• Rough water for swimming, with strong wind, swell and currents, so keep young kids at the water's edge and swim only where the lifeguards flag it
• Lifeguards in bathing season, plus a first-aid post, a restaurant and a bar by the beach
• Bring layers and a windbreak, since strong northerly winds are common in summer and whip up the sand

Praia do Guincho is a wild Atlantic beach on the edge of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, backed by the Guincho-Cresmina dunes and the Sintra hills. Strong wind and swell bring windsurfers, kitesurfers and surfers, and kids can watch the kites from the sand.

The waves and currents make it a poor choice for paddling with young children. Dune walks and the long shoreline suit families better.