two streams meet here in the shape of a beach
The beach sits at the exact point where the Mata and Carcavão streams meet, in the centre of the Aldeias do Xisto village of Benfeita. A weir holds the water and forms a mirror with proper sandy banks, which in a schist and granite mountain range is rarer than it seems.
It has changing rooms, a multi-sports court on the left bank, and a bar and restaurant nearby. Since 2019 it's been certified as an 'Accessible Beach, Beach for All', with adapted infrastructure for reduced mobility. There's a lifeguard in the bathing season.
The location is the other argument. You're in the centre of a schist village, with the Mata da Margaraça and the Cascata da Fraga da Pena a few kilometres away. It's protected landscape of the Serra do Açor right at the water's edge. Hit the beach at the end of the day, when the sun no longer beats hard.
good to know
- at the point where the mata and carcavão streams meet
- proper sandy banks, rare in a schist mountain range
- multi-sports court, changing rooms, bar and restaurant nearby
- certified as 'accessible beach, beach for all' since 2019
- a few kilometres from fraga da pena and mata da margaraça
