Praia da Adraga
ONLY IF YOU'RE ALREADY THERE

Portugal · Sintra · #9 of Portugal's ten by fame

Praia da Adraga

It was a secret once.

How we rated it: nothing lifts it and nothing sinks it. Photo: Alexkom000 · CC BY 4.0

The hang

Praia da Adraga is near Almoçageme, in Sintra. The guide that calls it something of a secret also says it is less of one every year, and tells you to avoid weekends. At low tide you can explore a string of caves at the southern end. The water is very clean, on a Blue Flag beach, and the waves are often strong, so it is better for looking at than swimming in. There is a well-regarded fish restaurant on the beach. The first car park is free; when it is full, the overflow costs €3.50 an hour. We measured 292 metres of sand.

The real intel

Best months · warmest sea
August (17.6 °C), then November and October. Coldest: February (14.9 °C). One year of data, 2025.
Best months · emptiest
Weekdays. The guide's advice is to avoid weekends in summer.
Getting there
No direct public transport. Scotturb bus 439 from the Portela de Sintra terminal stops in Almoçageme, about a 20-minute walk from the beach.
Cost reality
The first car park is free. The overflow car park is €3.50 an hour, paid to attendants.
The catch nobody tells you
The waves are often quite strong, so it is not the best beach for swimming.

The year at Praia da Adraga

Warmest sea in August and November. Fewest wet days in August. Pick your fight.

J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Sea (°C)
15.9
14.9
15
15.9
16.4
16.8
16.8
17.6
16.3
17.2
17.6
15.5
Air (°C)
14
13.5
13.5
15.7
17
19.6
20.3
20.8
19.5
19.1
15.3
13.1
Sun (h/day)
6.5
7.3
8.7
10.6
13
13.3
13.2
12.6
11
8.8
7.4
7
Rain (days)
17
12
20
19
9
6
4
2
4
12
13
20

One year of data, 2025, from Open-Meteo at this beach's coordinates. A rain day is 1 mm or more. The red bar is the month to aim for in each row.

The crowd

Crowded on summer days, weekends especially.

The receipts

Lifeguards, bathrooms and showers in season, and a fish restaurant on the beach. No equipment rental.

The facts · we measured

Length
292 m
Mean width
59.8 m
Area
17,443 m²
Warmest sea (2025)
17.6 °C in Aug
Coldest sea (2025)
14.9 °C in Feb
Sea by month, °C
Jan 15.9 · Feb 14.9 · Mar 15.0 · Apr 15.9 · May 16.4 · Jun 16.8 · Jul 16.8 · Aug 17.6 · Sep 16.3 · Oct 17.2 · Nov 17.6 · Dec 15.5

Questions people ask

How do you get to Praia da Adraga from Sintra?

There is no direct public transport. Scotturb bus 439 from the Portela de Sintra terminal stops in Almoçageme, about a 20-minute walk from the beach.

Can you swim at Praia da Adraga?

The water is very clean, on a Blue Flag beach, but the waves are often quite strong, so it is not the best beach for swimming.

Are there caves at Praia da Adraga?

Yes. At low tide you can explore a string of caves at the southern end.

Sources

More beaches

Praia de Ribeira d'Ilhas

nearby

Praia de Ribeira d'Ilhas

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