Tip: Click on the Praia da Luz text above to hide this side menu or the Praia da Luz text to show this side menu.
Tip: Double click anywhere on the page (except when over links) to return to the top of the page.
Tip: For these tips and more detail click on the  at the top of any page.
|
Close
General Page Help
- Showing the Main Menu
Click on the 'Praia da Luz'
text ( in blue ) to reveal the
Main Menu
Click on the 'Praia da Luz'
text ( in red ) to hide the Main
Menu
- Navigation:
Double Click anywhere on the page ( except when over
the menus or other links ) to return to the top of the page.
- Links:
Links to other pages are shown in blue
capitals
- Search (if present):
After performing the initial search ( clicking the 'Find Now' button ),
Use Alt + s to repeat the same search for more
occurrences.
- Photographs (if present):
Click on any thumbnail sized photographs for larger images.
Some of the larger images may be expanded even further, look for an icon
at
the top, left corner of the expanded image.)
Click anywhere on the larger image to close it and return to the
thumbnail view / page.
|
Beaches on the Algarve |
| Summary |
Even though the the Algarve is only some 90 miles long and 30 miles at the
widest point, there are still more than 100 miles of beaches. About 150 of
them have names, thirty of which are European Union 'Blue
Flag' beaches which I guess makes them the 'real' beaches. They
are among the best and cleanest in Europe with most of the main beaches
(indicated) having Lifeguards on safety patrol at least during the peak
season. I've listed just some below, which I'll add to, as I discover, visit
(the ones with more detail and possibly my photographs) or just brief notes
if I am told about them or have found them elsewhere on the web. This
section will never be complete as I reckon it will take several years to
visit all of the possibilities!
Some of the better beaches are not
directly or easily accessible from the coastal towns (in fact at the south
western tip around Sagres, they can be some distance along along precarious
dirt roads), These are the ones that can be more 'natural' and picturesque
and are worth the effort to 'track down'. There is plenty of choice when it
comes to Algarve beaches, in fact just about guaranteed to please everyone.
On the west coast (from Odeceixe to Ponta da Sagres)
there are more varied beaches. Being open to the Atlantic Ocean they
normally present significantly different conditions to those found along the
southern coastline. This stretch is quite rugged with impressive cliffs
formations separating the beaches. The winds, which can be intense and
(believe it or not) very cold at times, give rise to large sand dunes on the
longer stretches of beach. The sea is usually quite choppy with big waves (
perfect for surfers ) but are often combined with a dangerous fast
undercurrent. Be warned. However if you are there for the scenery it can't
be beaten. The southern coast (from Ponta da Sagres all the
way to
Vila Real de Santa Antonio) has more smaller secluded beaches
(usually in coves) and are more subject to seasonal weather conditions at
the south-western end. They gradually become more open and extensive as you
move south-east. As it is only a couple of hours drive ( by the smart
motorway ) from one end of the coast to the other you can experience
changing scenery, and even sea conditions within a relatively short driving
distance.
Some of the main / larger beaches use the safety flag system -
Red
Flag - Bathing forbidden,
Yellow
Flag - Bathing with caution,
Green Flag - Safe to swim. A chequered flag (usually blue and
white) indicates the lifeguard is temporarily away from the beach. The flag
system does not operate on all beaches and usually only between June 1st and
September 30th. Take care when there is a strong wind and there are usually
strong undercurrents where there are big waves (this is especially so on the
West Coast beaches).
Many of the beaches, in or near to the holiday resorts, offer most water
sports facilities as well as bars, restaurant food and snacks.
Just follow any signs that indicate “Praia” (which means “beach” in
Portuguese) and I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed with what you
find.
Important Note: Those wonderful cooling
sea breezes that come off of the Med and certainly 'around the corner' the
Atlantic hide the fact that you are being incinerated by 90+° temperatures.
Be careful! |
| Odeciexe |
A long beach, cut in two by the mouth of the Seixe creek.
