , i s a g e m , w i t h p a l e
walls and lots of antiques.19 | Praia da Fisica, Costa de Prata
Central Portugal’s coast is known as
the Costa de Prata , or Silver Coast, for
the intense refl ection of light on the
sea. Santa Cruz, 40 miles north of
Lisbon, is favoured by locals. For many
it was the seaside of their youth, and
comprises several magnifi cent
beaches, all with attractive rock
formations, one of which is Praia da
Fisica. Popular with bodyboarders and20PHOTOGRAPHS: TOURISM IRELAND; NTO MONTENEGRO; MIKE HOWARD/ALAMY; TASFOTONL/GETTY IMAGES
surfers, it has a good surf school , as
well as a restaurant, Noah , serving the
freshest of fi sh, drizzled with olive oil.
Those who want to lie and admire the
view will not be disappointed either ;
here is nature at its best. Noah Surf
House Portugal (doubles from €90 for
seven nights B&B , noahsurfh ouse
portugal.com ) is right on the beach- with cosy bungalows from which to
watch the moon dapple the dark sea.
20 | Praia de Canieros , Ferragudo,
central Algarve
This quiet beach, a favourite of the
cognoscenti, is south of the pretty
town of Ferragudo , with sparkling,shallow water. It boasts a seriously
good beach bar, Rei das Praias (the
scarlet prawns, carabineiros , are
excellent) perched on stilts and
looking on to the Leixão da Gaivota’ ,
or Seagull’s Rock. The beach is backed
by the honey-coloured limestone cliff s
that run along the whole Algarve
coast; one side is given over to
sunbeds. Parking spaces are very
limted, so it’s wise to get there early.
Close to the beach is Casa Rei das Prais
(doubles from €120 B&B , caneiroslhs.
com ), sister to the restaurant, a small,
comfortable hotel with a lovely pool.21 | Praia da Zambujeira do Mar,
Costa Vicentina , Alentejano
Part of the Costa Vicentina natural
park , this lovely beach is surrounded
by tall basalt cliff s with sweeping
ocean views. Conditions are ideal for
surfi ng and body boarding, with
powerful breakers, and the sunsets are
wonderful. At the beginning of August
the huge Sudoeste rock festival is held
here, but at other times it’s not so busy,
being mainly frequented by locals
making the most of the good facilities- from showers to a bar, restaurant and
parking. There is direct access to the
beach from the fi shing village of
Zambujeira do Mar. Just inland, on the
Rota Vincentina walking trail is
Herdade do Touril (doubles from €100
B&B , herdadedotouril.com ), a 19th-
century farm where guests sleep
within earshot of the crashing waves.
22 | Praia das Bicas , Sesimbra ,
near Lisbon
Forty minutes west of Lisbon, this is
just one of the beaches in the Setúbal17 23