River Beach of Mourão

The beach

If the Portuguese coast finds itself filled with beaches, don't think that the interior doesn't as well! There are many, what we call "praias fluviais, " that is, river beaches. Today's is the River Beach of Mourão, in the town of Mourão, Évora district.

This beach is located on the dam of Alqueva , one of the most emblematic Portuguese dams. It is in the Alentejo region, with its origin from the Guadiana River. It has many other river beaches that you should visit.

The River Beach of Mourão is a beach of considerable size. It is in a beautiful and well taken care of zone, something that attracts not just many Portuguese but also many Spaniards, right nearby.

The beach itself has sand, though it is thicker than that which we are used to on the beaches on the Portuguese coast. It also has a lawn area where there are straw umbrellas that come in handy - shade in the Alentejo region is even more precious than in any other zone, being that it is very common in the summer to hit temperatures around 40º, if not higher! The umbrellas are free and for public use. You just need to arrive early or on a day that is less busy so that you can get one for yourself. If not, bring your own umbrella/tent/other covering for the beach and put it in the sand area where the beach allows it. What you can't do it put it in the lawn area, as it is prohibited.

The water is very clean and typically very warm. This happens not just because the Alentejo temperatures are high but also because the water is still, so it is warmed more easily than the coastline beaches with water from the Atlantic Ocean.

At the bottom of the water there are rocks and boulders, in which the biggest and probably best advice that I have to give you is to bring some type of sandals or water shoes (which you can easily find at sports stores) that will protect your feet so that you won't cut nor massacre your feed by walking in the water!

In the water, there are also 2 floating platforms, very common at river beaches. One of them is meant for children, being at a shallow end. This allows people to be able to bring their children or younger siblings without having to be worried that they cannot be in the water without them. This platform even has some netting that will not allow children to exit into the deeper part of the water.

The other platform is "farther" from the sand - as you can see in this and in other pictures in the gallery - and only people that know how to swim can reach it, since in the middle of the journey over there your feet can no longer hit the ground. It has a very steep red slide and from there you can try jumping, since the deepness of the water allows you to do so safely. The platform shakes a lot but it is stationed with a cord at the bottom, so there's no need for you to worry.

The beach also has lifeguards, which is an excellent aspect and relaxes many people, mostly those with difficulty swimming. I do not know what time and until when they are at the beach, but their schedule will be sufficient during swimming season.

Parking

When you arrive to the beach there is a parking lot. It is not tar parking. It is not very big, but some cars can still fit there. Those who aren't so lucky will park along the road, the closest they can. Some areas have trees and thus shade, which is good considering that the cars can heat up being in the sun for so long. If you arrive early you can get a spot next to the entrance to the beach with shade!

Picnic Area

The entrance of the beach has a picnic area with tables, barbeque area, and a café. This is great since it allows a family or group of friends to spend the whole day at the beach being able to have a picnic there, without having to leave. This area is in the shade, and as previously mentioned, with tables to sit at.