14 Places to Paddle in Portugal
Ahoy there, or should we say Olá. We’ve just returned from an epic seven weeks travelling and paddle boarding, five of which were spent in Portugal. We drove a total of 3,744 miles, paddled in 14 locations, and took 3 stand up paddle boards with us.
Starboard Tikhine touring inflatable 12’ 6” x 28”
Starboard Sprint 2021 hardboard 14’ x 23.5”
As some of you may know, we took a ferry from Portsmouth to Santander on the 14th September, then drove in our converted transit van from Spain, through the Parque Natural de Montesinha and into Bragança in north Portugal. We posted a few snippets of our paddles in Portugal via the Paddle Up gram but you guys keep asking for more. So we’ve put together this guide filled with all the information you could possibly want on all the places we paddle boarded in Portugal.
You might be planning your own trip to portugal and looking for inspo, or you’re just interested because you’re probably a family member. “Yo fam”. Whoever you are, thank you for taking the time to read this. Now let’s crack on and take a look at the places we paddled, starting in the north and making our way down.
On day one we did what any normal paddle boarder would do, look on google maps for the closest body of water.
Azibo Reservoir
Located 30 km from Bragança at the northeast of Portugal, lies the Azibo's Reservoir. It’s one of the 30 areas in Portugal officially under protection in the country. The reservoir is created by a nearby dam, and although it’s a beach, it’s so far away from its own coastline that it’s actually closer to the Spanish border.
The Azibo Reservoir is definitely geared up for watersports as there’s a lifeguard hut on the beach, a designated swimming area, and a place to hire paddle boards and kayaks.
We parked at Praia de Fraga da Pegada next to the Casa do Lago restaurant. Here it was free to park, close to the water, and had public toilets and showers. There were no signs to say we couldn't paddle there, and no one to question us so I assume it’s fine to take your own equipment onto the water. Although we padded for free, If it's anything like the UK I wouldn't be surprised if you were asked to pay a small launching fee during peak season.
The Azibo Reservoir is sheltered, inland, flat water. The area is idyllic and boasts sandy beaches, stunning views, picnic benches, parasols, grassy banks, and a kids playground. Perfect for an afternoon messing around on the water in a safe environment.
Douro River
The source of the Douro River is somewhere in central Spain, and meets the Atlantic Ocean at its mouth in Porto, Portugal. We stayed at the Parque de Campismo Campidouro which is located right on the riverbanks of the Douro River, only 25 km from Porto. The campsite is the ideal as it has its own slipway.
Paddling here is both majestic and intimidating. The river is about as wide as the Thames in central London, and there seems to be no speed limit. You can only imagine the wash and the wake. On weekends locals flock to the river to spend time in their boats and jetskis, but come Monday this beast of a river turns into a millpond. We’ve never experienced anything quite like it.
Firstly we paddled the Rio Inha, which is a much smaller tributary just off the Douro River. This was calm and quiet, shallow at times, and absolutely breathtaking. Words can not even describe! Then we hit the Douro river itself where every vessel that went past was right up on the plane, very different to what we’re used to seeing on the River Thames that’s for sure! However we made it to a little jetty in Sante where we sat and listened to music. We think there was a local festival going on and music being played from a tannoy. This is what you can hear in this video.
All in all, a mind blowing paddle experience. We paddled here several times during our stay at Campidouro. Although we stayed here, there are plenty of other river beaches (praia fluvial)along the Douro River.
Castle Almourol
The Castle of Almourol is a medieval castle atop the islet of Almourol in the middle of the Tagus River, located in Praia do Ribatejo.
The Tagus River is tidal so do your research before embarking. We arrived at the car park early and were the first ones there (we read it gets busy, but this probably only applies to peak season). On this particular day, I was on tea and porridge duty whilst Joshua paddled around Castle Almourol.
“How did you find it Joshua?”
