Walk on the beach in Espinho

A sunny and windy day was announced, just the right weather for a trip from Porto to Espinho. The small Portuguese town is located directly on the Porto-Aveiro railway line and is ideal for a relaxing break.

Let’s look back to the end of the 18th century. At that time, there were light huts on the coastal strip, which were only inhabited by fishermen in the summer months. In winter, they moved back to their home towns.

With the connection to the railway network (1867), more and more people moved to Espinho. Here, on the beautiful beach, they sought relaxation and recreation. It was not long before more and more hotels and restaurants were established. Even casinos were found, which earned their money from the visitors.

I find it very interesting that the town planning was properly controlled. The streets were laid out in a chessboard pattern and care was taken to make the direct coastline interesting and yet relaxing for the holidaymaker.

Arrival in the city

The Linha do Norte railway line crosses Espinho. At the beginning we could still look wonderfully in the direction of the sea, then the train suddenly went into a tunnel. Since 2008, the railway line has been running underground for about 1 km inside the city. In the course of the new routing, a new very modern underground station was built in the city. You should get off at this station if you want to go to the beach.

At the southern end of the city is another train station, Espinho (Vouga), which is the starting point of the Linha do Vouga.

From the main station, a less than spectacular path leads towards the beach. The houses stand close together and don’t look particularly appealing. When you get to the beach, the picture changes. The houses are still close together, but the numerous fish restaurants on the beach promenade visibly loosen up the picture. Champagne coolers stand at the tables and green Vinho Verde bottles peek out. Fresh and delicious seafood from local fishermen is served here.

Espinho is especially known for its magnificent beaches, which are among the most beautiful on the Atlantic coast. The kilometre-long, golden sandy beach invites you to sunbathe and relax while the cool sea breeze refreshes you. Water sports enthusiasts will find numerous opportunities here in summer, such as surfing, kite surfing and stand-up paddling.

On the way at Espinho beach

We were drawn to the beach. What a beautiful, well-kept white sandy beach. A wide promenade invites you to take a walk. But first I had to go to one of the piers.

The waves slapped against the stones and it quickly became apparent that we would not reach the top dry-footed. Too bad… but still I love it when the waves break on the stones. In summer, there are supposed to be many surfers on the water. In November, no one was drawn out into the waves.

So for us it was back to the promenade. This ends at a wooden boardwalk, which is signposted as a hiking trail. The path runs along the coast for a good 14 kilometres, in many areas well protected behind the dunes. Every now and then, a break through the dune allows you to get to the beach. What struck me, the beaches are windy and the path behind the dune offered excellent protection. The relatively weak November sun warmed and quickly we were able to walk in our T-shirts.

During our walk, we met numerous joggers. Jogging on the boardwalk is not as strenuous as jogging directly on the beach. However, I may doubt whether the athletes have taken a look at the beautiful nature. What a variety of plants and birds, which you can observe very well.

How far the walk took us… We could have walked as far as Gaia, but the gathering clouds suggested that it would soon rain. So we soon turned around.