Praia do Bico

Most beaches around Aveiro face the open Atlantic, with cold water and waves that knock toddlers over. Praia do Bico is different. It’s a small beach on the Murtosa channel of the Ria de Aveiro, the huge shallow lagoon behind the coast, so the water in front of you is calm, flat and sheltered. The regional tourism route describes it as a little tongue of sand with views over the still water of the Ria, and on a clear day you can see the skyline of Aveiro across the channel.

Bico became an official bathing beach in 2016. Murtosa council says it and Monte Branco, the municipality’s other lagoon beach, are the only beaches anywhere on the Ria de Aveiro with a Blue Flag. Bico has held one since 2017, and both flags went up again on 22 June 2026.

This is the gentlest kind of beach for very young children. There are no breaking waves, so toddlers can sit at the edge and splash, and nervous swimmers can wade in slowly. A few things are still worth knowing:

• The Ria is tidal. The water level and the size of the beach change through the day, and the water flows in and out of the channel with the tide, so keep an eye on small children even in calm water.
• The Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA) notes that Bico has a muddy bottom. Some children love the squelch; others hate it. Water shoes help.
• The APA also notes that sea fog often forms along this coast on summer mornings, so the day may start grey and clear later.

The APA classifies the water as Excellent. It lists 13 June to 15 September 2026 as the bathing season, when lifeguards were on duty.

Bico is a quiet, low-key beach rather than a resort. The APA’s official beach data lists a first-aid post, toilets and parking, and records it as accessible with an amphibious chair for wheelchair users. It doesn’t list beach bars or a restaurant on the sand, so bring a picnic, drinks and your own shade. There is very little natural shade on the beach itself.

Dogs aren’t allowed on supervised beaches during the bathing season under the maritime authority’s standard rules; check the signs at the entrance.

Right next to the beach is the Cais do Bico, the biggest group of quays in Murtosa. According to the Ria de Aveiro regional route, it was once one of the most important landing places on the lagoon for moliço (the seaweed and water plants gathered to fertilise fields), salt and building materials. In the early 1900s more than 250 moliceiro boats could moor and unload here. Until the mid-1900s there was a shipyard too, which built sailing ships for Portugal’s cod-fishing fleet. Today it’s still the base for many local fishermen.

Between the beach and the quay is a monument to the moliceiro, the long, painted boat with a high curved bow that has become the symbol of this area. Children who have seen moliceiros taking tourists round Aveiro’s canals can find out what they were really built for.

Bring binoculars. The regional route says flocks of flamingos often rest and feed near the quay at low tide, and in the evening small waders such as dunlins and plovers run along the beach looking for food. In spring, nightingales sing from the bushes around the beach at dusk and after dark. The beach is on the NaturRia nature trail, a walking route along the Murtosa lagoon shore.

If Bico is busy or you want a few more facilities, Monte Branco is Murtosa’s other lagoon beach, just south of Torreira by the EN 327 road. The council says families like it for its calm and easy access. The APA notes that its bottom is muddy at low tide and that jellyfish can appear there.

For proper waves, Praia da Torreira on the Atlantic side of the same sandbar is Murtosa’s big ocean beach, with a Blue Flag for many years.

South along the peninsula road, Praia de São Jacinto sits in a dune nature reserve with a ferry across to Aveiro. In Aveiro, see how salt is made at the Aveiro salt pans, and in Ílhavo the Museu Marítimo has a real cod-fishing trawler and an aquarium of live cod.

Is Praia do Bico good for toddlers?

Yes. The lagoon water is calm with no surf, so it’s one of the best beaches around Aveiro for toddlers. It’s tidal and the bottom is muddy, so bring water shoes and stay close.

Are there lifeguards at Praia do Bico?

Yes, in the bathing season. The APA lists 13 June to 15 September for 2026.

Is there food at Praia do Bico?

The official beach data doesn’t list a bar or restaurant on the beach, so bring a picnic and drinks.

Can you see flamingos at Praia do Bico?

Often, yes. Flamingos rest and feed near the Cais do Bico at low tide, according to the Ria de Aveiro regional route. Bring binoculars.

Is Praia do Bico accessible?

The APA lists it as accessible, with an amphibious chair for getting into the water.