Meco beach (praia) 40 km south of Lisbon: popular gay beach & how to get there

The beach of Meco is really wonderful, very popular by the Portuguese and the most well known internationally. Meco near Alfarim, 40 km south of Lisbon, is located in the middle of a natural park called ‘Serra da Arrabida’. This is a real ‘mecca’ for nudists & surfers!

Meco nudist beach and argil cliffs

The beach of Meco got famous in the 70s as one of the first nudist beaches.

At the beach, facing the ocean, on the left side is a high dune from where onwards start the naturist area, opposing to the right side, where the beach amenities are situated, frequented by families.

Meco nudist beach and argil cliffs 2

Meco beach

Nudist tourism

The excellent beach cost line in this area, the well persevered surrounded forest and the climate attracts tourists from all across Europe. Nudist tourism is growing vastly in the last several years in Portugal.

Protected by a high cliff, with small springs (drinking water) and excellent green mud (argil) for skin treatments, which is a common sight.

Meco Restaurant Bar do Peixe

Beach restaurant “Bar do Peixe (Fish Bar)”

Excellent bar/restaurant with a chill out area (closed Tuesdays). Traditional Portugese meals.

Meco beach restaurant Bar do Peixe

Beach restaurant ‘Bar de Peixa’ (fishbar)

Bar do Peixe’ Meco beach Facebook

Our choice for lunch: Salada Russa com gambas (Russian salad with shrimps) € 7.50, Salada Atum (Salad with tuna) € 7.50, a small bottle of white wine (vinho branco) € 3.80, agua (water) € 1.00.

Beach restaurant “Bar do Peixe’, Rua Praia do Moinho de Baixo, Meco.

Meco beach fishermen3

Fishermen with their nets

The village mainly lives from the local tourists; when the season is over, people like to visit Meco because of the good restaurants and to walk on the beach.

Meco parking 1 euro

Park your car near the beach of Meco

If you travel by car: from Lisbon, take the A2 South Highway, then towards Sesimbra and after Fernão Ferro turn right to Alfarim, and right again to the beaches (“Praias”). Meco Beach has several paid parking lots. Once agricultural fields, nowadays transformed into car parking lots during summer time, as it is much more profitable for the local families.

Public transport: from Lisbon this beach is not the best to be reached. You’ll need to catch the bus to Sesimbra from Praça da Espanha bus terminal in Lisbon and get off at Santana. Several buses run to Meco on a regular basis. Don’t forget to ask for a timetable to go back to Lisbon.

Meco February 2008 surfing Rob

Wow! My friend Rob Plews

Meco Beach: excellent for activities such as surf, parapente, fishing or windsurf. On windy days the sea can be quite rough.

Meco restaurante Tropical do Meco staff3

Very popular Restaurant/bar ”Tropical do Meco”.  , Aldeio do Meco, excellent local gastronomy & late night cocktails

Aldeio do Meco is a small rural village, about 1 km from Meco beach

Hairstylist Aurelio Ramos Lisbon: Award in Milan & Teresa, blind hairdresser

Aurelio Ramos de Oliveira was born in Sao Paulo in 1975. He studied at Soho Academy São Paulo in Brazil, Maison 25 Academy Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, Facto Lab in Lisbon and Vidal Sassoon in London.

Aurelio Ramos Le Salon 2008

Le Salon, June 2008

As ‘Ambassador of l’ Oreal’ Aurelio worked a few years in ‘Le Salon’ , as a hair director and teacher; besides he works as a freelance hair stylist in Monte Carlo, Nice, London, and Paris.

Le Salon Lisbon Aurelio and Teresa teak a break in the garden

‘Le Salon’ Lisbon, June 2008. Aurelio and Teresa take a break.

Although Teresa is blind, she is very talented to become a good hairdresser

Aurelio Ramos winner of Gothic Luxury Award hairdresser 2006

‘Gothic Luxury’ by winner Aurelio Ramos, International Trend Vision Award in Milan 2006

After arriving in Lisbon in 2001, Aurelio worked 6 years in a trendy hairdresser’s salon, Facto. For his interpretation of Gothic Luxury in 2006, Aurelio was winner of the International Trend Vision Award in Milan. After the Milan event he took part in various Wella Professionals fashion projects to provide his talents and as well profit from working with other top hairdressers.

