The beaches of Cascais North/Sintra (listed below, in order from south to north) are all beautiful. Rather than run out of superlatives, I'll discuss why each beach is popular in its own special way. Despite their different characteristics, these beaches all enjoy one common feature: they face the cold Atlantic Ocean, with its strong rip tides and, more often than not, big surf. Check the tide before going, as high tide may mean that there will be no beach to walk along. ----