| What to do? | Where to eat? | Where to stay? |
Meco Beach (Praia de Meco)
The beach of Meco is really wonderful, very popular by the Portuguese and the most well known internationally. Meco near Alfarim, 40 km south of Lisbon, is located in the middle of a natural park called ‘Serra da Arrabida’. This is a real ‘mecca’ for nudists & surfers. The excellent beach cost line in this area, the well persevered surrounded forest and the climate attracts tourists from all across Europe. Nudist tourism is growing vastly in the last several years in Portugal.Protected by a high cliff, with small springs (drinking water) and excellent green mud (argil) for skin treatments, which is a common sight.
Excellent for activities such as surf, windsurf, kite-surfing, paragliding, fishing, mountain biking, trekking. On windy days the sea can be quite rough and special care is advised when bathing for those not used to the Atlantic Ocean.
Arrábida Natural Park
Between Setubal and Sesimbra lies the Arrábida Natural Park, a beautiful mountainous protected area covered with pines and rich Mediterranean vegetation, including many rare fauna and flora species .
Perched on the hills overlooking the sea is a dazzling white 16th century Franciscan monastery, and along the slope of the hillside are five round chapels once used for solitary meditation.
Down below, the crystal-clear waters of the beaches of Portinho da Arrábida, Figueirinha and Galápos cornered in the moutain are the ones more easily accessed. Some others require extra trekking skills to be reached. These are very popular spots among scuba divers and snorkellers. Any kind fishing is presently prohibited for species sustainability reasons.
Lagoa de Albufeira
The Lagoa de Albufeira is 10 kms northwest of Sesimbra, and between the camping and the tournament venue. It’s separated from the sea by huge dunes and surrounded by pines and with calm water. It’s ideal for children and aquatic sports such as windsurfing, sailing and kite-surfing. On one side is an area of coarser sand, where the sea provides excellent surfing and body boarding conditions. Because the lagoon is connected to the sea via a small canal, this area can experience strong undercurrents.
Supervised in season, with disabled facilities, the lagoon has parking, bar,
restaurant and small craft hire.