Senhor da Pedra Beach in Vila Nova de Gaia
(20min from the hotel)
Built on rocks, the Senhor da Pedra chapel, with its hexagonal layout, dominates this great expanse of sand and provides the name for this Beach located right at the northernmost end of Miramar Beach.
Very popular and with good support infrastructures, this Beach annually welcomes the large pilgrimage in honour of Senhor da Pedra, which lasts for three days beginning on Holy Trinity Sunday (falling on differing dates in June).
Matosinhos Beach
(25min from the hotel)
Matosinhos is Porto’s main beach. A long stretch of fine sand backed by apartment blocks, an esplanade and any number of small cafes it is pleasant enough. In the summer there’s always some sort of activity on the beach and the lifeguard service makes for safe bathing.
Leça da Palmeira Beach and Natural Salt water pool (Piscina das Marés)
(30 min from the hotel)
With strong waves breaking on its large expanse of sands, Leça da Palmeira Beach has excellent conditions for such sports as surfing, bodyboarding and kite surfing, especially towards its northerly limits where the Beach merges with Aterro Beach. Very popular among the young, there is a lot of entertainment going on in the vicinity and late into the night at the local bars and discos.
For those preferring calm waters, there is a saltwater swimming pool designed by Ptrizker prize winner Portuguese architect Siza Vieira. Another of the architect’s designs can be found nearby, the Boa Nova teahouse and restaurant, built in the 1960s so harmoniously in between boulders that it practically seems to belong to them.
