One of the places I love to go, when I am on holiday, is the beach and this holiday has been no exception. Portugal’s coast is filled with beautiful beaches but the one I have been going to is Praia Grande, (which translates to “Big Beach”) in Sintra, as I have been spending most mornings there at the moment. A lot of people go to the beach to swim in the sea and sunbathe, but I wanted to share everything I like to do at the beach. So lets jump in.
Before going to the beach I make sure I have put my Ultrasun suncream on, as you need to leave it on for 15 minutes before going into the sun, and with that I have my sunglasses, hat, towel and camera packed. I am then ready to hit the beach and have some fun.
One of my favourite things to do is to stand by the sea and watch the waves roll into the shore before being swept back out again. I find it so relaxing to watch and I could stand there for hours watching it. The sea is so unpredictable you could go to the beach ever day and the sea looks and behaves completely differently to the previous day. We have had some days where the sea has been a rough red flag and the waves are huge, and days where the sea is an extremely calm green flag with tiny waves. I sometimes go for a swim in the sea but I’m not very keen on salt water or trying to get through the large waves, so I will usually just get my feet wet instead unless I really need to cool down.
I also love to take photos of the sea and they make absolutely beautiful photographs, if you time it correctly. The beautiful greeny blue water and golden sand makes a lovely contrast in a photography.
Another thing I Love to explore the beach and watch the waves rolling into shore. At the end of this long beach, cliffs and rocks scatter the view, some lead into the sea, others create a passage to the next beach when the tide is low. It was lovely and quiet here as most people don’t swim in this dangerous area, making it a nice escape from the rest of the busy beach. The sound of the waves crashing against the rock is one of my favourite sounds and it completely calms and relaxes me.
The one thing that is unique to beaches are shells and I love collecting them. I love the fact that different beaches around the world will have different types of shells on them, even though they all share the same sea. When I go and explore beaches, I usually find interesting shells. It’s amazing to see the variety in colour, size and shape of shells making for some really interesting photography.
When I’m lying on the beach I love to chat with friend and family to pass the time, whilst topping up my tan. I am currently on holiday with my Fiance’s family, so it’s lovely spending some time and getting to know his cousins better, and the beach is the perfect opportunity for this. The last thing I love in a calm warm summers day, is getting lost in a book, whilst laying on the beach. When resting I can easily read my book for hours.
So now you know what I like to get up to when I go to the beach. What are you favourite things to do on the beach? If you want to see where else I have been in Portugal then check out my Road Trip Round Portugal and follow me on Instagram to see more of my holiday, beauty, lifestyle and Interior photographs.
I’m off to enjoy the sun.
Steph x
