I visited Praia de São Martinho do Porto at the end of April and was truly charmed by its peaceful atmosphere and stunning natural beauty. The bay is calm and perfect for relaxing walks along the shore. Even though the water was still a bit chilly, the fresh sea air and surrounding scenery made the experience unforgettable. A lovely place to unwind and enjoy the gentle rhythm of coastal life.

I recently spent a sunny afternoon in São Martinho do Porto and was deeply impressed by the unique charm of this seaside town. Nestled along a stunning horseshoe‑shaped bay, the beach is sheltered by a natural headland that keeps the water calm and shallow, making it perfect for swimming and family. Walking the soft golden sand with gentle waves lapping always felt soothing, and the overall atmosphere reminded me of a peaceful, small‑scale resort that locals clearly value highly. The town is historically rooted in fishing and shipbuilding, having served as the maritime port of the nearby Alcobaça monastery in the Middle Ages. It became a popular summer retreat for nobility by the late 19th century, earning affectionate nicknames for its elegant and serene ambiance. Today, the beachfront promenade lined with cafés, seafood restaurants and terrace seating creates a friendly local vibe, perfect for leisurely meals with fresh fish or ice‑cold drinks at fair prices. One of my favorite parts was strolling along the promenade and exploring the wooden walkways that link the town to the dunes and beaches beyond, including the nearby Salir do Porto area. These boardwalk trails offer scenic views and peaceful nature, ideal for morning or sunset walks. Although the beach gets busy during Portuguese summer holidays, the town remains gracious and spacious enough that even peak crowds felt manageable. The best part is that São Martinho do Porto feels authentic and affordable: entry to the beach is free, local restaurants offer good value, and the calmer water makes it safe and enjoyable for all ages. For anyone seeking a calm beach day paired with authentic local culture and gentle coastal scenery, this destination is truly a standout on Portugal’s Silver Coast.

São Martinho do Porto: A Coastal Gem Where History Meets Paradise. This beach stands as one of Portugal's most enchanting coastal destinations, where centuries of maritime history blend seamlessly with modern beach resort amenities. This remarkable town has embodied the resilience of a community that adapts without losing its soul, transforming from the birthplace of caravels that once carried Portuguese explorers to distant lands into one of the country's most protected and beloved seaside retreats. The gradual silting of its historic bay, built with timber from Leiria's pine forests, proved to be a blessing in disguise, creating the perfectly sheltered lagoon that families cherish today. The northern section of the beach proudly holds Blue Flag recognition, a testament to its exceptional water quality through regular microbiological testing of both water and sand. This pristine stretch offers everything a beach lover could desire: numerous concessioned cabins providing shade and refreshments, expansive open areas perfect for umbrellas and sunbathing, and dedicated jumping zones where children can safely play. The water features delightful inflatable slides for kids, while pedal boats are available for rental, creating endless entertainment options for families. Professional lifeguards ensure safety, while clean toilet facilities and refreshing showers add to the comfort. Beyond the beach, a scenic boardwalk trail invites leisurely strolls along the bay's perimeter, leading to one of the area's most spectacular features: a tunnel carved through the hill at the northern tip that opens to a breathtaking area overlooking the vast Atlantic Ocean. This walkable town maintains an authentically Portuguese atmosphere despite welcoming international tourists, with traditional fishing boats like the "barco do candil" still plying these calm waters alongside modern pleasure craft. Accessibility couldn't be easier, with regular bus services from Rodoviária do Oeste and Rede Expressos connecting the town to major cities, while the compact size makes exploration on foot a pleasure. The evenings here are particularly magical, making an overnight stay essential to witness the stunning sunsets that paint the sheltered bay in golden hues. The conveniently located caravan and camping park right next to the beach offers the perfect opportunity to fall asleep to the gentle sound of waves and wake up to this coastal paradise, where past and present flow together like the very tides that shaped its extraordinary destiny.

