Meia Praia with Children: The Flat Beach Lagos Rarely Advertises

The beaches Lagos is famous for are small coves between rocks: Dona Ana, Camilo, Pinhão. They are spectacular, and with children they have three problems — a staircase at the start, not much space, and even less of it at high tide.

Meia Praia is the exact opposite, which is why it rarely makes the postcards. Around four and a half kilometres of pale sand, running from the marina almost to the estuary at Alvor. No cliff, no stairs, no crush. For families it is not the second-best beach in Lagos, it is the first.

Why the water is different here

The bottom shelves away flat and evenly. Descriptions put it at roughly thirty metres before the water passes knee depth — for toddlers and hesitant swimmers, that is the whole difference. There are practically no stones in the sand.

The position helps too: the Ponta da Piedade headland takes some of the swell out of the bay, so the water here lies calm more often than on the open west coast. The beach holds Blue Flag status.

One honest caveat: the Atlantic here is not warm. In summer it sits around twenty degrees, in spring well below that. For a quick dip that is refreshing; for a child who wants to splash about for an hour it is cold. A neoprene top is not an affectation on this beach, it is the reason some families stay longer than others.

West or east — that is the real decision

The beach is so long that “Meia Praia” as a location tells you almost nothing.

The western end at São Roque, right by the marina, is the family stretch. That is where the beach bars, toilets, showers and loungers are — and where lifeguard cover is densest. It runs through the official bathing season, June to September. Loungers and a parasol cost roughly ten euros a day. The beach bars have toilets and children’s meals; for a full day with small children that is half the battle.

The eastern end is quieter, emptier and windier. That is precisely why kitesurfers like it: the breeze is steady and there is room to launch. For small children it is the wrong section — less infrastructure, longer walks, and supervision thins out towards the east. If you want quiet and have older children, that is your stretch.

In short: the smaller the child, the further west.

Getting there, with all the catches

On foot from the old town. Over the footbridge to the marina, then about ten minutes to the western end of the beach. It is the simplest route and no trouble with a pushchair.

By little ferry. In summer a boat crosses the channel from the southern end of the main street for around a euro. From the landing it is another 300 metres or so. With children the crossing is the best part of the journey.

By bus. Route 2 runs a loop and stops at the beach. A single from the bus station is €1.60 and takes a good twenty minutes — but it goes only once an hour, and weekend service is patchy.

By train — better in theory than in practice. Meia Praia has its own halt, four minutes from Lagos station. It sounds ideal. In reality only about six trains a day stop there, roughly every two and a quarter hours. For a beach day with children that is not transport, it is a gamble.

By car. Four parking areas sit along the M534, each with its own wooden bridge over the dunes. The last of them, opposite the Iberostar, reaches just past the halfway point of the beach; the rest is foot access only. There is plenty of parking, but in high summer come early anyway. The further east, the easier it gets.

One thing that catches people out: the railway line runs behind the beach. There are only two official crossings — at the Duna Beach Club and via the station. Do not cross elsewhere, however short it looks.

What to bring

Shade does not grow here. The dunes are low and there are no trees. Either you rent a parasol at the western end or you bring one — in July and August that is the decision between staying until midday and staying until the afternoon.

The north-westerly that picks up in the late morning brings sand with it. Mornings are not only warmer out of the wind, they are pleasanter.

On sun protection for children: that belongs with a pharmacist or your paediatrician, not in a travel article.

The beach day that pairs with Lagos

Meia Praia is close enough to town to work as the second half of a day. Headland in the morning, shallow water in the afternoon — that is the combination that creates the least friction with children. The clifftop path is wide, level and mostly step-free; the details are in Ponta da Piedade with a stroller.

When the water is warm enough to be worth it, and when the beach stays empty, is covered in Best time to visit Lagos.

And if you want to get on the water the same day: the short trips to the headland run 75 minutes and start at €16 — the selection is on the Ponta da Piedade boat tours page. Everything else Lagos offers on land is collected under things to do in Lagos: 38 options, the cheapest from €6.