“Stunning location steeped in history with interesting currents and back eddies, definitely a test of my skills. Be sure to launch on the small slipway to the left of the jetty as the jetty is for the small tour boat to the island. I found this out from a rather animated skipper of an approaching tour boat”.
Lagoa de Óbidos
The Lagoa de Óbidos is a beautiful lagoon that extends between the municipalities of Óbidos and Caldas da Rainha.
Paddle #1
This spot had a proper car park and great facilities. To find it, search for O Covão dos Musaranhos restaurant in Vau. This was a beautiful spot with the luxury of a jetty. Here we pumped up the Starboard Tikhine and paddled around the lagoon and saw Flamingos for the first time. Unfortunately no photo evidence as they’re camera shy.
The lagoon is tidal and is also a popular wild swimming spot.
Paddle #2
Lastly we stopped off at a car park for fishermen (Rua do Penedo Furado 2500 Foz do Arelho Portugal). We parked the van pretty much on the beach and this time got out the Starboard Sprint.
Joshua launched among small fishing boats and enjoyed a peaceful paddle on lovely flat sheltered water. After speaking to our friends who are a local to the area, I was aware of discrepancy regarding the tide times stated online. The tide seemed to be flooding in pretty strong still even though it was past the high tide time.
The water was crystal blue but we can’t lie, the water was fresh. A result of the time of year combined with being on the Atlantic coast.
I also just want to mention that this is where we tried out our new Spinlockhq Alto PFDs. We discuss more on the pros and cons of these on our upcoming podcast.
Portinho da Arrábida
Located within the Serra da Arrábida Natural Park, Portinho Beach is deemed one of the prettiest in all of Portugal. When driving along these coastal roads we got unbelievably excited and a little distracted by the views. It was by far the most beautiful place we laid eyes on during the entire 7 weeks travelling.
We ended up parking at Praia du Creiro and paddling around the Pedra da Anixa rock. There’s plenty of parking, however it's a popular spot so it gets busy quickly. We parked in one of the car parks and carried our paddle board down the hill (5 min walk). There's a small beach bar / restaurant which I'm sure has toilets.
There were actually quite a lot of people paddling boarding on this beach, probably due to the magical surroundings and unbelievably clear waters, which also make it a popular scuba diving destination.
We were there on the 2nd October and the water was fresh, but we both managed a very quick dip and braved paddling with no wetsuit.
We stayed at the EcoParque do Outão campsite just a 15 minutes drive away, and the campsite did hire Itiwit inflatable paddle boards. So if you find yourself in the area without a SUP, there's an option for you.
Rio Lizandro river, Ericeira
Ericeira is a seaside community on the western coast of Portugal and most importantly it’s considered the surfing capital of Europe. Our primary reason for heading there was actually to learn to surf, not SUP. However, we got itchy feet when I found a river in Ericeira called the Rio Lizandro. I came across it on instagram via a post from Ericeira SUP and It was only about a 10 minute drive from the campsite we were staying on: Ericeira Camping - Parque de Campismo de Mil Regos.
The mouth is located by a beach named Foz do Lizandro. We parked on the road adjacent to the river (R. do Brejo 11). You'll find it just after the Estacionamento da Praia da Foz do Lizandro car park.
Launching was nice and easy and we bumped into a few other stand up paddle boarders which I believe were on tours with Ericeira SUP.
This was one of my favorite paddles for several reasons…
Fantastic weather
Stunning scenery with jungle vibes
Last minute paddle so no expectations
A river paddle felt familiar after so many paddles on lagoons and reservoirs
I will say, the water isn't clear like some of the photos you see online. It reminded us more of the River Mole in Surrey, England.
Lastly, I won’t go too much into our surfing lesson in this blog, but I do want to give a huge shout out to surf school, 3Surfers. Epic teacher!
Albufeira da Barragem de Odivelas
The Odivelas Dam is located in Baixo Alentejo, close to the town of Odivelas, Beja. The body of water we paddled on is called Albufeira da Barragem de Odivelas.