São Martinho do Porto beach was a pleasant surprise. Calm waters with barely any waves, ideal for a relaxing day. It felt authentic and not overly touristy. The sand was clean, and the sunset through the natural cove opening was really nice. Farol restaurant was very good with pleasant service and tasty food.

Beautiful Beach, we just came on a windy day with cooler temperatures. Cabana rental enforcement may come and ask €10 for a day rental. Be ready with cash if they do.

A magical place. Felt like a Caribbean island on the beach area!!

A stunning beach and surrounding area. Make sure you check out the far left side along the dunes!!!

Lovely bay that's safe for little children

Clean and well equiped. Flat perfectly located for beach, local shops, cafe's, restaurants from cheaper to more expensive. Train station close by as are buses both local and to airport. With a car, plenty of places to visit. Would definitely go there again.

It's my favourite place for my Summer holidays

Top

Nice beach town

top

Nice

Absolutely ridiculous that this place is inaccessible for those with mobility issues. Took a friend with breathing difficulties who wouldn't have been able to walk from the roadside. Decided to park in the miradouro area. This was met by an overzealous unprofessional GNR who relished in issuing a fine. Only visit if you are able to walk around.

Pretty view. Could be better set up though

chill

Beautiful!

Absolutely ruined a conservation area with new apartments ugly block of concrete slabs.

Nice spot for a cool view.

The best view of the town from above. Breathtaking. Can be crowded easily, narrow space for standing and parking.

We were looking for a restaurant that serve fish and see food! We had a really nice meal. The service was pretty fast. The view with the sunset was really nice ton I recommend if you are looking something not to fancy.

Very nice wait staff who were prompt and friendly. Entree of chorizo, olives and bread was ok. The chicken burger also, nothing special or bad, just average. The classic burger (beef) we could not eat, 1st it was not warm/hot all the way through and didn't smell/taste ok the moment you go to bite, (sour smell) so we checked the meat and to be honest it should not have been served as it was going bad. (I have worked in kitchens for over 22 years as a chef and pastry chef) Overall, overpriced for the quality, I hope the chef here can improve.

Lovely little stop for a coffee and pastel de nata scrummy gorgeous

Very unpleasant service, for no apparent reason the waiter was just arrogant and rude, we paid and left didn't even finished our drinks.

We had another go this summer. Service was shambles or lack of it. After 20 mins awaiting with no service we simply left. Very disorganized. Previous review in 2022 below. This place used to be called Fraximus I believe as i been there several times in the past. My food was good but my partner salad was rather disappointing. Bland it's one word for it. The big change seems to be the well overpriced wines and most food. Walk to the corner of Sao martinho and they are almost half price with just as good views. Wine might be about right for northern Europe countries but for the area well overpriced. Plus you surrounding by glass outside nice in a windy day but if it's like an oven in a sunny day. 2* mainly due to overprice. There is much better elsewhere for much cheaper price.

Came for lunch with my family and everything was fantastic. The place is cute and clean, played good music. The menu was very unique to the area, lots of fantastic Portuguese classics with a twist. Our server was patient, attentive, and always had a smile on her face. My dad and I had amazing burgers, they were large and juicy, very flavorful with fries on the side. My moms steak with presunto was also fantastic, came with a delicious veggie stir fry and French fries as well. Even my sisters simple bifana on the caco bread was well seasoned, buttery & delicious. We finished up with coffee and some massive and very fresh mil-folhas. From beginning to end we had a lovely experience. Highly recommend and we will definitely be back!!

We had an exceptional experience at SMB on a cool evening this week. We could have handled the outdoor seating but we opted to sit inside for the first time, and Celso ensured we had a great evening. The service was exceptional when we got there (with only one other table seated nearby), and that continued despite the place filling up nicely over the next couple hours (NOTE - we were there that long because we wanted to be, not because of the service). Celso was the only one working the bar and the tables and he did so attentively and with a smile. We really enjoyed the new menu (it came out just over a week ago), and had a great meal. Thanks again for recommending Prego Lombo, Celso! It was outstanding. It was so good - that I didn't even pause to take a picture of it! Oh! The Bruschetta Mozzerella was great too! We'll be back for more soon and we'll TRY to take some pictures!! Obrigado!