The resort is peaceful and family oriented with facilities for visitors.
There are impressive views of the sea from the Miradouro da Ponta Branca.
Snack bar, Restaurant. Sunbeds. Blue Flag beach. Lifeguard. Road Access.
Close by is the old Moorish town of Odeciexe complete with a fort on the
hill. |
| Quebrada |
A very narrow, little visited beach. |
| Samouquiera |
Quiet, little frequented beach. |
| Vale dos Homens |
Quiet, little frequented beach. |
| Carriagem |
Quiet, little frequented beach. |
| Amoriera |
These two beaches lie next to each other,
separated by rocks. There are facilities for visitors. The coast is
punctuated by fascinating rock formations, ending at Ponta da Atalaia, which
means Lookout Point. |
| Monte Clerigo |
| Praia da Arrafina |
This is a beach which also is considered to be reasonably
safe for swimming and a very special place with quite stupendous views. Take
the road north to Lisbon from Lagos. Just before reaching the small town of
Aljezur take the turning left when you see the name “Arrifana”. On reaching
Arrifana you will find the beach on your left at the bottom of a very steep
narrow road with little or no parking area at the bottom. A long stretch of
sand sheltered by cliffs with a picturesque fishing port. Arrifana is linked
to the historical figure of the Moorish prince and poet Ibn Caci (12th
century) who lived here as a recluse. There are ruins of an old fort (17th
century) built to defend the tuna fishermen and their gear. At the end of
the cliffs Pedra da Agulha (literally Needle Rock) rises impressively from
the sea.. A visit to this beach out of season is seriously recommended. |
| Canal |
Beach of great beauty that sees few visitors. |
| Penedo |
Beach of great beauty that sees few visitors. |
| Vale Figueiias |
Has few visitors despite the picturesque beach and good
surf. Surfcamp location. |
| Praia da
Bordeira |
A exceptionally long west coast beach, just north of Carrapateira
and its spectacular cliffs (can be reached by car). It can be reached by
travelling north from Vila do Bispo, then after passing the small village of
Carrapateira, turn where at the sign that reads “Praia”.(beach), there is
plenty of parking. A long sandy beach with many sand dunes. Its a great
place to learn to surf as it is rock free and there is plenty of room to
manoeuvre. It is virtually deserted out of the season except for the keen
surfers. A good place to walk. There are a couple of snack bars / bars just
off the beach. Life Guard.
There are the ruins of a former defensive
fort built to repel pirate attacks (17th century). Between the this beach
and Amado
lies the rock formation of Pontal, surrounded bays and high cliffs. |
| Amado |
Near to Amado the so-called Pedra do Cavaleiro (Knight's
Rock) stands just off shore. |
| Murração |
A small beach with a broad stretch of sand. |
| Mirouço |
An isolated beach. Access is difficult. |
| Mouranitos |
A series of broad beaches separated by cliffs
but with access between them. Very quiet |
| Barriga |
| Cordama |
| Castelejo |
One of the few beaches on the west coast were it is safer to swim due to the
lack of underlying dangerous currents. This beach is located just to the
north-west of the small town of Vila do Bispo and be warned the drive is not
for the faint hearted. It is a long narrow road which takes you up into the
hills and down again. It is one of the smaller beaches and has a completely
different atmosphere to those found on the southern coastline. It may not
suit everyone but those that do visit tend to return. A beach surrounded by
rock formations. A single sizable Beach bar with fresh fish ( as and when
they are caught ) and a welcome beer. |
| Águia |
Stretches of sand at the foot of steep
escarpments. Little visited due to poor accessibility. |
| Ponta Ruiva |
| Tonel |
A sheltered beach with good views of the Ponta de Sagres
and Cabo de São Vicente. Support facilities until September only. Strong
currents, caution advised.
