Big Beach is the literal translation of Praia Grande, the name of this beach not far away from the westernmost tip of Europe.
A few km north of Cabo da Roca (the said westernmost tip of Europe) there are a few pretty cool beaches, being this one likely the biggest (hence the name). They don't attract that much people as the beaches in other places of the country because the sea is a bit rougher, and Sintra, the region were they are, has a microclimate so that clouded skies and fog are wayyy more frequent than they should, if soaking up some sun is the plan.
The upsides?
Less people, especially in the early morning, since the skies tend to open up as the day goes by.
If you like surfing, there are normally pretty good conditions! This was early morning, and look at the amount of boards on the water already.
Rough seas aren't your thing, and you prefer the calmer waters of a swimming pool? No problem! Overlooking the beach, you have one of the biggest salt water pools in Europe!
And lastly, if you dig some culture besidse the beach, in the big rocks on the far side of the beach, you can find dinosaur footprints!
All these positives are more than enough for a visit, right?
It had been a while since I came here, and me and my friends just came for a few hours of beach relaxation without the crazy traffic and crowds of more popular beaches. And... mission accomplished.
Despite the cloudy skies, the weather was warm, not that much wind, and the water wasn't that bad.
I walked closer to the big rocks, but couldn't spot any of the dinosaur footprints. If my memory serves me, there's a trail to see them, and since I don't know exactly where they are, I just enjoyed the view; even without historical marks, the muge cliffs are a sight to behold!
Some people were also exploring other points of interest here. Mussels, anyone?
This guys had a ton of mussels in other bags already! I wonder how profitable this beach morning was?
Most of the people at the beach weren't working, though; just enjoying the leisure time.
Seeing all the surfers made me realise it's been likely over two years since my surfboard tasted saltwater, and these beaches are not that far away! I'll likely be visiting them sooner and see if I can still stand on a board.
While I was distracted checking the rocks and the surfers... the sun finally sneaked in from the clouds, and slowly but steadily the sky became clearer!
The perfect way to finish a very enjoyable morning at the beach: enjoying the sun a little more, going up to one of the nearby restaurants for a seafood rice, and drive home just in time for an afternoon nap! :)
Sintra has a few more nice beaches, and this tiny trip served as a reminder to make a few more explorations in the area in a hopefully near future!
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