# Foz do Arelho, where the lagoon meets the sea

What to do en Óbidos · Óbidos

Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/central-portugal/obidos/things-to-do/foz-do-arelho · Revisado: 2026-11-11

- Duración: 4 h
- Temporada: June to September for swimming
- Para quién: Families on the lagoon side

A sandy spit at the mouth of the Óbidos lagoon, 20 minutes from the town: calm lagoon for children on one side and Atlantic waves on the other.

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.

## Cómo llegar y contacto

- Coordenadas: 39.432, -9.228

## Cerca de aquí

- [Canoe or stand-up paddleboard on the Óbidos lagoon](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/central-portugal/obidos/things-to-do/obidos-lagoon-paddle), a 3.1 km
- [Casa d'Óbidos](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/central-portugal/obidos/where-to-stay/casa-d-obidos), a 9.6 km
- [Pousada Castelo Óbidos](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/central-portugal/obidos/where-to-stay/pousada-castelo-obidos), a 9.7 km
- [Livraria de Santiago, a bookshop inside a church](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/central-portugal/obidos/things-to-do/santiago-bookshop), a 9.8 km
- [Óbidos Vila Natal, Christmas inside the walls](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/central-portugal/obidos/things-to-do/obidos-christmas-village), a 9.9 km
- [Alcaide Restaurant](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/central-portugal/obidos/where-to-eat/restaurante-alcaide), a 9.9 km
- [Petrarum Domus](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/central-portugal/obidos/where-to-eat/petrarum-domus), a 10.0 km
- [Ginja de Óbidos in a chocolate cup on Rua Direita](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/central-portugal/obidos/things-to-do/obidos-ginja), a 10.0 km

## Consejos

### With children, the lagoon side
The water is calm and shallow; the open sea has waves and currents.

### Check the tide
At low tide the sandbanks appear; at high tide the beach changes shape.

### Finish on the boardwalk
At sunset, the light over the lagoon and the sea ends the day well.

## Preguntas frecuentes

### Where is it best to swim at Foz do Arelho?
With children, in the lagoon, with its calm water. In the sea, only in the supervised area. Never at the mouth of the lagoon.

### How far is it from Óbidos?
About 20 minutes by car, via the A8 (exit 14) and the Amoreira and Vau roads.

### Does it have lifeguards?
Yes, in the bathing season, from mid-June to mid-September. The rest of the year, no.

Destino: [Óbidos](https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/central-portugal/obidos.md)