Update: In light of the
recent tragedy on this beach (2007) I cannot emphasise the caution needed
when using the beaches especially on the West Coast. They are not
necessarily manned by lifeguards and can be extremely isolated in the off
season. |
| Cabo de S.Vicente |
|
| Beliche |
Restaurant, Cafe, Road Access, Parking. |
| Ponta de Sagres |
|
| Telheiro |
Pleasant sheltered beach |
| Belixe |
Sandy beach at the font of a small bay scooped out of the
cliff. Calm. |
| Mareta |
A road / track just off of the roundabout in Sagres takes you down a the
cliffs to this beach. There is parking space all the way down the track. A
nice Restaurant and terrace Cafe / Bar on the beach. Sunbeds and umbrellas
for hire. |
| Baleeira |
Long beaches. Tourist facilities. Starting point for
discovering the underwater delights of a coast dotted with caves and
hollows. |
| PRAIA DO MARTINHAL |
This beach is located in the Bay of Baleeira close to
Sagres. Another windsurfers paradise and is a smaller beach in a reasonably
shallow bay that is shouldered to the west by Ponta da Atalaia. It is
recommended as a location if visiting the area of Sagres. Blue Flag.
Lifeguard, Restaurant, Cafe. Road Access. Parking. |
| Rebolinhos |
Long beaches surrounded by a broad bay. Scenic islets
opposite the beach. Tourist facilities |
| Barranco |
Sandy coves on the edge of little bays. Calm.
Tourist facilities. |
| José Vaz |
| Ingrina |
| Zavial |
| Figueira |
Small isolated beaches. |
| Foz de Benaçoitão |
| Salema |
Located in a picturesque fishing village. Pleasant beach.
Tourist facilities |
| Boca do Rio |
Stretch of sand along the bottom of a valley crossed by
two quiet streams. Peaceful. |
| Cabanas / Velhas |
Remote but accessible by road / track from Burgau. It has a very good beach
bar / restaurant, but that's all! An old stone quayside where quarried stone
used to be shipped out and the workers cottages on the hill are a feature.
Definitely a hidden gem. Not sure for how much longer as there is now a
minibus service to / from several nearby hotels and also some extensive
building going on at the head of the valley (09/06). |
| Almádena |
|
| Burgau |
A typical fishing port looking out on the sea. Peaceful
and very family oriented, but starting to get really busy these days in the
high season. Tourist facilities. The beach virtually disappears at high tide
and is surrounded by cliffs. It is reached by a steep cobbled street and
although there are parking facilities at the foot of the slope it is
advisable to leave your car at the top and walk down. |
| PRAIA DA LUZ |
This beautiful sandy beach is overlooked by the bars and restaurants of the
village itself. Not to mention the spectacular 'Rocha Negra' (Black Rock)
see the photograph. It has a good water sports facilities - snorkelling,
windsurfing and sailing school, paddleboats and some boat trips. It is a
safe beach, ideal for children. |
| Ponta da Piedade |
If it's interesting landscapes you're after then this is a
must, located near Lagos. The rocks have been sculpted into
weird shapes by the sea's action. There are lots of small cove beaches to
choose from. |
| Praia do Vau |
You will find this good-sized beach at the far western end
of Praia da Rocha’s seafront road. There is easy access from a car parking
area. Cliffs giving afternoon shade at the far end. |
| Prainha |
This small beach takes its name from the cliff top holiday
complex, which provides a lift up and down between July 15 and Sept 15. Mind
you there is a charge for non-residents. Otherwise, for the fit there are
steps. |
| MEIA PRAIA |
Being the biggest of the Lagos beaches, it forms half of
the walk from Alvor to Lagos (the other half is the entry below). It takes
its name from being part of this walk as “Meia” indicates the word “half”.
The approach to this beach is from the town of Lagos and it is easily
accessed. This beach is popular with windsurfers and surfers alike as it
faces the open Bay of Lagos and also protected to the west by the promontory
of Ponta da Piedade. The beach is possibly a little longer than that of the
Alvor and there are many small beach bars to satisfy the thirst or to
briefly get out of the sun for those who wish to walk its length. |
| Alvor |
This is a massive, wide and open beach in front of the village / town of
Alvor fringes the eastern half of Lagos Bay. You can walk straight on to it.