Lisbon Aurelio Ramos new hair saloon Lisbon Empire Baixa1

September 2010

Aurelio Ramos & his new hair saloon in Baixa area, Rua das Chagas 17, Lisbon

December 2014: Aurelios Ramos and new assistant hair stylist Marcio Neris

In his saloon in Lisbon Aurelio likes to work with the products of C: EHKO. The hair style of the fashion model on the poster is one of Aurelio’s extraordinary creations.

December 2014: Aurelio Ramos and Birgit Damke: Feliz Natal! Happy Christmas!

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In his leisure time Aurelio likes everything related to art (painting, theater, music)….

Sardinha for Aurelio

…..and eating!

Lots 😉 of sardinhas (grilled sardines)…….

Aurelios Ramos favorite place Castelo Sao Jorge view stairs Bairro Alto

Favorite places: Castelo Sao Jorge in Lisbon.

Beach: Meco, an amazingly huge and beautiful beach. ‘I like surfing in the weekend’.

Meco beach

Map Meco beach, near Alfarim Meco is a very popular (gay and nudist) beach, 40 km south of Lisbon. More information about Meco Beach and how to get there from Lisbon

Restaurant/bar ‘Tropical do Meco’ in Aldeio do Meco (40 km from Lisbon): great gastronomy

Aldeio do Meco is a small rural village, about 1 km away from the fabulous and famous sandy Meco beaches, ca. 40 km from Lisbon. In Meco village you can find a few trendy bars and a number of restaurants offering the best local gastronomy, in particular seafood and fish dishes, but in case you love meat there’s plenty of choice.

Meco Village Restaurant Tropical do Meco terrace

Restaurant/bar “Tropical do Meco”, Meco village in September

During our stay in Meco village we ate in several restaurants in the previous days. Our favorite: Restaurant/bar “Tropical do Meco. At night the weather is turning a bit colder in this time of the year (end of September and close to the Atlantic!), so we enjoyed our dinner at the veranda (smoking allowed).

Meco Restaurant Tropical do Meco smoking allowed veranda

Restaurant/bar “Tropical do Meco”

Restaurant’s specialties (especialidades): Mexilhões de cebolada (Mussels prepared with onions) ; Caldeirada de Peixe-espada com amêijoa (a fishstew of scabbard fish and small clams); Filetes de Peixe-espada preto fritos com arroz de tomate (Fried black scabbard fish fillets with tomato rice).

Aldeio do Meco restaurant Tropical do Meco fish espetadaRestaurante Aldeio do Meco ‘Tropical do Meco’ picanha

Our choice: Espetada Tamboril Camarao, € 12,50 and Picanha Carvao (Grilled Picanha, € 11,00) .

The espetada is a typical Portuguese dish made of chunks of beef or fish rubbed in garlic and salt, skewered onto a bay leaf stick with vegetables such as onions and bell peppers and left to grill over smouldering wood chips.

Picanha (meat from Brazil) is generally considered to be the number one cut, even better than beef fillet. Picanha (pick-ahn-yeh) is much better than a steak, meltin-in-your mouth !

Meco restaurant Tropical do Meco owners Sergio Nuno and mother

The restaurant service was really great, professional and friendly.

Tropical do Meco’ owners Hugo, Sergio (brothers) and their mother Teresa. Besides being a great restaurant, Tropical de Meco is also thé place for the Meco beachcrowd for late night cocktails and other drinks (try a caipinrinha!).

Restaurante Tropical do Medo kitchen

Restaurant ‘Tropical do Meco’

We also got invited to a tour of the kitchen: Teresa, Isabel, Gladys, Clarice and Niso.

Restaurant ‘Tropical Meco’ Meco wine Montado and liqueur Moscatel Roxo

Restaurant ‘Tropical do Meco’

To accompany our food we enjoyed a bottle of Montado white wine from the Alentejo region (€ 5,50), a superb choice! While drinking our coffees a glass of a delicious liqueur was offered by the restaurant: ‘Moscatel Roxo’, a liqueurous wine from the Setúbal Peninsula.

Restaurant ‘Tropical do Meco’, Rua do Comércio 28, Aldeia do Meco, Sesimbra, Setúbal                             Facebook. Closed Tuesday.