Praia de São Bartolomeu do Mar

Portugal, Portugal

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Praia de São Bartolomeu do Mar is an extensive oceanic beach located in the parish of Mar, municipality of Esposende, Braga District, in northern Portugal along the Atlantic coast within the Norte Litoral Natural Park.

The beach stretches approximately 1.2 kilometers along the entire coastline of the parish and is characterized by a complex dune system with mostly pebbles and rolled stones rather than sand, due to marine erosion making it rocky with many smooth stones. Despite its rocky nature, it holds Blue Flag, Gold Quality Award, and Accessible Beach certifications for excellent water quality and environmental standards.

The beach is unsupervised with no lifeguards but offers walking trails, pedestrian paths, and a vast open parking area in the southern part. It's easily accessible from the EN13 highway via Avenida da Praia in Mar. The beach is famous for its centuries-old tradition called "Banho Santo" (Holy Bath) on August 24th, when pilgrims bring children to be submerged three times in the seawater, believing it drives away evil spirits and cures ailments like stuttering, epilepsy, and gout.