Porto do Seixal Beach

The sand is black volcanic grit, and it sticks — to feet, to towels, to anything damp. A hose stands at the exit from the beach for rinsing it off. Behind the sand the mountains of Seixal rise steeply and stay green to the top. Two waterfalls are in view from the beach, and one of them can be walked right up to. For a beach this well known, the crowds stay thin: many people come to look and photograph rather than to swim, and cloudy weather takes little away from the view.

• Park in marked bays. Cars left outside designated parking get ticketed here.
• The sand clings. Black sand sticks to skin and clothing; a hose at the beach exit is there for rinsing your feet.
• Wind decides the swimming. On windy days people give the water a miss and stay for the view.
• Toilets and water. Free toilets are about 45 metres from the beach, and drinking water about 60 metres.

The beach sits below the ER101, the north-coast road, and the last stretch is a drive down towards the water. Car parks stand within about 60 metres of the sand, and marked bays are scattered along the road on the way down. When those are taken, drivers leave the car higher up and walk down; reckon on 10 to 15 minutes. From the nearest parking the beach is under 100 metres away, so no walking-in is involved if you find a space.

Best: late afternoon and around sunset.

Avoid: earlier in the day, when parking is hardest to find, and windy days if you mean to swim.

Parking close to the beach frees up towards evening, and the low sun falls on the mountain wall behind the sand. In late spring the water is warm enough to swim.