Praia do Guincho (English: Guincho Beach) is an Atlantic beach located on Portugal's Estoril coast, 5 km from the town of Cascais, and is located in the municipality of Cascais, more precisely in the parishes of Cascais and Alcabideche, in the District of Lisbon. Guincho is situated close to several small villages, including Areia, Charneca, Figueira do Guincho and Biscaia.
The beach, which has a shoreline of approximately 800 metres, has preferred surfing conditions and is popular for surfing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing.[citation needed] Strong northern winds are predominant during summer time (June–August) as well as smaller north-west swells, making this beach ideal for windsurfing and kitesurfing.[citation needed] During winter (especially December), the predominant winds are from the east, and swells increase in size, making it a perfect spot for surfing, with multiple beach-breaks providing powerful lefts and rights. There are also several surfcamps and surfschools in the area that provide accommodation and services including rentals, repairs and surfing classes. However, Guincho is situated on the western edge of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park and this designation has protected the beach from excessive tourism development, as has the fact that the waves and wind mean it is not suitable as a beach for swimming and sunbathing, particularly for people with young children.[citation needed]
This beach was featured in the pre-titles sequence of the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, wherein James Bond rescues Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo from a suicide attempt and foils off two attackers in the surf; the beach still looks as it did in 1969. More recently, the beach served as location for the shooting of the film This Side of Resurrection, directed by Joaquim Sapinho.[citation needed]
In the '90s, Guincho was one of the locations for the windsurfing world cup. Today, several sporting events are held at Guincho regularly, including the Portuguese National Surfing and BodyBoarding Championships.
