Denisetom

We are looking for a house/ villa ( sleeps 12) near the beach in Portugal for summer 2011. We want an uncrowded, beautiful beach a few minutes drive away. We have heard that Faro and Lagos have beautiful beaches, but ideally, we hope to be not too far from our entry city of Lisbon, Any suggeastions?

Lifeman

If you're flying in to Lisbon, then the Algarve will be a bit too far away, especially when you have the beaches of the Estoril and Cascais area to go for.

The weather will be hot in the summer, but the sea remains cool on the Atlantic coast.

Sher

Try Lourinha. Not far from Lisbon and they have some very nice rentals.

zootsi

Check out Sesimbra, a nice little fishing village with a great beach about an hour south of Lisbon.

JNG

Remember that not all areas are safe for swimming, especially on the west coast.

hkto

Water temperature in Portugal is on the colder side as compared to Med. I think Algarve is you best bet with 22-23C highs in the summer. Beaches near Lisbon (Cascais and Estoril) are colder. I was 15-16 when we were there in June. Yes Algarve is further away (3 hr vs 1 to 1.5hrs) for beaches near Lisbon but worth it. Also probably you'll get a better accommodation selection.