It stretches just over two kilometres from the village to the west in the
direction of Lagos. There are sand dunes but no cliffs. This beach acts as a
sand bar creating an interior lagoon which acts as a form of port for Alvor.
Some twenty years ago you could walk (at low tide ) by beach all the way to
Lagos by wading across a small sea which was then a shallow outlet from the
lagoon. Popular among windsurfers, and good for other waters ports as well.
Plenty of parking available. There used to be a stack of smallish beach bars
in various stages of decay along its length, but now ( 2005 ) they have all
gone and have been replaced by three larger new bar / restaurants accessible
by a proper road. |
| Torralta |
This is really a continuation of Alvor beach in front of
the Torralta holiday complex tower blocks, just to the east of Alvor
village. |
| Tres Irmaos |
The eastern end of Torralta beach is marked by the rise of
the golden cliffs that are so characteristic of much of the western Algarve
coastline. Nestling in here is this cove, translates to ‘Three Brothers’.
Car park next to the beach |
| João de Arens |
A small stretch of sand set among cliffs, rocks and
islands. |
| Vau |
A charming beach flanked by cliffs. Its calm, iodine-rich
waters and fascinating rock formations make it popular with families. |
| Carvoeiro |
This small sandy beach with both a bar/restaurant and
toilets by the beach is ideal for children. It has good car parking
facilities. |
| Algar Seco |
|
| Carvalho |
|
| Benagil |
|
| Marinha |
|
| Sra. da Rocha |
|
| Armacao de Pera |
|
| Salgados |
|
| Praia da Galé |
A popular spot for windsurfing and scuba diving, about 8
km (5 miles) west from the centre of Albufeira. A very long
stretch of sand that you can drive to. There is plenty of parking close by
as the only cliffs are either end of the beach. It looks out onto the
Armação de Pera bay, where you can watch the water sports. There is
a Beach bar. |
| Praia do Castelo |
This is reached by a short sandy track down a steep hill
whereas Praia da Gale (above) can be reached by road. A safe sandy beach
with nearby car parking facilities and a beach bar. Although it close to the
resort (Albufeira) it feels remote with lovely sand dunes and is relatively
un-crowded. Great natural beauty. |
| Sao Raphael |
|
| Albufeira |
Picturesque white fishermen's village; famous beaches;
party town |
| Oura |
Albufeira Praia da Oura
This is an ideal beach for exploring as it is divided into two
sections. The first is by the car park which has a bar / restaurant and is
lined with a colourful display of fishing boats. The eastern end has rocks
and from here it is possible to find small secluded sandy coves. |
| Praia dos Barcos |
Albufeira |
| Quarteira |
A large and busy beach which runs from the east all the
way to Faro. On the fringes of the resort there are some remote areas where
you can leave your car. The beach is gently sloping and is ideal for
children; in peak season there are lifeguards and the safety flag system.
There are several beach bars and windsurf hire is available. |
| Praia da Rocha |
This is probably the oldest and best know beach in the
Algarve. It is located just south of the main town of Portimão and was
originally much shorter in width and with a lot more charm. This beach in
the past has been seriously enlarged with the sand that was pumped out
during the dredging of the Portimão Harbour and at the same time meeting the
needs of the many visiting tourists to this area. discovered by tourism at
the end of the 19th century, it was for decades the favoured resort of rich
families from Portimao, the Algarve and Andalusia in summer, and of the
English in winter. The Hotel da Bela Vista, with its Belle Époque
architecture and decoration, dates from this period. There are acres of wide
open sand as far as eyes can see right in front of Praia da Rocha’s seafront
road. It is very popular but so big that you are sure to have plenty of room
to stretch out. A tunnel at the western end leads to narrower stretches of
beach, made all the more attractive by a backdrop of cliffs and pillars of
rock close to the shore. At various points on the seafront road there is
access to the beach by steps. There are patches of afternoon shade by the
tunnel and next to the cliffs further on.