You have to make an effort to find this restaurant which is located in the old town on top of the hill overlooking the Sao Martinho do Porto bay. It's a small restaurant with a with "local and honest" look and atmosphere. We got chorizo assado as Starter. It's a very simple dish which as most such dishes needs quality ingredients and a good cook that manages not to screw them up. It was excellent. As main, we got the arroz de polvo. It came steaming hot which I liked. It was not a typical arroz de polvo. The rice was not cooked in the cooking liquid of the Octopus as usual. It was more like an arroz de marisco with Octopus. The broth was full of flavor and well seasoned and spiced with the right touch of cilantro. Excellent. For 2 people, we paid ~75€ with a glass of wine. It's not cheap but very well served and delicious. I warmly recommend.

Recently spent 28 days in Sao Martinho, hosted various friends & family. Took them all to eat here, some more than once. Consistently delicious food, warm welcome, lovely atmosphere. Photo was of Sea Bass for two - amazing quality & taste. Also Monkfish rice

Our meal at A Nova Gaivota in São Martinho do Porto was nothing short of spectacular! My wife and I were thrilled to find 2 incredible vegetarian dishes on the menu, and they both exceeded all expectations. The tofu, pineapple, and zucchini medley was a vibrant and unique combination of flavors that was perfectly balanced and refreshing. We were also completely blown away by their tofu à Brás, a fantastic vegetarian take on a Portuguese classic. The creativity and execution of both dishes were truly impressive. The chef has a clear talent for crafting delicious, well-seasoned and innovative vegetarian food that stands out. We can’t recommend this spot enough, especially for those seeking exceptional vegetarian options in the area. We can't wait to go back! OBRIGADO!

Don't be put off by the walk up the hill. It's well worth the effort. By far the best food we ate in Sao Martimho do Porto. It's a very small restaurant so i would recommend booking a table. We opted to take the sea bass with vegetables and potatoes and it was stunning. Staff couldn't have been more attentive and patient. The night was topped off by some local musicians and a singer performing Fado (local folk songs) as we ate.

This is the #1 restaurant in all of Sao Martinho do Porto by far. This small, comfortable restaurant makes you feel at home with a very warm atmosphere and the kindest employees. We enjoyed the sirloin, grilled sea bass and the monkfish and prawn pasta for 2. All meals were incredible, but the pasta was phenomenal. It’s served boiling in a large bowl and does not taste fishy at all, but still has the fish flavour to it. Everything made is local, and evident by the freshness of the food. The lime cheesecake was also made in house and very good. Would highly recommend this restaurant.

Our dinner was perfect. Friendly and welcoming staff, fresh cooked fish and cozy atmosphere!

Really good food. Normal waiting. Price acceptable. I really recommend this restaurant.

I came here because of recommendations. As a huge pizza lover, I was a bit disappointed. I ordered the "Portobello" pizza and the pizza came with mini mini pieces of salami on it though it was mentioned as the first ingredience on the menu. Instead a good amount of bacon. Well. Not exactly Italian. The service is friendly though which makes me give the place 4 stars. Food only would be 3 stars. Also the "spicy" oil we got on the table wasn't spicy at all.

I’m generally skeptical with reviews, could the pizza really be that good? Well, yes, it’s probably even better. It was so good, we had to do a repeat visit the day after. The dough, is a thing of beauty. They slow ferment their dough for 72 hours. The dough is a show stealer, but the attention to other ingredients is also obvious, beautiful pesto, fresh oregano, gorgeous olive oil, quality cheese. Honestly, just go. My little one was a massive fan and wanted a third go at it in 3 days.. if we didn’t have to return to Canada, I would have happily indulged. As well, the location is stunning, unbelievably beautiful. The staff, well, they made it that much more special. Thank you from 2 Canadian girls. ❤️

Firstly, this restaurant has the best garlic bread you will ever taste. The waiter is extremely attentive, knowledgeable and warm welcoming. The food was UNBELIEVABLE. Me and my family went there 3 out of 5 nights. And was not disappointed once. Each dish was seasoned and cooked to perfection. House Red wine was extremely flavoursome, long lasting and fruitful. I would recommend. The pricing is extremely affordable, for 4 adults that eat well we spent €77 euros, which included a bottle of wine. You have to try it, you won’t be disappointed.

