Activities and Recommendations
With Apartment Melodia do Mar, you can look forward to more than just a beach holiday: The region around Foz do Arelho offers a unique blend of nature, activity, cuisine, and Portuguese zest for life. Whether you love relaxing walks along the lagoon, conquering the Atlantic on a surfboard, or prefer enjoying regional specialties in a small restaurant – everyone will find their perfect holiday vibe here.
Let yourself be inspired by nature excursions, diverse sports activities, charming villages, local events, and culinary tips. Making your getaway as multifaceted as the landscape that surrounds you!
Activities
Surfing & Kitesurfing
Foz do Arelho offers ideal conditions for water sports: The Atlantic delivers powerful waves for surfers, while the protected lagoon creates perfect settings for kitesurfing and stand-up paddling – suitable even for beginners. Local schools offer lessons and equipment rentals.
Golf
Just a few kilometers away, some of Portugal’s best golf courses await you – including West Cliffs, Praia D’El Rey, and Royal Óbidos. Here, you play with ocean views, amidst well-maintained landscapes, and in a pleasantly mild climate.
Cycling & E-Biking
The area around the lagoon offers opportunities for relaxed bike rides. For more athletic riders, there are coastal ascents offering panoramic views. Local rental stations also offer e-bikes.
Stand-up Paddling & Kayaking
The calm lagoon is ideal for SUP or kayak tours – either on your own or guided by local providers. Especially atmospheric: a sunset tour or birdwatching early in the morning.
Markets & Crafts
A trip to nearby Caldas da Rainha is well worth it: The city is known for its daily fruit and vegetable market, small handicraft shops, and ceramic tradition – ideal for regional souvenirs and gaining insight into local life.
Day Trip to the Berlengas Islands
Boats depart from Peniche (approx. 30 min. drive) to the protected Berlengas Islands – a nature reserve with hiking trails, sea caves, and crystal-clear water. Perfect for a little adventure with island flair.
Discover Culinary Delights
In Foz do Arelho and the surrounding area, you will find fresh-caught fish, seafood, and traditional Portuguese cuisine – whether directly at the beach or in a cozy family restaurant. Especially popular: clams/mussels, grilled octopus, and Pastéis de Nata for dessert.
Beaches
Restaurants
Places to visit
Óbidos
- Distance: 18 km
The medieval town of Óbidos is one of the most picturesque and best-preserved towns in Portugal. Within the city walls, you will find a well-preserved castle and a labyrinth of narrow streets and white houses that enchant everyone who wanders through them. The Manueline porticoes, flower-adorned windows, and small squares serve as fine examples of the religious and secular architecture from the town's Golden Age.
Caldas da Rainha
- Distance: 11 km
The name of the city translates to "Queen's Hot Springs" (Caldas da Rainha) and traces back to the thermal spring that was highly cherished by Queen Leonor. To make bathing a little more comfortable, the Queen had a hospital built, around which this city developed. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Caldas da Rainha was one of the most popular spa towns in Portugal among the nobility and upper class. Caldas is the birthplace of Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, who founded the famous ceramics factory of Caldas da Rainha. The corresponding museum is well-visited and highly recommended.
São Martinho do Porto
- Distance: 14 km
The town is a popular and well-visited holiday resort with a wide variety of restaurants. The approx. 3 km long, semi-circular sandy beach lies in a sheltered bay and owes its geometric shape to volcanic activity.
Nazaré
- Distance: 28 km
Visiting the fishing village of Nazaré, with its sweeping seafront, is an absolute "must-do" in this region. The waves and surfing, in particular, are a huge attraction: Thanks to the "Canhão da Nazaré" (Nazaré Canyon), a geomorphological underwater phenomenon, gigantic and perfect waves can form here. It is the largest underwater canyon in Europe, reaching depths of up to 5,000 meters.