With car parking nearby and excellent facilities such as a range of
bars/restaurants, deep-sea fishing, sailing, windsurfing and water-skiing it
is an ideal family beach. |
| PRAIA GRANDE |
This long wide beach can be found opposite Portimao
harbour. The southern end is more scenic. It has a windsurfing school and
paddle boats for hire but a word of warning - beware of strong tides. |
| Praia da Armona |
The three Islands of Armona,
Culatra and
Farol act as a barrier to the sea and on the
inland side there are the extensive lagoons forming the nature reserve of
Ria Formosa. Reaching these beaches can only be done by a ferries ( each
with a destination to one of the three islands ) which leaves from the
fishing port of
Olhão. The journeys can takes about 30 minutes and
leaves at approximately 15 minute intervals during the day ( seasonal ).
As you can imagine once you arrive at the chosen Island you are going to
find yourself as one of the limited number of humans visitors. The beach
looks out onto Baia de Lagos and has a selection of bars. |
| Praia Verde |
Located west of Monte Gordo and stretching
towards Tavira, this beach has a pleasant backdrop of greenery
(hence the name). It's a safe beach that is suitable for and popular with
families that include young children. |
| Armação de Pera |
Home of the 2006 sand sculptures exhibition, Near Pera. |
| Praia da Falésia |
This beach is sheltered by low red-brown cliffs, which
makes a bit of a sun trap. It's accessible by road from Vilamoura
by travelling westward toward
Olhos de Água. There is a Roman villa nearby at Cerro da
Vila. Located west of Vilamoura before reaching Olhos de Água. |
| PRAIA DE GARRÃO |
This beach fronts the chic area of the holiday resorts
known as Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo. This beach can now be easily
reached by road and one area popular for its beach restaurants is a section
know as “Julias” – a local lady and a character who opened the first beach
place at the time when access was either by horse or by a very sandy road
through the pine trees. |
| Vale do Lobo |
|
| Ancao |
|
| Quinta do Lago |
|
| Praia de Faro |
|
| Praia da Ilha de Faro |
This beach is a long narrow sandy bar that is accessed
by a road crossing a lagoon just south of the Faro airport ( yes, it is
noisy ). Being near to the principal town of the Algarve ( Faro ) it is
usually very busy. There are plenty of water sports faculties and also
plenty of restaurants / bars. |
| Farol |
|
| Culatra |
|
| Armona |
|
| Fuzeta |
|
| Praia Ilha de Tavira |
A short boat trip from Tavira's jetty, this
sandbar beach is a popular attraction, locally referred to as
Praia das Cascas. Also has an area for naturists
about one kilometre walk to the west end of the beach. |
| |
|
| Santa Luzia |
- A vast beach that offers hours of solitude, coupled
with the pleasure of warm, clear waters. |
| |
|
| Praia de Barril |
Barril is really an 'offshoot' of Praia Ilha de
Tavira. But, this 'island' beach is fun to get to as you can take a
small (and slow) train from Santa Luzia village. It is also
accessible from Pedras del Rey. Blue Flag beach. Lifeguard. Sunbeds &
Umbrella rental. Restaurant. Snack bar. Road Access and Parking. |
| Ilha da Tavira | There are
regular ferry crossings to this island, which lies opposite the city and has
long beaches. Blue Flag beach. Lifeguard. Sunbeds & Umbrella rental.
Restaurant. Snack bar. Road Access and Parking. |
| Cabanas |
Separated by an arm of the Ria Formosa, Cabanas is quite
and isolated. It can be reached by boat from Tavira. |
| Conceição |
Opposite the village of the same name. Reached by boat.
Extensive beach. Very calm. |
| Cacela | |
| Marita Rola | |
| | |
| Praia Verde | |
| Monte Gordo | |
| Santo Antonio | |
|
