Praia do Amado
Sand beach
Praia do Amado is a wide, exposed beach on the west coast of the Algarve between Aljezur and Vila do Bispo, considered one of the best surfing beaches in Portugal. The beach sits in an open bay facing west-northwest, fully exposed to the Atlantic swell, and produces powerful, consistent waves that attract surfers from across Europe throughout the year. Several surf schools operate from the beach, and national and international competitions are held here regularly, the Portuguese national surf league having used Amado as a venue on multiple occasions.
The beach is broad and sandy, backed by low, dark cliffs of schist and greywacke that are typical of the west coast geology and quite different in character from the pale limestone of the south coast. At low tide the sand extends a considerable distance towards the water, and the multiple sandbars create different wave breaks along the length of the beach. The northern end tends to have the largest and most powerful waves, while the southern section, sheltered slightly by a rocky headland, often has smaller, more manageable surf suitable for beginners and intermediate surfers. This variety of breaks within a single beach is one of the reasons Amado is so highly regarded.
The landscape around the beach is open, windswept and sparsely vegetated, with low scrub, cistus and wild flowers on the cliff tops and little in the way of trees or natural shade. The car park sits on the cliff above the beach, and a sandy track leads down to the shore. There is a beach bar and restaurant with a terrace overlooking the surf, and a couple of the surf schools have wooden shacks and equipment storage near the parking area. Lifeguards are on duty in the summer months. The facilities are basic and in keeping with the natural park setting, without the over-development that characterises some of the south coast beaches.
The water is cold, consistently cooler than the south coast by several degrees, and a wetsuit is essential for any extended time in the sea. The currents can be strong, particularly on bigger days and near the rocky headlands at either end of the beach, and swimmers who are not comfortable in surf conditions should exercise caution and stay within the flagged areas. The beach is fully exposed to the wind, which can be fierce, particularly from the north, and on windy days the sand can sting bare skin and make sunbathing unpleasant.
Amado is roughly ten kilometres north of Sagres and Cabo de Sao Vicente, the southwestern tip of mainland Europe. The coast road connecting the beach to Sagres and to Carrapateira to the north passes through wild, open countryside that is among the least developed in the Algarve. In spring the roadside is covered in cistus, heather, tree spurge and a profusion of wildflowers. The sense of remoteness and exposure to the elements is part of Amado's appeal, a world away from the resort beaches of the south coast. Even on the busiest summer days, the scale of the beach and its distance from the main tourist centres mean that it never feels crowded in the way that the south coast beaches can.