Praia das Maçãs

Colares · Lisbon coast · Portugal

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Praia das Maçãs is the beach of the small resort of the same name, below the hills of Sintra. It is a beach break with peaks both ways over sand and some rock. It pulls in Atlantic swell well and is one of the most consistent spots on the Sintra coast.

Level
Intermediate
Break
Beach break, sand and rock
Waves
Lefts and rights
Crowd
Crowded
Season
autumn, winter, spring, summer
Boards
A shortboard or fish; a longboard on small summer days.

When it works

✓ A 1–2 m north-west swell with an east to south-east wind; it works on all tides.

When it doesn't

✕ Strong onshore winds, and big swells that close out the bay.

Watch out for

  • rocks
  • crowds
  • localism

Best months

September, October, November, December, January, February, March, April, May

Local tips

Summer easterly winds can make the mornings clean. Go early at weekends.

Getting there

From Sintra follow the road to Colares and the coast; the beach is at the end of the old tram line from Sintra.

Travel notes

How often it works
Very consistent: it is open to north-west and west swells and has surf on most days of the year.
Crowd and vibe
Crowded at weekends, and guides mention some localism. Overcrowding can make it unsafe on good days.
Camping and vans
No campsite at the beach. The coast is in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, where motorhome overnight parking is banned outside authorised places; Orbitur Guincho is about 11 km south. Nearest campsite about 11 km away.
Facilities
Lifeguards in summer, toilets, showers, parking, restaurants and a small resort town.
Water quality
Rated excellent in the 2025 official bathing-water classification (APA), and it flies a Blue Flag in 2026.

Ideal conditions

Swell
W–NW best, WSW–NNW works
Size
1–2 m offshore swell; starts at 0.7 m, holds to 3 m
Period
9 s minimum, best from 12 s
Wind
Offshore ENE–SSE; handles onshore up to 10 km/h
Tide
mid best
Faces
WNW (290°)

Live cam

Cams © their operators, shown from the operator's own feed.

Nearby spots

All spots in Lisbon coast · All spots

Sources