Walking in Portugal: Espinho to Praia da Aguda
Walking in Portugal Travel Diary
I love walking in Portugal, and while spending a week in Porto, I went on a long walk from Praia da Aguda to Madalena one afternoon, hoping to shake off the beginnings of a cold. I ended up loving it so much that I went back the next day, this time starting out a little farther south. I took the same train from the São Bento station toward Ovar, and got off the train in Espinho.
I walked down to the oceanfront, it was a quick walk, only a couple of minutes. It had been hot in Porto when I left, but here, the air felt fresh and cool. And just as I reached the beach, the most magical fog rolled in and dropped the temperature even more.
I stopped to look at a pretty church and a traditional fishing boat, then turned back and strolled along the promenade that that hugs the edge of Espinho’s long beach.
Lots of people were out despite the fog, and then I came across what became the highlight of this walk: Striped beach cabanas in beautiful, muted, beachy colors. A lot of them!
The dreamy fog that kept coming and going, the cabanas with their stripes, and the repeating patterns of the rows of tents – it was absolute perfection! I knew immediately that I wanted to turn this into a print series and started shooting. I don’t even know how much time I spent photographing there, I just couldn’t stop. 🙂
Eventually I tore myself away, and headed north. The fog lifted just as I got to the beginning of the wooden boardwalk, and I started out toward Praia da Aguda. Just like the stretch I walked the day before, there were dunes on one side, and beaches and the ocean on the other.
I walked by beach after beach, and passed through the town of Granja where I managed to get semi-drenched by a crashing wave 🙂 but the camera was fine, the sun was out, and it was warm again, so it didn’t matter.
I stopped often along the way to shoot, watch the waves, and just gaze out over the ocean. After a couple of hours, I was in Praia da Aguda again, decided that was enough for the day, and took the train back to Porto.
A FEW TRAVEL TIPS
The train from Porto to Espinho takes around 40 minutes and a roundtrip ticket was €3.90 when I went. The trains run pretty often – here is the Porto – Aveiro train timetable.
The ticket lines at the São Bento station can be very long – arrive way ahead of time, or stop by the day before to get your ticket if you know you tend to arrive at the last minute (like me 🙂 ). There are ticket machines as well, but I was never able to figure them out, especially when rushing to try to catch a train.
For the trip back, remember to validate your ticket on the little machine at the train station before getting on the train.
the on the beach print series
MORE Portugal Travel Posts ON THE BLOG
Looking for a great pair of walking shoes? My favorites are from Xero – the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn!
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