We stayed at a campsite called Markádia which had fantastic access to the water. The fact this campsite was right by the water definitely influenced our decision to stay there and it was a real gem.
The water was warm but a little empty due to the lack of rain. Still, plenty of water to paddle on with lots of fish in it, which I tried not to think about. Joshua got out his Starboard Sprint and I thought it would be a great idea to try and take me on as an extra passenger. If you’ve ever seen Starboard Sprint then you can only imagine.
The landscape was very different to what we were used to seeing. As Beja further inland it's a lot hotter and dryer therefore has more of a desert look. There were rabbits running through the long grass, and you felt more in the wilderness here. The campsite does actually hire their own peddle boats, kayaks etc but you’re also welcome to use your own craft.
Alvor
This former fishing village on Portugal's southern coast has become a popular resort. Situated roughly halfway between Portimão and Lagos. The town feels very touristy with lots of gift shops and sports bars, but the water was absolutely stunning.
We parked just by Restinga Ria restaurant along the road adjacent to Alvor Harbour. When launching be mindful not to get caught around the mooring buoys. Here the water is tidal, so again it’s vital to do your research on tide times before setting off.
We had a beautiful paddle around the harbor. We stopped and talked with people on their boats and explored a few of the secluded little beaches. This was a really peaceful paddle and despite the town feeling touristy, the harbor felt authentic.
Ponta da Piedade
Ponta da Piedade (translates to Piety Point) is a headland with famous rock formations along the coastline of Lagos in Algarve. The stunning rock formations are up to 20 meters high which you can visit by foot or explore the caves beneath by boat. However, they are one of the most famous tourist attractions of Portugal and there’s a lot of boat tours, so be aware.
We stayed in Lagos for about three nights, and planned to paddle in and around the caves. As this was a coastal paddle, a bit more planning went into this one. We checked wind direction, tide times and swell using a combination of magicseaweed, windy, and my tide times.
We parked at Praia da Dona Ana and walked our boards to the beach via the steps. A few SUP companies operate from this car park, so if you’re looking for a board to hire then you’re in the right place. Just be sure to do your wind and tide research, and as always we advise a lesson before hiring.
Once we launched we took a right, and paddled along the rock formations. Unfortunately we couldn't explore the caves as the swell was larger than expected, so much so that the kayak tours also stayed out of the caves. But we admired the cliffs from a distance which was still epic. Lastly we took a look at the beautiful Roman bridge at Praia dos Estudantes beach. Apparently this translates to ‘student beach’ and is very popular with instagram influencers.
Grotte de Benagil
Grotte de Benagil also known as Benagil cave is probably the most popular place to paddle in all of Portugal. It’s a remarkable seaside cave known for a distinctive hole in its roof.
Located between the towns of Portimao and Albufeira. We visited Grotte de Benagil on the 12th October when we were staying at Mikki’s Place to Stay in Pêra, an awesome campsite by the way.
This was a pretty special paddle for us as it was on our anniversary. Not that we planned for that, just the weather conditions and tide times were aligned. Anyway, we really wanted to visit the cave at a quiet time, so we pre-pumped our boards and set the alarm for stupid o’clock to ensure we got to Benagil before sunrise.
We chose to launch from Benagil beach because the walk to the beach looked more manageable compared to others that were recommended. When you’re at Benagil beach you want to paddle left, then the cave is pretty much right there. People were swimming there it's so close. I don’t know how we managed it, but we paddled right past it. So we enjoyed a magical morning paddling along the coast watching a blissful sunrise before attempting to look for the cave itself.
Paddling into the cave was a little challenging as you’re trying to dodge the rocks and time the waves for a smooth landing. Being flat water paddlers it’s not something we're particularly used to, but we didn't stack it, wahay!
