Praia Fluvial de Mourão

Mourão is a small town in the east of the Évora district, close to the Spanish border, and the Alqueva lake laps at its edge. Its river beach sits beside the municipal picnic park, about a kilometre from the town. According to the Roteiro do Alqueva regional tourism portal, it has 320 metres of sand, 100 of them watched by lifeguards, and it is the second-largest certified beach on the lake, after Amieira.

In 2026 Mourão also had a small national moment: the ABAAE chose the Praia Fluvial de Mourão for the country’s first Blue Flag raising on a river beach, on 13 June.

What sets Mourão apart is the floating pool (piscina flutuante) in the lake, which the tourism portal and the local paper both mention. It gives children a defined space to swim in, and an obvious target for the strong swimmers.

On land there’s a lawn with 45 sunshades, so you don’t have to spend the whole day on hot sand, and you reach the beach along a wooden boardwalk, which is kinder to buggies and bare feet than a sandy slope. Behind the beach, the picnic park has wooden tables and benches, shaded areas and barbecues. On a long summer day that combination is hard to beat: swim, grill lunch in the shade, swim again.

Mourão had a Blue Flag in 2026 and a bathing season from 13 June to 13 September. The local paper, A Planície, reported that the beach opened for 2026 on Saturday 13 June, the same day the town opened its new open-air municipal pool with free entry for that day only.

Lake water has no waves, but a reservoir can deepen quickly away from the shore, and water levels change through the summer. Keep toddlers close, swim in the watched 100 metres, and follow the flag. There’s no lifeguard outside the season.

The beach is on the 2026 Praia Acessível, Praia para Todos! list with both bathing-assistance equipment and a staffed service. Together with the boardwalk, that makes it one of the better lake beaches for a child or adult who uses a wheelchair. Check the assistance hours with the Mourão council before you go.

The sources we found describe the lawn, sunshades and picnic park but don’t mention a café or restaurant at the beach, so plan on a picnic or a barbecue, and bring charcoal, plenty of water, hats and sun cream. The Alentejo interior gets very hot in July and August, so a morning start makes the day easier.

It’s smaller than Amieira, with a shorter lifeguarded stretch. Facilities for buying food aren’t clearly listed, so don’t count on them. And it’s a lake, so no surf and no rock pools. The heat in midsummer can be tough for babies; a morning visit is easiest.

Across the lake, Praia Fluvial de Monsaraz sits below the walled hilltop village of Monsaraz. Further south, Praia do Lago at Moura has floating pools of its own. The Centro Alqueva by the dam explains how the whole lake works, and after dark the Observatório do Lago Alqueva runs stargazing in the Dark Sky reserve.

Is the Mourão river beach good for toddlers?

Yes, with care. The water is calm, there are lifeguards in season and a lawn with sunshades. Keep toddlers close, because the lake deepens away from the edge.

Does Mourão beach have a floating pool?

Yes. The regional tourism portal and the local paper both describe a floating pool on the lake.

Can you have a barbecue at Praia Fluvial de Mourão?

The picnic park next to the beach has barbecues, wooden tables and benches and shaded areas.

When is the bathing season at Mourão?

In 2026 it ran from 13 June to 13 September.

Is the Mourão river beach wheelchair accessible?

It was on the 2026 accessible-beach list with bathing-assistance equipment and a staffed service, and the beach is reached by a wooden boardwalk.