Above the beaches of Sintra

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The most wonderful afternoon on the local beaches! We had a clear, sunny afternoon and I went for a walk on the beach: from Praia Grande, above Praia Pequena to Praia das Maçãs. Yes, above the beaches, as the beaches of Sintra have high cliffs and therefore drops of 40-50 meters to the sea. Of course they have nice road accesses to the beaches, but in between the roads there is a high difference of levels. I was positively surprised by the neat walkways, properly protected by a wooden fence - and the clear info boards of flora to look for. Every so many meters, a covered bench was awaiting for visitors to sit down and look at the waves.
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The beaches are wild in the winter. Last weekend there was nearly no beach; today, yes. There were lots of people on a Sunday afternoon stroll: whole families with dogs and grannies, couples in love - and even skydivers jumping down the cliffs and landing on the beach after leisurely circling over the strollers. Praia Grande is the beach that most lends itself to these activities. I can hardly wait another month or two to see all of the flowers on the cliffs in bloom. And it is good to remember that it is only 400 meters from Casa do Valle to the bus-stop of the buses on the route to the beaches - and they circulate summer AND winter.

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