Praia do Meco (naturist and gay section)

Praia do Meco is the second gay beach of the Lisbon area and the wilder of the two, about 40 km south of the city past Sesimbra on the Setúbal peninsula. It is a long, straight Atlantic beach backed by cliffs and dunes. Nude bathing here goes back to the 1970s and the beach has been officially naturist since 1995, when the Praia do Rio da Prata section at the quieter southern end (past the Moinho de Baixo access) was legalised. The gay crowd gathers at the far end of the nude section, with daytime cruising in the dunes behind the beach. The atmosphere is mixed, gay and straight naturists side by side, more relaxed and less of a scene than Praia 19 on the Costa da Caparica. It works from June to September, midday to late afternoon. In July and August weekends are busy; weekdays are quiet. A car is close to mandatory: there is no train, the buses from Sesimbra run infrequently and stop short of the beach, and the last ones leave early. Park at the Moinho de Baixo car park and walk south along the sand to reach the nude and gay section. Bring water, shade, food and a warm layer for the walk back, because the Nortada wind that gets up most afternoons from about 2 or 3pm turns a hot day cold fast. The sea is 17 to 18 degrees in summer with real waves and a current; do not swim far out and do not swim after drinking. Check yourself for ticks after lying in the dunes. Legally, nudity is permitted on the designated naturist beach, and the established nude stretch is tolerated along the whole beach. Sexual activity in the dunes is not a dedicated offence but can fall under Article 170 of the Penal Code (importunação sexual) if someone who did not want to see it complains, so stay well away from the family area near the beach bars. There are no facilities in the dunes; the beach bars and showers are near the access points. Take your rubbish with you. If you have a car and a full day, Meco is the better beach; with only a bus ticket and an afternoon, go to Praia 19.