It’s 7am, the sun is up in a brilliant blue and cloudless sky, the only sound the soft pounding of the waves on the empty beach and the occasional cry of the seagulls. A wooden boardwalk called the Linha Azul that stretches, almost unbroken, for some 16 km lies ahead. I’m right at the beginning, at Lavadores beach, and in about 3 and a half hours I’ll be right at the end, at S. Fėlix Da Marinha, and enjoying a coffee in a café beyond that, in Espinho. The main stops along the way: Lavadores, Salgueiros, Canide Norte, Canide Sul, Marbelo, Madalena Norte, Madalena Sul, Valadores Norte, Valadores Sul, Dunas Mar, Francelos, Francemar, Sãozinha, Senhor da Pedra Miramar, Mar e Sol, Aguda, Granja, S. Fėlix Da Marinha. Time to get going.
Portugal has a fondness for wooden boardwalks. You can find them built over the dunes of beaches all the way down the coastline. They are a wonderful way to travel on foot, far away from the roadside, away from the cyclists (there’s also a fantastic 15km cycle path on the same route)….it’s generally just the beach to one side, dunes to the other. They are well-maintained (some would say more effort is put into maintaining these than the roads – it is not uncommon to see workmen replacing old planks as you walk along), and from their privileged elevated position you enjoy beautiful views of the endless coastline stretching, long and blonde, for miles and miles. The boardwalks take you on a winding route past some 19 ‘main’ beach areas – 20 if you count the beach at Espinho (and there are many smaller beaches in between each main beach ‘stop’). There are plenty of restaurants on route, ranging from cheap wooden shacks selling excellent coffee and croissants to a soundscape of the tinkle of coffee cups and the steam and hiss of the coffee machines, to more elegant and sophisticated places offering blueberry pancakes, muesli, cappuccinos, and a soundtrack mixed by famous DJs.
In Lavadores I begin the walk. The beach here is called Praia das Pedras Amarelas; beyond that Salguiros and the beach named Estrela Do Mar. It’s a stretch of beach characterized by some incredible rock formations – rocks upon which fishermen often precariously perch themselves at sunset. There is also a large concentration of beach bars and restaurants on this stretch – though none are open at the ungodly hour I was beginning my walk. Out on the ocean I could see fishing boats returning from an early morning trip, followed by flocks of greedy seagulls looking for opportunities. A couple of people were out with their dogs. As I walked further I noticed beach cleaners picking up any trash, and other cleaners zooming around on beach buggies to help collect the bags of rubbish. They look after their beaches here – they are cleaned like this every morning. The stretch of beaches here contains a large number of blue flag beaches – the mark of excellence due to cleanliness and availability of facilities.
On towards Canide Norte and the Sereia Verde beach the rocks have largely gone, and the beaches resemble wavy blonde hair, combed to perfection, free of the footprints of the day. I come across a scene typical of most Portuguese beaches – colourful tents that can be hired for the day (usually with Walls ice-cream or Somersby branding). They are empty now, of course, but will be filling up by midday. All the entrances to these tents are on the South side. You notice too that the beach bars also have perspex windbreakers around the outside seating, and any Portuguese sun seeker invariably erects a colourful windbreaker as soon as they get to their preferred spot on the beach. You see, the beaches here are tormented by the Nortada – the chilly wind that blows down the coastline, meaning barriers need to be put up if you don’t want to be buried in sand or freeze (it’s bloody cold even in the summer at times).
At Candide Norte I pass the first of a number of surf schools, Malibu Surf. A lot of this stretch all the way down to Espinho is popular with surfers, though not as popular as Matosinhos in Porto. Still, Vila Nova De Gaia’s beaches attract crowds of surfers, and also kitesurfers due to the consistent windy conditions (though serious kitesurfers head further north to ultra-windy Esposende).
I walk past Candide Sul, past one of the many lifeguard posts (sponsored by Vodafone!), and then find myself between sand dunes and vegetation, a beautiful walkway stretch that leads me to Marbelo. The rocks are back now, albeit smaller than in Lavadores and Salguiros. At Madalena Norte I pass a bar / restaurant with generous decking on the beach (a common feature of beach bars here) – and then at Praia Da Madalena I walk by a beautiful area of dunes, where a sign informs me of several types of plants and flowers I can find growing on them. I now come to one of my favourite bars, Daikiri, at Madalena Sul. A great beach bar with a tropical vibe that attracts the beautiful and moneyed who don’t seem to have jobs (it’s packed all day even on week days). Great for people-watching.
