Beach Bums - Part 68

 Beach 19, Lisbon, Portugal

Beach 19, called Praia 19 in Portuguese, has been called the largest and most beautiful gay beach in Europe.  To reach it, you take a little train that runs along the Costa da Caparica, which is the shore south of Lisbon (above).

Stops are marked by numbered signs.  Get off at sign 19, hence the name of the beach.

This beach is not only a nude beach, it is also mostly a gay beach.  The beach is huge – it's part of a beach that stretches along the Costa da Caparica for 13 miles – so it's not crowded.  Beach 19 was declared an official nude beach in 1995.

You can enjoy the sun ...

or enjoy the sea.  The waves are not rough here.

I saw several photos of waders but none of swimmers, but it may be that the photographers were concentrating on the attractions close at hand (above).

Behind the beach there are dunes.

You can also sunbathe in the dunes.

Some cruising takes place in the dunes.

But behind the dunes are woods, where the real cruising takes place.

Resulting in this ...

and this, both filmed behind Beach 19.

At the end of the day, the sun sets into the Atlantic Ocean ...

and it's time to take the little train back from Beach 19.