Piscinas naturais da Praia do Espelho

When the tide recedes, the reefs near the sand of Praia do Espelho hold back portions of sea and form natural pools sheltered from the waves. In them, colorful fish, starfish and sea urchins can be seen with the naked eye.

Without waves, the water in the pools works like a mirror and reflects the sky and the white, yellow and red cliffs, and the beach takes its name from this reflection. The beach lies within the APA Caraíva/Trancoso, a 31,900-hectare protected area created by State Decree No. 2,215 of June 14, 1993.

The warmth tends to last all year, so the best time tends to depend more on the tide than on the season, since the pools only appear at low tide. They tend to be better during the new and full moons, when the tide varies more. At high tide there are no pools, corals and rocks are submerged, and the sea can become rough and dangerous because you cannot see where you are stepping or diving. In the region, the weather tends to be good all year, and the most recommended months are usually August to October, with settled weather, or March and April, with attention to the rains.