Beaches of Vila Nova de Milfontes

One of the main reason to choose Vila Nova de Milfontes as a vacation or holiday destination is due to the quality of the areas beaches. Surrounding Vila Nova de Milfontes are some of the best beaches in Portugal and many are deserted, outside of the short height of season, as foreign tourists head south to the Algarve. The other fantastic attraction of Vila Nova de Milfontes' beaches is the wide range available within a short distance from the town; from wild surfing beaches through to family safe tourist beaches with everything in between.

The coastal landscape of the region is dominated by the Atlantic Ocean which has created dramatic scenery, with high rugged cliffs and wide expanses of sand. As the beaches all open out into the Atlantic Ocean expect the sea temperatures to verge between cold and very cold nothing like the Mediterranean. If your perfect holiday involves spending time at a beach, you will truly be in heaven while staying at Vila Nova de Milfontes.

Vila Nova de Milfontes - Estuary Beach
(Closest Beach to the Old Town)

The Estuary Beach is only a five minute walk from the centre of the old town and its central location makes it a popular choice for both locals and tourists. To see an image of the estuary beach of Vila Nova click here. The beach is over looked by the town and there is a popular beach bar on the edge of the beach. The waters are clean and very calm with the head land preventing the Atlantic rollers from crashing in, but the tidal currents which can be very strong in both directions. There is ample car parking, access is down a short flight of steps and the beach is dog free. Due to the close proximity of the town the beach can get very crowded with Portuguese during the height of summer. There are much better beaches in the area but this is by far the most accessible beach in Vila Nova de Milfontes.

Beach of Parque Natural do Sudoeste
(Best Beach of the Area)

This is the best best in close proximity of Vila Nova De Milfontes, the facilities are almost no existent but what you get instead is a wide golden sand beach with some of the greatest atlantic rollers there are. To see an image of the beach click here. This beach is for surfers and sun worshippers but be warned even in the heat of summer the ocean is still cold. To reach here either hire a bike for the day or use a hire car, travel north out of Vila Nova to Malhaoinhas and take the first left turn down through the nature reserve past the camping ground.

Zambujeirado Mar Beach
(Pretty Beach for Day Trip)

This small beach town has fantastic golden sands backing onto huge black basalt cliffs. The huge waves making it perfect for body boarding and surfing, for the less adventures there are excellent restaurants The beach is a 30 minute drive south from Vila Nova on the road to Omadha.

 

The town has good facilities with beach restaurants and cafes on the cliff top. The sea waters are generally clean but numbingly cold. The waves are huge and immensely powerful just perfect for surfing but not so for little ones as there is no life guard on duty.