Praia de Melides

Praia de Melides sits beside the Melides coastal lagoon, roughly 45km south of Comporta and 130km from Lisbon, on a broad and largely unspoiled stretch of the Alentejo coast. The beach is wide and open, with fine pale sand backed by low dunes, and the adjacent lagoon adds a distinctive landscape of reed beds and wading birds that sets it apart from the more uniform dune beaches further north. Water clarity is good, and the Atlantic surf is moderate to strong depending on wind direction, making the beach popular with surfers as well as walkers who come for the lagoon's birdlife. Melides has become increasingly known in recent years as the inland village has attracted new restaurants and small guesthouses, but the beach itself remains largely undeveloped, with only a seasonal beach bar operating in the busiest months and no permanent restaurant or shop directly on the sand. Parking is informal and limited, set back from the dunes, and fills on summer weekends, though the beach's length means crowds spread out more than at smaller coves further south. There is no public transport directly to the beach, so a car is the practical way to arrive, typically via the village of Melides a few kilometres inland. Because the lagoon periodically breaches to the sea depending on rainfall and sandbar conditions, the shoreline near the lagoon mouth can shift from year to year, and swimmers should be cautious of currents where the lagoon channel meets the ocean. The combination of open beach, dune-backed walking paths, and lagoon birdwatching makes Melides a favorite for visitors seeking a quieter, more nature-focused alternative to the beach-club scene closer to Comporta, particularly outside the peak July and August weeks when the sand is at its emptiest.