Letting you know about a cool place I've visited for the first time a few weeks ago seems a great way to come back after a looong absence. So, without further ado, let's take a walk to...
Praia da Amália - "Amalia's beach"
Yes, it's just a beach. But located in one of the coolest areas of the country for some beach hopping, and one of those where the likelyhood of having to share the beach with a ton of other people are slim, very slim. The beach is partially hidden, there are no support structures, and you have to walk some minutes to get there, so forget parking near the sea; this alone is enough to scare the crowds. On the plus side, you have a gorgeous view, and a beach almost to yourself surrounded by nature!
The beach was named after one of Portugal's most famost singers of all times, Amália Rodrigues, since it lies next to a homestead where the artist used to spend some time (by the way, if you like Fado, our traditional music, be sure to listen to some songs by Amália).
So, but where actually is the beach? Well, on SW Portugal, of course! You have to go to Brejão, the nearest village, and from there follow the main road in the direction of the sea. You won't see a sign for the beach, but you'll see this:
As you see the yellow flower, turn right, and you'll follow a dirt road that will take you to the homestead I've referred earlier.
Here, you have places to park your car. And to the left, if you're facing the direction of the sea, you'll se a small sign telling you you're on the right track!
From there, time to take a narrow path through nature, that will take you to the beach. It's not very short, but not huge either; probably takes around 10 minutes!
Some parts of the path will be narrower, so you do have to pay some attention. One of the nice things is that most of the path is shaded, which is great in the summertime.
And yuo even have small surprises... like a tunnel!! I surely wasn't expecting to find this.
Shortly after the tunnel, the sea starts to appear in view. This is the part where some care is needed, because it's not that hard to fall to the bushes on the left side, and down you go!
It wasn't visible given the vegetation, but you're still quite high from the beach at this point. From here, time to descend the seaside.
And as you walk down, the cool beach finally reveals itself! I went in June, in the afternoon, and as you an see, the place is almost deserted!
One thing that is worth checking, is the tides: the beach doesn't have that huge of a sand strip, so low tide is probably preferable. In all cases, there should be plenty of room for you anyway. This was around one hour to peak high tide, if my memory serves me right.
Another small descent... and time to enjoy Amalia's beach!
Some people get creative, and waste spend some time making their location "tides proof":
As for me... I just chose a location near the rocks, the furthest away from the shore, and just relaxed until the golden hour!
As the sun slowly came down, it was time to head back, and grab a well deserved dinner; and Brejão, the nearby village, has some awesome restaurants with very decent prices!
The only "bad" part? The uphill way back! :)
Funny how I've visited countless beaches in these parts, and it seems there's always something else to discover. Oh well... I can think of worse ways to spend my time, than to discover cool beaches! ;)
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