I am not a beach person. They are nice and all, but I am just bored there since I don't really like to fry in the sun and I am a terrible swimmer :p. I so much more prefer mountains or woods, where I can spend hours walking and enjoying the shadow of the trees.
But once in a while (not too often and not in a high season), it is nice to feel the sand under your feet and the freezing cold water of the ocean. Yes - this is nice.
It is even nicer when there are not too many people around, which happened on this beach.
Lagoas de Santo André is a natural reserve that is further away from big towns (and Lisbon) and I think mainly locals go there with some rare exceptions. It must be a nice place for surfers, but on that day there were none. Probably in winter they get better waves.
I noticed that the sand there is rougher than on other beaches I went to this year. Still nice and clean though.
The main reason we went there was to (wet our feet in the ocean) check on the Lagoon. I have been there before, many years ago, and I remember it being a lot smaller. I am not sure if it actually was and, over time it extended, or if it was enlarged by humans. Or if I remember just a part of it.
It is an absolutely beautiful spot. You see the ocean on one side and huge, blue, calm water on the other side of the beach.
Here is a Google Maps image so you can get a better picture of it (must I get a drone)?
Google maps
There have been some controversies this year regarding the Lagoon. The lagoon is connected to the ocean by a narrow corridor. This way, the water can come in and out with the tides. This little corridor is closed for the winter, and then in spring it is opened again by pushing the sand to the sides, making it easy for the water to flow.
This year, for some reason it was not open. I heard that the city hall tried to do it a few times, but the sand was cumulating in that spot closing it. Is it true - I don't know. What is strange that it worked for so many years and this year it doesn't work?
The closed exit resulted in very murky water in the lagoon. Instead of getting fresh water from the ocean, it is now like a warm, shallow pond with a large amount of green algae.
I just hope it is not going to mess up the whole ecosystem there too much.
Shot with OnePlus 7 Pro
All photos and text are my own.
