Family Photos at Guincho Beach: Wind, Timing and What to Wear
How to plan family photos at Guincho, ten minutes from Cascais: where to go when the wind blows, the best hour in each season, what to wear on a windy beach and what a session costs.
One July day at Guincho, I photographed a mom, a dad and their little daughter, all three dressed in white. They played on the sand first, then we walked down to the water's edge, where the Atlantic waves were big and the light was turning golden, and Dad lifted their daughter into the air while the wet sand held their reflections. You can see their session here, with a link to the full gallery they received.
Guincho is ten minutes from my home in Cascais, and it's a lovely beach for a family if you plan around the wind. Come in the last hour before sunset, or early in the morning in midsummer, dress in light colors that move, and keep the sheltered boardwalks along the Cresmina dunes as your plan B.
At the water's edge at Guincho, July 2021
How windy is Guincho, and where do you go when it blows?
Windy on most days, and that is the one thing to plan around here. The Cresmina dune, just south of the beach, has advanced about ten meters a year since 2005, its sand pushed by the wind. I check Guincho's wind in the days before a session; IPMA's beach forecast gives it in knots and on the Beaufort scale.
When Guincho is too much, we move to the raised boardwalks along the Cresmina dunes and their viewing platforms, which are more sheltered. If the wind or the rain still wins, we wait it out or pick another day.
Where on the beach do we take the photos?
Guincho is a wide Atlantic beach with the Sintra hills rising behind it, and it has many different corners to explore. On the open sand the hills fill the background and there is room to run, which is where we started. At the water's edge the waves are big, and in the low sun the wet sand holds your reflections. By the dark rocks on the wet sand, white and cream clothes stand out against the black stone, and that is where the three of them stood close together.
What time of day is best for family photos at Guincho?
The last hour before sunset, or the early morning: soft light, cooler air and happier children. The beach faces the Atlantic, so in the evening the sun comes from the sea, while at midday the light is harsh and the sand at its busiest. At sunrise the sun comes up over the land behind you, and the light on the sand stays soft. Guincho is popular, but wide enough to find space for a family.
In June the sun sets around 21:00 at Guincho, and in mid-October around 19:00 (sunset month by month). In midsummer the morning is the other good hour: the sun rises around 06:15 in mid-June and around 06:45 in mid-August. The clocks go back on the last Sunday of October (31 October in 2027), and sunset moves an hour earlier overnight.
From November to March the sun sets early, around 17:15 in mid-December, so plan an afternoon session. Rain is likelier then: IPMA's station at Cabo da Roca, just up the coast, averages 9 days with at least 1 mm of rain in November, against 0.5 in July.
What should the family wear on a windy beach?
Light, natural fabrics in soft colors that can move, such as white, beige or cream, without big logos. The family I photographed wore white and cream, and against the pale sand it kept the pictures calm and simple. Bring a sweater or a jacket for the last hour, because the coast is cooler than the city: the average August high is 21.9 °C at Cabo da Roca, against 28.8 °C in Lisbon. Wear long hair down or simply tied, and keep hair ties in a pocket. Before the day, I help you settle the place, the timing and the outfits.
How do you photograph children on the beach?
I let them play and photograph what happens. My family sessions are unhurried: we walk, the children run, and I direct only when it helps. The photo of everyone looking at the camera takes about two minutes; the rest of the session is play. With a baby, the frames come from how you hold them: on a lap, up in the air at the waterline, a kiss on the forehead.
The quietest frame of the session
Getting there, and dinner after
Guincho is 10 minutes by car from Cascais and 30 to 45 minutes from Lisbon. Toilets, changing rooms and restaurants are a few minutes from the car. For dinner afterwards, Fortaleza do Guincho, the fort hotel on the cliff, has a restaurant with a Michelin star and a lighter one, Spot. If you're making a holiday of it, my list of things to do in Lisbon with kids is a good place to start.
Guincho, beyond the coastal scrub
What does a family session at Guincho cost?
My family sessions start at €400, with 100+ edited photographs from one hour and 200+ from three. The three-hour session covers two places with time to change outfits, for example the streets of Cascais's old town first and the ocean at the end, and it suits larger or multi-generation families. The photos arrive in a private online gallery you can share with family, within 2 to 4 weeks, and rush editing is an add-on if you'd like them sooner. If you need to change the date yourselves, give me at least 48 hours' notice. Travel within Lisbon and about 1.5 hours around it is included, so there's no travel fee for Guincho. The options are on my family sessions page.
Send me your dates in Portugal and your children's ages, and I'll tell you the hour I'd start at Guincho that week, and what we'll do if the wind picks up. I'd love to meet your family on this beach.
Details checked in October 2026
Yana Yart
Yana Yart is a wedding and elopement photographer based in Cascais, Portugal, with over 15 years behind the camera in 55 countries. She studied architecture for five years, which is why every day she photographs is planned around the light.
