Guincho

Guincho beach, lying at the foot of the Sintra hills and facing the Atlantic, should not be missed. The sand dunes blend subtly with the pine trees, the sea - rich in fish - rushes here and there into majestic caverns such as the famous Boca do Inferno which is well worth a visit. The vegetation is varied and beautiful and mostly of the Mediterranean type. Guincho has always been ideal for surfing owing to the large breakers, but it is now becoming increasingly known for wind surfing - a sport much developed over the last few years.

Guincho is where the world cup holds a wave event and the conditions can be epic but beware - there can be three week periods with no wind. The most reliable time is April through September but whenever there's a high pressure over the Azores you can be sure that some good wind and waves are on their way to Guincho. The sailing is starboard tack varying from perfect sideshore to side/onshore and side/offshore. Waves are normally in the half metre to two metre range but during full moons it can get really big. So be prepared for ripped sails and broken boards and masts. Luckily there's a shop right on the beach.