Praia de Santa Marta — Attraction in Cascais

This place immediately became my favourite in Cascais.

The water is calm, clear, and not so deep, so you can easily swim or walk. It is mostly rocky, but there are a couple of sandy locations you can sit or lie down.

The lighthouse makes the view even more beautiful. It is well maintained and gives the area a characteristic setting.

The beach faces east (or south east?), So you can't see the sun setting, but you can watch the sunrise, which is amazing.

There are two sides separated by the small rock bridge, one on the ocean side with the best view (picture) and the other one across with a larger sandy beach. Both are connected by the stream of sea water that showers them.

Back on top of the bridge you will find a public water fountain (?) to wash sand off your feet so you can continue exploring. The lighthouse is less than 1 minute...

The kids had a great time here. There’s lots of shade, which is great on a hot and sunny day. The place is really idyllic looking with the “castle”, the old bridge and the trees of the park. Unfortunately there’s a sewage pump that was very smelly when we were there. The beach is also quite littered with cigarette buds, pieces of glass and other trash. The water quality was poor when we were there. The tide was incoming and the water was a bit murky. I was also surprised how little fish, crab and other life I saw under water. Not sure if that has anything to do with the quality...

The beach is shallow and the water is clear and the surroundings are picturesque. However, my young kids couldn't stay long. With a very fast moving tide, which created a current that churns the sediment and the algae, the rocks, etc. it's hard for this area to be recreational for...