The Wild Beauty of Praia da Ursa.
Living in the middle of a bustling city centre has its benefits. Unlimited restaurants and cafes to tuck into, or sit outside and leisurely watch people pass by. There’s the theater, the art galleries, and the endless interesting people to meet. The Metro makes hopping around Lisbon effortless and affordable. Not to mention it’s quite a bit cleaner and less dramatic than the NYC Subways. One of the last times I rode the subway in New York, a woman was spitting on everyone, and a man entered the subway and proclaimed THIS IS NOT A STICK UP, but I am going to dance for you! Needless to say, Lisbon’s transportation is a quite a bit more subdued and everyone quietly keeps to themselves.
We love the hustle and bustle of Lisbon, but by Friday afternoon, Kyle and I are mapping out how to get out of the city for the weekend in search of open air, large bodies of water, and hopefully a little hiking.
When we were in the process of moving to Portugal, I developed an obsession over watching Youtube travel bloggers documenting their favorite locations in Portugal. One afternoon, I came across a video of Praia da Ursa, a remote, wild beach on the coast of The Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. It’s known as one of Portugal’s “hidden” beaches, as it isn’t easily accessible and is quite the treacherous hike to reach the shore. Of course, this location immediently went to the top of my list of places to visit.
Portugal is said to have three hundred sunny days a year. As luck would have it, we timed our move right in the middle of the the sixty-five days of downpour, flooding and relentless drizzle. The rain gave us cabin fever, and I have always dealt with seasonal depression. Weather and frizz free hair be damned; we were going to venture out of the city.
The drive to Praia da Ursa is winding and narrow up to harrowing cliffs. There really isn’t much signage, and google maps will randomly spit you out somewhere near Praia da Ursa. We took a guess at the location, and hiked the quarter mile to the lookout.
It was chilly this particular day, maybe 50F, and the wind gusts were strong making it feel much cooler. We wrapped our coats around our bodies tighter, and continued to walk. We didn’t know exactly where we were going, but the ocean was somewhere in front of us, and that’s all we needed to know.
Praia da Ursa is hidden by cliffs for most of the trail, and then all at once, you see her. While I have been to a handful of the worlds most beautiful beaches, I was not prepared for how Praia da Ursa would steal the breath out of my body. Two giant rock formations jut out of the sea, like silent, protective twin guardians. Signs nearby caution you of approaching any closer, like she’s an untamed beast and it’s better to leave her wild.
The wind was whipping my hair violently, freeing tendrils to dance around my head . You could nearly lean into the gusts with a promise of it holding you up.
This moment, standing before such a majestic and fierce sight reminded me of the line in Sense and Sensibility, when Marianne rhetorically asks, Is there any felicity in the world superior to this? No, I don’t think there is. Much of the beauty of this planet has been heartbreakingly tainted by commercialism and tourism. But Praia da Ursa remains unscathed.
Closer. I want to get closer. Camera and heavy zoom lens in hand, I was determined I was going to get down to the beach hundreds of feet below. Kyle kept the kids, and I started off. But after only a short while down, I realized how truly treacherous and steep of a climb it was going to be, and I wasn’t safely prepared for it. I turned around. Later, I learned I took the wrong trail, and there is a better and safer way of getting down to the beach. Next time.
My eldest daughter is nearly twelve, wonderful, and precisely on par with preteen-dom. Much of what Kyle and I like and do is unimpressive to her by default. So, basically, her emotional development is right on track. But standing at a safe distance on the cliff overlooking the ocean; the wind making her continually have to steady herself, she opened her mouth and laughed uncontrollably. How could you not be overjoyed by such a sight?
Just about a quarter of a mile from Praia da Ursa is Cabo do Roca; the most western point in all of Europe. Views of feral waves crashing into dramatic cliffs make Cabo do Roca another must see experience. Something about the gray, overcast skies made this day and these views seem even more poetic. Yet, I would imagine the sunny, cloud free days are just as beautiful.
So, should you go to Praia da Ursa and Cabo do Roca? Absolutely. Allow her to steal your breath and leave you dizzy with beauty. Just leave her untouched and wild. Travel mindfully, with intention.
x. Mandy In Lisbon
Note: All photos are copyright of Mandy Hanson Reid. Do not use without permission. Several of the photos featured on these blogs are limited edition prints available for purchase upon request. Inquire at mandy@mandyreid.com . Mandy in Lisbon t-shirts will be returning in the shop soon. Thank you for your support.
