Praia de Zimbros

Zimbros sits in a wide, sheltered cove at the far south of the municipality, with around 2 km of sand and a gently shelving bottom: you can wade a long way out before the water reaches your waist. The view is made of moored fishing boats, drying nets and a comings-and-goings that follows the tide rather than the tourist season.

The difference almost nobody notices until they arrive is which way the bay faces. Zimbros looks west — which is why the sun sets into the sea here, straight ahead of anyone standing on the sand. In Bombinhas, where most beaches face east, that is the privilege of only a handful of coves, and it is why the end of the day here draws the biggest crowd in town.

Out on the water, lined up in long rows, are the oyster and mussel farms. They are what explains the food: the restaurants along the front serve what came out of the sea right there, often the same day. It is one of the best price-to-freshness ratios for seafood in the region — and it is worth buying straight from the growers.

The Parque Natural Municipal da Costeira de Zimbros begins at the right-hand end of the beach: ten wild beaches reachable only on foot or by sea. The trail leaves from Praia do Cantinho and hugs the coast past the main four — Cardoso, da Lagoa, Triste and Vermelha, the largest at 618 metres of sand. Inside the park there is no camping, no fires and no dogs; motorboats must stay more than 200 metres offshore.

For anyone after the less touristy Bombinhas without giving up amenities, Zimbros is the address: restaurants, a supermarket and shops along the front, 8 km from the town centre via Avenida Falcão, through Bombas. From August to October the beach is all but empty and the weather stays mild — the best window to take it in unhurried.