Praia do Martinhal is the gentle side of Sagres. While the town’s other beaches take the Atlantic head-on, Martinhal curves along the sheltered bay east of the harbour — a wide, flat crescent of sand where the sea arrives calmer, and small children and paddleboards coexist with the surf culture a headland away. The rock islets scattered offshore — the Ilhotes do Martinhal — are a landmark in their own right with their own listing; from the sand, they serve as the horizon’s punctuation.
Be honest about the backdrop: a resort development sits directly behind the beach, and the sand carries its guests all summer. The compensation is genuine shelter — on days when the west-facing beaches are unswimmable, Martinhal often isn’t — plus the steady breeze that makes this one of the area’s dependable corners for wind sports.
When to go: mornings are calmer and quieter for swimming; the wind typically builds through summer afternoons and brings the windsurfers out. In the off-season it becomes a long, bright walking beach with Sagres’ austere light and almost nobody on it.
Who it’s for: families wanting the most sheltered swimming in the Sagres area; windsurfers and beginner wind-sports; and photographers using the islets as subject — best worked from the sand at the edges of the day.
About This Spot
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General AreaNear Sagres, Vila do Bispo
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Coverage BadgeArchive
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Difficulty1 Easy
Getting There & Access
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Getting ThereOn the eastern edge of Sagres, past the harbour; the beach is walk-up flat from the resort side.
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Access TermsFree Public
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Crowd LevelModerate
Photography Notes
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Shooting NotesThe offshore islets anchor almost every frame — work them from the sand at first and last light. The islets themselves are a separate spot with their own listing.
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ConditionsSheltered compared with the west-facing Sagres beaches, but the afternoon breeze is a fixture in summer.
