If there’s one thing the city of Figueira da Foz has going for it, it’s its urban beach. At one time, the glamor of Praia da Claridade was right at hand: the sea practically reached the large avenue that crosses the entire coastal front, from the Fort of Santa Catarina to the entrance of the village of Buarcos.
This proximity to the sea lasted until the 1960s and 1970s, when man decided to improve the conditions for entering the port by building the first jetty.
Since then, the consequences have become clear: the beach has been growing at such a rate that the walk from the avenue to the beach drags on for a good ten minutes. It seems that new vehicles will be arriving to help the slower and elderly to make the beach in Figueira da Foz.
But if the sea became (much) more distant, the beach became gigantic, gaining not only numerous beach supports in the form of bars or restaurants (the most successful example today is the appropriate Pé na Areia), but also extra space for…
ideas competitions…
sports fields…
changing rooms…
playgrounds…
inflatables…
This is, of course, without mentioning some more or less failed ideas, such as a FootBeachGolf course or a picnic area without trees. Yes, we here in Figueira da Foz have a lot of creativity (so there is room for it!) but we also have the right to make mistakes.
One of the successful interventions on the immense sandy beach of the Clock Beach, and extending almost to the Buarcoswas the creation of a pedestrian/cycle path right in the middle of the sandy beach, halfway between the avenue and the sea, parallel to the coast, creating a route that starts from the beach. Praia do Forte / Seagull Park and reaches Buarcos (or vice versa, for those coming from north to south).
We could describe the tread in technical terms if we knew anything about it, which we don’t, so we’ll leave you with a photo to show you and just add that it’s suitable for any type of footwear and suitable for all types of cyclists.
While the two-wheeled tour is quick and easy, the hike deserves some consideration.
The pedway is spacious and easily allows for conversations in pairs.
The views have their own curiosity, sometimes reaching the immense sandy beach – meanwhile covered with a curious, rich and increasingly appreciated variety of vegetation -, sometimes providing a peculiar observation over the city. Those who take the south-north route get a magnificent additional postcard, with the geometric cutout of the village of Buarcos and the natural beauty of the Serra da Boa Viagem as backdrops.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to see the sea at all. Had the pedestrian path been on a higher plane, we would have had a world-class walk.
Although it is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, we have one or another suggestion to fully enjoy a walk along this busy beach pedestrian path. Avoid peak hours… of the sun. Making the journey between 12 and 15 hours can become painful for the body. And if you really want to know, crossing the pedestrian path in the early hours of the morning brings beautiful morning sensations and an extra mood for the rest of the day, while doing it in the late afternoon can add to the experience a divine sunset, one of those in which the Figueira da Foz is prodigal, and deserves to be followed already in the middle of the promenade, watching the king star landing on the sea in “slow motion and maximum beauty” mode.
Rest assured that there are no speed cameras, no fine hunts and no traffic lights on the pedestrian path. It is possible to run the course at high speeds, so crossing and overtaking runners of all shapes and sizes is normal. We’re not much of a runners, but here’s the idea for those who want to enjoy higher rhythms in the most peculiar pedestrian path of Figueira da Foz.