Our top tip would be to get here early. When we left the car park at around 9 am, there were hordes of SUP and Kayak tours heading out. Even though we arrived at sunrise we weren't the only ones. There was another couple launching a SUP at the exact same time as us, and a private tour arrived shortly after we got there.
Praia de Albandeira
Now, we were a little reluctant to share this one as it’s so beautiful and untouched. But it’s so epic that we want you to enjoy it too. Praia de Albandeira is a secluded beach near Lagoa. It is most known for its stunning arch in the water. Portugal's Durdle Door.
We actually went here after our paddle at Benagil cave. Again, free parking and only a short distance from the beach so it is easy to carry your board from the car. However as you can see in the images above, it’s rocky around here which makes launching a little difficult.
Praia da Galé (Leste)
Praia da Galé Leste (leste means east) is between Armação de Pêra and Albuferia.
This was our third and final paddle of the day, and probably one of Joshua's favorites. We went here because we knew there were no rocks to contend which would do for an afternoon messing around.
Here we both tried a bit of SUP Surfing for the first time, and Joshua took to it like a duck on water. I think he spent a total of three consecutive hours in the water playing on the Starboard inflatable.
Galé east is quite a well known beach, and although there’s a car park it does get busy. Lots of facilities here including many beachside cafes and restaurants.
Logoa beach, Praia da Lagoa / Praia do Almargem
Here you will find a backdrop of sand dunes and pine trees and you can park pretty much on the beach for free. It’s situated between Quarteira and Faro and boasts a Blue Flag award.
We stopped here on the way to Faro to make the most of the gorgeous weather and hopefully do some bodyboarding. Once we arrived Joshua couldn't resist getting the Sprint out, even though the swell was pretty intense. It was tricky to paddle on this particular day, but a great challenge. In the right conditions, this would be a beautiful place to paddle. The location really is super peaceful and has the perfect beach for a post paddle picnic or lazing around with a book, which is exactly what I did.
There was hardly anyone on this beach and it felt really secluded. The long dirt track to the beach does have a height restriction barrier so just be aware. With paddle boards on the roof, our van was 2.6 meters and we got through just fine.
Ria Formosa
The Ria Formosa lagoon, located in southern Portugal, is a system of barrier islands that connects to the sea through six inlets. It's close to Faro which doesn't have any beaches of its own. So if you're in the Faro area looking for some sand then here’s your answer.
We chose to visit Praia dos Cavacos where there was easy parking close to the water, then paddle to the Island of Armona which you can only get to by boat.
This was our final paddle, and probably our favorite. The weather was perfect, the water was clear and full of fish, and the beaches on the island were utterly breathtaking. Stopping on this island felt like you were in the Caribbean, not that we've been but it's what we imagine. Honestly we were both mind blown and just felt so darn lucky to be there.
Reflecting
Writing this guide and looking back through photos has been emotional to say the least. We've been back for two weeks and still not fully adjusted. Yesterday was our first UK paddle since being back and it’s just not the same. Bring back the swim jammers and bikinis!!
We just want to mention that many of the rivers we turned up to had completely dried out. For example we drove to a campsite on the Rabaçal river which we thought would make a great place for paddle boarding. But when we arrived it was empty. Unfortunately there has been a huge lack of rain in 2022 and the country is sadly suffering and wildfires are increasing. The receptionist of the campsite said he hasn’t seen rain in over a year. The campsite looked deserted and they were clearly suffering.
This isn’t a blog about climate change but it’s important we mention it.
When travelling we didn’t have a particular route mapped out nor did we pre-book accommodation so we had to be flexible and open minded. We would often plan our paddles on the fly by researching the area upon arrival. Benagil cave was the only paddle we had in mind.
If you’re planning a trip to Portugal then definitely save this blog for future reference, and if you have any questions about our trip then please do get in touch.
We’d also love to hear from you if you’ve already paddled in Portugal. Where did you go? What did you think?
We hope you've enjoyed the read.
India & Joshua
