Foz do Arelho, where the lagoon meets the sea

What it is

Foz do Arelho is the sandy spit where the Óbidos lagoon opens into the Atlantic, in the municipality of Caldas da Rainha. On the same beach you have two kinds of water: on one side, the lagoon, calm, shallow and warmer; on the other, the open sea, with waves and currents. Between the two lies the mouth of the lagoon, the aberta, which changes position and width with the tides, the rains and the storms. That is why the beach never has quite the same shape.

It has two recognised bathing areas, the sea one and the lagoon one, both with Blue Flags in recent seasons.

Getting there and parking

From Óbidos it is about 20 minutes by car. On the A8, take exit 14 and follow Amoreira and Vau to Foz do Arelho, following the signs. The village of Foz do Arelho sits above the beach; in July and August, at weekends, parking near the sand is hard: arrive early.

Lagoon or sea: where to swim

• In the lagoon, the water is calm and shallow, good for small children and for paddling. In summer algae may appear: if the water is an odd colour, do not swim.
• In the sea, the waves and currents are those of the open Atlantic. Swim only in the supervised area.
• At the mouth of the lagoon, never. The water flows in and out with great force with every tide and sweeps away even good swimmers.

Lifeguards and facilities

In the bathing season, from mid-June to mid-September, there are lifeguards in the marked zones. Outside those dates there is no supervision. In the village there are bars and restaurants facing the beach.

What else to do

At sunset, walk the passadiço, the wooden boardwalk at Foz do Arelho, with views of the lagoon and the sea. If you fancy paddling, the lagoon is a good place to start: see the kayak on the Óbidos lagoon, with departures from the north shore.

When to go

For swimming, from mid-June to mid-September. At low tide the lagoon leaves large sandbanks and areas of very shallow water; at high tide the water flows into the lagoon and the beach changes. Check the tide table. Outside summer, the walk along the sand and the boardwalk is worthwhile, especially at sunset.

With children

For small children, the lagoon side: calm, warm water. Keep an eye on them even though it is shallow, and keep them away from the mouth, where the current is dangerous. There is no shade on the sand: take a parasol.