Meia Praia – General information
Meia Praia is a beach near the town of Lagos. The beach runs from the eastern side of Lagos all the way to Ria de Alvor, forming a big natural bay. Literally, Meia Praia means half beach. The beach is rated by TripAdvisor as the #3 thing to do in Lagos.
Meia Praia stretches for 4 kilometers and is quite wide, making it the largest beach in the region of Lagos. Due to the absence of surrounding cliffs, the beach can be quite windy. However, the size of Meia Praia is also the biggest advantage of the beach. Even in the height of summer it is easy to find a good spot on the beach. The western side of the beach is the most crowded, since it is close to the marina of Lagos. If you walk more to the east, it is possible to find very quiet places on the beach. The eastern side of the beach is also less touristic than the western side. This makes Meia Praia a great beach for a long beach walk. The eastern side of the beach is also popular among naturists.
Meia Praia is a clean beach. The sand is nice and soft, while the water is calm and clean. Be warned that the sea can be very cold, even in the summer. The sea is very shallow at first and only gets deeper very slowly. This makes it a good beach for families with young children. The beach is thus popular among Portuguese families, but also tourists find their way to this beach in the summer. If you are lucky, you can see local fishermen bringing in the traditional nets to catch fish.
How to get there
When you are in Lagos, it is possible to get to Meia Praia by foot, by bus, by train or by car. When you go by bus, you can take bus number 2, which follows a route along several beaches. Buses usually go every hour. There is also a small train station at the eastern, more quiet side of Meia Praia. However, the train goes at very irregular times, so going there by train is not recommended. If you are in the marina of Lagos, the beach is only a couple minutes by foot. If you come by car, there is a road along the beach, called M534. From there you will see several places to park your car. Finally, it is possible to reach Meia Praia by water taxi. You can take the water taxi from Avenida dos Descobrimentos in Lagos.
Meia Praia – Facilities
On the western side of the beach, near the marina of Lagos, there are more facilities than on the eastern side of the beach, which is more quiet. There are many kinds of water sports available, like jet skiing, surfing or diving. Because it can be quite windy on Meia Praia, kite surfing and wind surfing are also popular. The beach is furthermore accessible by wheelchair.
Facilities in Meia praia:
• Restaurant: yes
• Bar/club: yes
• Toilet: yes
• Shower: yes
• Water sports: yes
• Sunbeds: yes
• Parking: yes
• Lifeguards: yes, on the western side of the beach
• Blue flag beach: yes
