GUINCHO BEACH–A VACATION FROM OUR PORTUGAL VACATION

It was to be our one big splurge, a beach getaway from our steady diet of historic Portuguese towns. Nature, however, had other plans. A gray sky threatened rain during most of our stay, and the water proved way too cold for a leisurely swim. But our stay at Guincho Beach proved relaxing nevertheless, due mainly to our abode in a restored fortress, the incessant roar of crashing surf, seafood, and the discovery of an unexpected nature reserve just across the street.

Guincho Beach

Located on Portugal’s Estoril coast, Guincho Beach is just a 10-minute drive from the popular seaside resort of Cascais, 20 minutes from Sintra and 30 minutes from Lisbon. Yet it’s a world apart from those bustling towns, saved from development by neighboring Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. In addition, although Guincho Beach stretches almost half a mile along a mostly sandy shoreline, it faces the full force of the Atlantic Ocean. Untamed waves and a treacherous undertow can make it inhospitable for serious swimming. Whipping winds can chase away sunbathers. But those same conditions make it popular for surfing, windsurfing and kitesurfing, with several rental shops and surfing schools in the area.

Next to Guincho Beach is the smaller but similar Cresmina Beach. My travel companion and I had Cresmina Beach nearly to ourselves, and we enjoyed a couple of hours lolling near the water until the weather sent us scrambling back to our hotel. Even then, the ocean was omnipresent, especially from our private verandah where we enjoyed a bottle of Portuguese wine. Falling to sleep to the sound of waves is one of my favorite things in the world.

Fortaleza do Guincho

Originally built as a 17th-century fortress to defend Europe’s most western point, the Fortaleza do Guincho is the most dramatic place to stay in the area. Isolated above the pounding surf on a rocky promontory between Guincho and Cresmina beaches, the Relais & Chateaux property looks slightly Moorish with its ochre-colored, unembellished façade guarded by two canons, its twin turrets and arched colonnades. Its interior remains true to its masculine origins. The fort’s inner courtyard, now covered and serving as the lobby, sports overstuffed chairs and a well that once provided water to the garrison. Its 27 rooms, secreted behind heavy wooden doors, have vaulted ceilings and heavy furnishings. You have to pay more for a room with a verandah, but it’s entirely worth it.

One of the best selling points of Fortaleza do Guincho is its acclaimed restaurant, which capitalizes on its location with panoramic windows offering dramatic vistas of the Atlantic and distant cliffs. Garnering a Michelin star since 2001, it specializes in fresh fish and seafood paired with local and national ingredients, served in a combination of French and Portuguese style that pleases both the eye and the palate. It’s fancy, so you’ll want to pack at least one nice outfit to celebrate here. Otherwise, the hotel bar offers light meals, afternoon tea and al-fresco seating. There’s also a spacious outdoor patio with lounging chairs.

Easy Excursions

The hotel has several resident bicycles, so for lunch we pedaled down the coast to Monte Mar, a seaside restaurant with sweeping Atlantic views from its large outdoor terrace and bright, crisp dining room. It’s a destination for its fresh seafood; because we simply couldn’t limit ourselves, we ordered the grilled fish and seafood platter for two.

Probably my favorite activity during our stay was just across the street from our hotel: the Cresmina Dune. Extending over 163 acres, the shifting dunes are dynamic and ever on the move. Driven by winds, the sand travels from Guincho and Cresmina beaches over flat rock before eventually being deposited back into the ocean three miles farther south.

To protect the fragile ecosystem, which had suffered over the years from hikers, dogs, horses, and cross-country vehicles, the Cresmina Dune nature area was established in 2011 and features more than a mile of raised, wooden boardwalks. I was surprised by the astonishing variety of blooming plants and vegetation, but it’s home also to birds, insects, small reptiles and rodents. An interpretation center offers information about the dunes, as well as a small café. Ordering coffee, we retired to the wonderful outdoor deck, where we had magnificent views of the dunes and distant Atlantic spread before us. And wonder of wonders, the sun came out.

It was the perfect two-day vacation from our vacation in Portugal, due to the healing nature of the ocean. The Atlantic provided everything we needed–the seafood, the mesmerizing view of undulating swells, the symphony of roaring surf, the beach and the dunes–but it also gave us something primal that spoke to our souls. Revitalized, we were ready for the rest of our journey.

For more of my stories on Portugal, see Porto: A Grand European City with a Rich History in gettingontravel.com; Portugal: The Joys of Obidos in gonomad.com; Sintra’s Quinta da Regaleira Invites Exploration in gardendestinations.com; and Sintra–Playground of Portugal’s 19th-century Rich on this website.