Praia da Fonte da Telha

Fonte da Telha is where the long run of Almada beaches ends in the south. Almada council describes almost 3 km of sand between the fossil cliffs and the ocean, with a small fishing village on the beach itself, and says these are the beaches local people most like to go to, for the landscape as much as the sea.

For children, the village is what makes it different. The council says you can watch traditional net fishing, arte xávega, here all year round. In arte xávega a boat carries a huge net out beyond the waves and the catch is hauled back to the beach by a team on shore. Seeing fish come straight out of the Atlantic onto the sand tends to stay with children.

The council divides Fonte da Telha into ten stretches, each with its own beach concession. From north to south they are Terminus, Americano, Pescadores (also called Leão), Centro, Cabana, Rampa, Lareira, Oh Ti João, Sueste and Bambú (also called Piscinas). All of them are lifeguarded during the bathing season, with sunshade hire and toilets, and each has a beach bar or restaurant except Pescadores. The central stretch is the one the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) monitors as the Fonte da Telha bathing water, and it also lists a first-aid post there.

With children, pick one concession near the lifeguard and toilets and stay there, rather than wandering the whole length.

The cliffs behind Fonte da Telha are part of the Paisagem Protegida da Arriba Fóssil da Costa da Caparica, a protected landscape. Natural.PT explains that the cliff marks an old coastline that the sea no longer reaches, and that it contains fossils of shellfish, sea snails and fish from the Miocene. It’s protected and erodes over time, so enjoy it from the beach and don’t climb it or dig into it.

The beach is lifeguarded during Almada’s bathing season, which ran from 1 June to 30 September in 2026. APA rates the water as excellent, and Fonte da Telha is one of Almada’s 17 beaches with a Qualidade de Ouro water-quality award for 2026. It does not have a Blue Flag in 2026.

This is open Atlantic with surf. APA marks it as a beach with waves of value for surfing, and the council says water sports go on here all year. Young children should play at the water’s edge with an adult; older children should swim only between the flags in front of a lifeguard.

A kids’ surf school runs a weekday summer day camp here for children aged 6 to 12, which parents can use as full-day care. The details are on our page for the Tiago Pires kids’ surf camp at Fonte da Telha.

The council is blunt about the road: Fonte da Telha is very popular, and the access road gets congested in the bathing season. Parking nearby is paid in summer. Arrive early, or come by bus.

Carris Metropolitana line 3012 runs from the Cacilhas terminal to Fonte da Telha, line 3030 runs from Monte de Caparica (FCT, the university campus), and line 3523 comes from Paio Pires via Seixal. Check the timetables on the Carris Metropolitana site before you go.

Toddlers get sand to dig and the water’s edge with an adult, though the waves make it harder work than a calm bay. Primary-age children can watch the boats and nets and jump waves. Teenagers get surf, bodyboarding and stand-up paddleboarding, which the council lists across the Costa’s southern beaches.

Traffic on the way in is the big one in summer. It’s an Atlantic surf beach, not a toddler paddling beach. There’s no Blue Flag this year, although the water is rated excellent. There’s no natural shade.

Further north, Praia da Rainha is a family beach with an amphibious chair, and Costa da Caparica town has the Parque Urbano with its trampolines and zip line. To the south, Lagoa de Albufeira has calm lagoon water for toddlers.

Is Fonte da Telha good for children?

For children who like waves and boats, yes. It’s lifeguarded in summer and has beach bars and toilets. For toddlers, calmer water is found at Lagoa de Albufeira or the Arrábida beaches.

Is there a lifeguard at Fonte da Telha?

Yes, from 1 June to 30 September in 2026, at each of the beach concessions.

Can you get to Fonte da Telha by bus?

Yes. Line 3012 runs from Cacilhas, 3030 from Monte de Caparica and 3523 from Paio Pires via Seixal.

Is parking easy at Fonte da Telha?

Not in summer. Parking is paid and the council warns of traffic on the access road. Go early.

Can you see fishermen at Fonte da Telha?

Often. The council says traditional net fishing happens here all year.