Valadares Norte is next, which due to the rocky shoreline is a great place for exploring rockpools. Praia De Valadares is a lovely place to stop for a drink at a Gaia favourite called Esplanada Do Alex. It isn’t open right now, however, so I head on to Praia Do Atlantico and cross the road where O Rei Dos Croissants café catches my eye. It’s time for breakfast. The croissant doesn’t disappoint. It’s probably the best croissant I’ve ever tasted. Neither does the delicious bolo de arroz. Washed down with a meio de leite that delivers the kind of hit a triple espresso would back in the UK. The Portuguese like their coffee strong. It’s perfect now though, for I’m only about half way through, and there’s a lot of walking still to do. I need the pick me up.
I notice the energy of the day is building, and the magic of the morning is beginning to dissipate. I begin to wish I had started my walk an hour earlier, to savior the magic for longer. Still, it’s beautiful. Back on the boardwalk I notice a local taking an early morning dip in the icy Atlantic. Rather her than me. Still, it must wake you up even more than a Portuguese coffee. On I go to Praia De Dunas Mar, where I see seagulls passing over the dunes and perhaps on their way to the city to do some scavenging. Praia de Francelos is quiet now, but offers the promise of lots of action in the day. Right now though, there is only one solitary chair (sponsored by Coca-Cola!) on the beach. And nobody is sitting on it. There are loads of seagulls, however, stood on the shoreline and on the rocks, all looking the same way, towards the north, enjoying the fresh breeze. A small water channel runs down to the sea here, which must be perfect for kids needing a paddle. Beyond, at the beginning of Praia de Francemar, is a blue painted wooden shack with wooden decking covered in artificial grass that does a roaring trade from lunch time onwards.
Sãozinha is the next marker, and the boardwalk is flanked by dunes covered in grasses, and then I come to Praia Do Senhor Da Pedra – once voted as one of the top 10 beaches in Europe. It’s a wide beach with fine powdery white sand. It stands out due to the little chapel built on a rock out in the sea. This is a popular draw for visitors. I have even seen weddings there. A spectacular setting. Just beyond here is Miramar, which, like other spots along this 16 km stretch, has access for wheelchairs – a pathway leading down to a sheltered rest spot, and all the way to the sea. ‘Praia Accessivel’ or ‘Praia para Todos’ (‘Beaches for everyone’) is the motto here. Gaia does this very well – the beaches are accessible and able to be enjoyed by everyone.
Mar E Sol is the next point on the walk, and delivers exactly what the name suggests. I notice more people on the beaches now, getting the healthy early morning sun. There is more sound in the air, more energy. Praia Da Aguda follows, and one of my favourite spots. Today they have a photography exhibition of local fishermen portraits. I stroll by slowly. This is a charming little village. A fisherman is mending his nets. There is a small street full of cafés and fruit and veg stalls, and a pretty church at the top. Back down by the beach men sell the catches of the day. There is a selection of popular bars and restaurants by the beach. The beach here is wide and curves around creating a small bay where fishing boats are bobbing up and down. It’s a lovely place to spend a few hours. But not today. I’m driven by the desire to achieve what I had set out to achieve three hours earlier.
I walk on to Praia Da Granja. The beach chairs and beach umbrellas are out in force, and even beach hammocks are strung up between wooden poles. There is a nice restaurant here set above the beach and built to stop the Nortada, so the people sat outside are facing south and enjoying a wind-free experience. Some elegant villas line the pretty promenade – a hark back to the times when Granja was an upmarket resort. I walk on to S. Felix Da Marinha, another lovely stretch of beach.
The sight of the town of Espinho ahead is too much to resist (though not particularly pretty), and I continue my walk all the way to Praia da Baia where there are volleyball and beach football games taking place on a giant beach full of red beach tents for hire, and loads of colourful sun umbrellas. I have a coffee. It’s almost 11am. A great start to the day. But I’m too tired to walk all the way back, so I take an Uber to Lavadores (you can also catch the train back to Porto). They have done a fantastic job with these boardwalks....so take a walk and appreciate the simple joys of a morning stroll by the sea!
