Probably some of you have already seen it before, but for those who haven't, here it goes: it's one of the natural wonders of my country... and it's also the westernmost beach in continental Europe!
I've enjoyed last Sunday revisiting this amazing beach. It's called Praia da Ursa, "Mother Bear's beach".
According to a legend, in past times, whe the world was full of ice, a mother bear lived with her cubs at the seaside. And one day, when the gods ordered all animals to leave the shore, she refused to abandon her birthplace. So the furious gods turned her and her cubs into stone, hence the big pointy rock and the smaller rocks beside it.
Frankly, it's hard for me to picture the shape of a bear in the rock. But I don't care, the beach is beautiful! It's a relatively short (but hard) walk from Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe.
THis is a completely wild beach: no signals, no surveillance. And to reach it, you have to go through a path down the cliffs. The first part is easy and with amazing views.
For the sight alone it's worth coming here, even if you don't plan to go all the way down: green all around, sea breeze and huge cliffs. As you get to this point, thow, the easy part ends.
From here you have already a pretty decent view of the beach. And just as long as you don't be an ass and get too close to the cliff's edge, there's no danger at all, since the path to this viewpoint is really wide and away from the edges.
From here, the hard part begins: a long way down, in a narrower path. No danger of falling down the cliff, because the path goes a little inward before turning again to the beach; but it is steep.
And no, unfortunately this time I haven't done all the way down. But for those who go all the way, the reward is a stunning beach in the middle of nature, without the crowds. The lack of an easy acess and the hard climb on the way back are probably the big reasons why this beach is not that popular... and I hope it stays that way! ;)