Babacashee
Where the river meets the ocean
Praia das Furnas sits on the south bank of the Mira River, just opposite Vila Nova de Milfontes, where the river meets the Atlantic. So you get a bit of both: river views, a wild ocean and some seriously dramatic cliffs. The cliffs are the special thing here. They started as layers of mud and sand on the seafloor roughly 330 million years ago. Water, wind and waves later carved them into the cliffs, caves and strange shapes you see today.
Sand, shade and a wild sea
With a dog, this beach is a lovely spot. Aba got a long walk on paw-friendly sand, space to run and water to splash in. We did not find glass shards. In the off-season there were not too many people, and only a few other dogs. In summer, keep in mind there is almost no natural shade, so bring a beach tent or something similar for you and your dog.
The ocean is wild here. When we visited, there were no lifeguards or warning flags. So enjoy the drama, respect the water and treat Furnas as a beach for splashing at the edge. It is great for splashing around, but not for swimming.
Kayaking with Aba across the river
On the other side of the river, in Milfontes, we found a kayak rental that allowed dogs in the kayaks. That is super hard to find. So Aba came kayaking with us. It was the first time for him and for us, and we only capsized once. Afterwards it took quite a bit of negotiating to get Aba back into the kayak, but all of us had an absolute blast.
Birds, cameras and beach restaurants
For fellow birders: this is not a big birding walk. We saw some kestrels around the cliffs, but otherwise not many birds. The cliffs are stunning, though, so bring landscape and macro gear. There are also two nice beach restaurants. Wild beach, dramatic rocks and a happy dog. We think it is definitely worth a visit.
Good to know
- Bring a beach tent or similar in summer. There is almost no natural shade.
- Let your dog splash at the edge, not swim. We saw no lifeguards or warning flags.
- You can rent kayaks across the river in Milfontes and take your dog with you.
Praia das Furnas with a dog: questions
Is there shade for dogs at Praia das Furnas?
Praia das Furnas has almost no natural shade in summer. If you visit then, bring a beach tent or something similar for you and your dog.
Can dogs swim at Praia das Furnas?
We found Praia das Furnas great for splashing around but not for swimming. The ocean there is wild, and when we visited there were no lifeguards or warning flags. We treat it as a beach for splashing at the edge.
Can you go kayaking with a dog near Praia das Furnas?
Yes. Across the Mira River from Praia das Furnas, in Vila Nova de Milfontes, we found a kayak rental that allowed dogs in the kayaks, and we say that is very hard to find. It was Aba's first time kayaking and ours too. We capsized only once, but it took some negotiating to get him back into the kayak.
Is Praia das Furnas a good beach to walk a dog?
We thought Praia das Furnas was a lovely beach for a walk with Aba. There's a long stretch of paw-friendly sand, with space to run and water to splash in. We didn't find any glass shards. We saw only a few other dogs, and outside the main season there weren't many people around.