The food was really good—everyone at our table loved it. The service was excellent, and we felt it offered great value for the money. We’d definitely recommend this place!

With its undulating ceilings, windows to the ocean and crispy thin pizza crust. This restaurant wins the bet. A quirky waiter, efficient for sure. We enjoyed our dinner as well as the drive from our perch on top of the mountain 14 minutes north. Sunflower Seaview. The road was wide enough for two small vehicles besides having white lines to lead the way. We drove back at 21:30 at the end of May. The restaurant was always filled, but somehow a table appeared when needed. The salad beautiful and freshly crisp.

A really lovely place for great food & fantastic service. All made fresh to order. You can see the chef making the pizzas from your table, but still have a view of the beautiful bay.

The owner of this place is very rude to customers. A little girl (10 years old approximately) at a table next to us got a different pizza than she had ordered. When she asked for the right pizza the owner literally yelled at her saying that it is her fault that she can't pronounce the names of the pizza right... Besides the bad customer service, the food is quite bland and the interior of the restaurant is old in a bad way. So if you are looking for a place to eat in São Martinho go somewhere else!

Overpriced, no card payments, no food between lunch and dinner time not even a bag of peanuts or something and on top of it not a single sorry from the staff but on the plus side the view is epic

Awful service and overpriced. Restaurant had only four tables occupied but waited 20 mins for drinks to arrive. Waited another 30 minutes for two kids meals and another 15 for the adult meals. The cod was far too salty. After being there for over 90 mins we were told there was a “problem” in the kitchen, chef arrived late probably. A beautiful restaurant and has the potential to be a top quality restaurant. If you must stop off just have a drink and head into the town 500 meters away and have superior food and service considerably cheaper.

This place is an absolutely joke!!! The servers are rude and the prices are way toooooo expensive and resiculous. And the owner is an absolute idiot, the way he treats and talks about his staff os disgusting! I was near by on holidays and was visiting this beach, passing by I decided to stop for a drink with my parents and my husband as the arquiterure of the building and location were very convidative! what a mistake! As soon as we arrive we went in and were greet by a rude member of staff that told us we will have to seat outside as we were not eating. half of the outside area was closed, also for people that want to eat as well... we end up seating in the corner and the weather was really unpleasant as it was very windy but we still decided to have 1 drink... once again what a mistake!! so we ordered 1 pint, 1 half pint and 2 expresses... the bill came up to 11.45€... what a chock when I went to pay... this people are settling costumers money!! not even in algarve in Vilamouta o paid so much for a bloody coffee and a beer... not even in Luis Figo bar!!! Not even in London e a portuguese plase, where the coffee and beer are imported from Portugal I pay this much!!! this is absolutely ridiculous! Avoid this place the will empty your pockets very easily!!!

Awful. We could not sit inside the bar, we had to sit outside in the sun even tho the bar was empty inside. I paid 2,25€ for one cup of cola and my sister only asked for a coffee and they brought a coffee with a little cake that we had to pay even tho she did not ate it. Awful experience. Do not reccomend.

It's on a prime location, on a very beautiful place, but the service is very bad and impolite. You can't have a coffee in any table of your choice you have to comply to the ones they assign. You can't even go in if you are wearing beachy cloths

They served me a spoiled Octopus salad... And refused to accept that it was horrible. Still had to pay for it. Bad and Expensive.

Came there just to have a coffee. Stayed outside, a little empty though although it is winter. Can't complain about the place although the coffee is extremely expensive compared to other places.