Praia do Retiro dos Padres

Retiro dos Padres has around 260 metres of sand, ringed by Atlantic Forest and hills. Rocks crop up along the whole beach, and the water is crystal-clear and a little rough — which makes it a beach for diving and surfing rather than for floating about.

The name tells the story. In the 19th century it was called Praia dos Ingleses — the Englishmen's Beach — for having sheltered a damaged English ship. In 1967 it was bought by Catholic priests, who built a house for spiritual retreats there, and the name changed: Retiro dos Padres means the Priests' Retreat. The house is now a campsite, and both names still stand: the town council lists the beach as Retiro dos Padres or Ingleses.

You get there from the centre, following Avenida das Garoupas to the end — the same way as to Praia da Sepultura. Although it's away from the central seafront, the beach has facilities nearby: the town council mentions restaurants, bars, camping and guesthouses close by.

Two trails start at the right-hand end. One, an easy one, goes out to the point. The other leads to Praia de Quatro Ilhas, is more demanding and is used for trail-running races.

It's also one of the leading beaches for the artisanal mullet fishery, from May to July, with the Rancho dos Ingleses fishing shack. It was here, in 2016, that a single haul brought almost 40,000 mullet onto the sand, according to the town council. In season the same care applies as on any fishing beach: avoid swimming, diving and noise while the lookouts are on watch.

For anyone thinking about property, Retiro shows what the centre has beyond Praia de Bombinhas. The centre's shops and services are a few minutes away, and at the end of the same avenue there are two nature beaches — Sepultura, for snorkelling in still water, and Retiro, for those who like a livelier sea.