São Martinho do Porto is a sheltered bay
One of Portugal’s most family-friendly beaches, São Martinho do Porto is a little paradise. Contrasting with the beaches of Nazaré nearby, here there are no waves, as it’s a sheltered, shell-shaped bay.
São Martinho do Porto is calm outside the official bathing season but can be crowded in the summer
It’s faced by a number of villas and apartment buildings, and by the road are cafés and restaurants with outdoor seating. During the official bathing season, traditional striped beach tents are placed on the sand for rent.
How to Get to São Martinho do Porto
São Martinho do Porto is less than 20 minutes from the center of Nazaré. The Rodoviária do Oeste and Rodoviária do Lis bus companies link the two locations. There are about a dozen departures at irregular intervals throughout the day from Nazaré’s bus station, stopping about a block from the waterfront.
You’ll see a train station behind the beach, but it’s part of a regional line linking small towns on very infrequent and slow journeys, not passing by stations within walking distance of Nazaré (it’s not connected to Lisbon either).
From Lisbon, an express bus departing from the Sete Rios terminal stops in São Martinho do Porto before continuing to Nazaré, in about 90 minutes.
Hotels by São Martinho do Porto
Just two blocks from the beach, this 3-star hotel offers different types of rooms, including a suite and an apartment. Several rooms have balconies, but only those at the top have a sea view.
It’s budget accommodation (rated two stars), but with the advantage of being just steps from the sand. Its tiled interior includes a restaurant with outdoor seating, serving traditional Portuguese cuisine.