Bafureira Beach, Cascais e Estoril, Cascais, Lisbon, Portugali
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Bafureira Beach | Outcrop |
| Cascais e Estoril | Civil Parish |
| Cascais | Municipality |
| Lisbon | District |
| Portugal | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
38° 41' 32'' North , 9° 22' 1'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Parede | 17,212 (2012) | 1.1km |
| São Domingos de Rana | 46,718 (2018) | 2.5km |
| Estoril | 23,700 (2018) | 3.1km |
| Monte Estoril | 23,375 (2018) | 3.7km |
| Carcavelos | 20,366 (2012) | 3.9km |
Nearest Clubs:
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
Local clubs are the best way to get access to collecting localities
| Club | Location | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Clube Português de Mineralogia - CPMIN | Lisbon, Portugal | 19km |
Baforeira Beach is a suspended-use beach located east of São Pedro do Estoril Beach, from which it is separated by a breakwater and rock formations. Flanked by cliffs, its narrow strip of sand was limited to a risk zone at its base, classified as unstable. Its use as a bathing beach was suspended in 2017, due to the instability of the cliffs and the lack of a sandy area, which could pose safety risks to its users.
The only known occurrence of amber in Portugal is described for the first time. The stratigraphical sequence of Bafureira Beach (Cascais), where the
amber was discovered, belongs to the Rodízio Formation ("Grés Superiores de Almargem”), of Aptian age (Lower Cretaceous), within the tectono-stratigraphic context of the Lusitanian Basin. The amber specimens are small (average ≈5mm), very fractured and rich in bioinclusions (fragments of plants).
No preserved animal remains have yet been found. Outcrops of the same unit in other sites of the Lusitanian Basin (Alcabideche and São Julião) did not
provide amber records.
In: Gonçalo Silvério, José Madeira - Âmbar português: o caso de estudo do Apciano da Praia da Bafureira (Cascais, Portugal). Associação Portuguesa de Geólogos, Geonovas No. 31: 67 a 72 (2018).
The only known occurrence of amber in Portugal is described for the first time. The stratigraphical sequence of Bafureira Beach (Cascais), where the
amber was discovered, belongs to the Rodízio Formation ("Grés Superiores de Almargem”), of Aptian age (Lower Cretaceous), within the tectono-stratigraphic context of the Lusitanian Basin. The amber specimens are small (average ≈5mm), very fractured and rich in bioinclusions (fragments of plants).
No preserved animal remains have yet been found. Outcrops of the same unit in other sites of the Lusitanian Basin (Alcabideche and São Julião) did not
provide amber records.
In: Gonçalo Silvério, José Madeira - Âmbar português: o caso de estudo do Apciano da Praia da Bafureira (Cascais, Portugal). Associação Portuguesa de Geólogos, Geonovas No. 31: 67 a 72 (2018).
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsMineral List
4 valid minerals.
Rock Types Recorded
Select Rock List Type
Alphabetical List Tree DiagramDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ 'Amber' Description: The largest known occurrence of amber in Portugal. The larger the nodules, the more extensively fractured they are, making them unsuitable for cutting and polishing. Following the cliff stabilization works carried out in 2024 and 2025, access to the cliff exposure where the amber was found has become impossible. Nevertheless, interesting collector specimens were recovered over the past several decades. The locality was never widely publicized. References: Rui Nunes' visit on July 26, 2024.Identified by Rui Nunes: Visual Identification |
| ⓘ 'Amphibole Supergroup' Formula: AB2C5(T8O22)W2 References: Rui Nunes' visit on July 26, 2024.Identified by Rui Nunes: Visual Identification |
| ⓘ Calcite Formula: CaCO3 References: Rui Nunes' visit on July 26, 2024.Identified by Rui Nunes: Visual Identification |
| ⓘ Goethite Formula: Fe3+O(OH) References: Rui Nunes' visit on July 26, 2024.Identified by Rui Nunes: Visual Identification |
| ⓘ 'Jet' References: Several collecting visits by Rui Nunes (-2026)Identified by Rui Nunes: Visual Identification |
| ⓘ Native Sulphur Formula: S8 Colour: Yellow, orange, brown Description: Powdery sulfur resulting from the alteration of pyrite. References: Rui Nunes' visit on July 26, 2024.Identified by Rui Nunes: Visual Identification |
| ⓘ 'Olivine Group' Formula: M2SiO4 References: Rui Nunes' visit July 26, 2024.Identified by Rui Nunes: Visual Identification |
| ⓘ 'Petrified Wood' References: Rui Nunes CollectionIdentified by Rui Nunes: Visual Identification |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 References: Rui Nunes' visit on July 26, 2024.Identified by Rui Nunes: Visual Identification |
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 1 - Elements | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Native Sulphur | 1.CC.05 | S8 |
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Goethite | 4.00. | Fe3+O(OH) |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Amber' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Amphibole Supergroup' | - | AB2C5(T8O22)W2 |
| ⓘ | 'Petrified Wood' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Jet' | - | |
| ⓘ | 'Olivine Group' | - | M2SiO4 |
List of minerals for each chemical element
| H | Hydrogen | |
|---|---|---|
| H | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| C | Carbon | |
| C | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | Oxygen | |
| O | ⓘ Amphibole Supergroup | AB2C5(T8O22)W2 |
| O | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| O | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| O | ⓘ Olivine Group | M2SiO4 |
| Si | Silicon | |
| Si | ⓘ Olivine Group | M2SiO4 |
| S | Sulfur | |
| S | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
| S | ⓘ Native Sulphur | S8 |
| Ca | Calcium | |
| Ca | ⓘ Calcite | CaCO3 |
| Fe | Iron | |
| Fe | ⓘ Goethite | Fe3+O(OH) |
| Fe | ⓘ Pyrite | FeS2 |
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
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Bafureira Beach, Cascais e Estoril, Cascais, Lisbon, Portugal