January 28, 2025, 9:40 am | Read time: 6 minutes
There are many beaches in the Algarve, each with its own unique character. Some are only accessible via narrow ladders in the rocks, others require a ferry to an island, and many make for wonderful postcard scenes. There will never be consensus on which beach on Portugal’s southern coast is the most beautiful. However, the following selection includes some truly outstanding examples.
Overview
Prainha in Alvor
Rugged rocks carved by the sea divide the beach into different sections, which are connected and accessible at low tide through natural crevices and holes. To the west, you reach the seven-kilometer-long sandy beach of Alvor, and to the east, small coves that are mostly submerged at high tide. The offshore rocks attract snorkelers.
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Ponta da Piedade in Lagos
The beach scenery around the lighthouse of Lagos appears incomparable with its 20-meter-high rock formations. With its arches, grottos, caves, and small bathing coves, the cliff landscape of Ponta da Piedade is one of the most impressive and visited destinations in the Algarve. The adjacent bathing cove Praia da Boneca is only accessible on foot via a steep path in a narrow gorge and can only be entered at low tide. It’s easier by boat, but beware: rockfalls threaten from the steep walls!
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Praia do Camilo in Lagos
About a kilometer from Ponta da Piedade, Praia do Camilo attracts hundreds of sunbathers to a similarly picturesque beach in the Algarve. From a beautiful restaurant on the cliff, the 100 steps of a wooden staircase lead to the two small bathing coves, which are connected by an artificial tunnel. Because access is so convenient, it often gets crowded here.
Praia Dona Ana in Lagos
Not far from Praia do Camilo is Praia Dona Ana, which, like several others in Lagos, is among the most beautiful in the Algarve. Due to its beautiful location amidst the cliffs, the beach is often very crowded in the summer. However, in the evening hours, it becomes increasingly empty, allowing you to enjoy a few quiet moments.
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Praia do Carvalho in Carvoeiro
Even accessing the small beach east of Carvoeiro is a challenge. It can only be reached via a steep staircase tunnel carved by hand into the rock from the cliff. Rocks border the cove on the right and left, and daring cliff divers plunge from up to 12 meters into the cool waters. Not for the faint-hearted!
Praia de Benagil in Lagoa
Further east, at the beach of Benagil in Lagoa, a huge rock cave is the main tourist attraction. At low tide, you can reach the sea-carved cavity known as the “Cathedral” by swimming or by boat. It appears on many Algarve postcards. The calm coast is ideal for stand-up paddlers, kayakers, and excursion boats that shuttle between Carvoeiro and Albufeira. Along the way, you can explore many quiet coves that are only accessible from the water. Hikers are rewarded with fantastic panoramic views on a two-hour coastal trail between Benagil and Praia Marinha.
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Praia da Marinha in Carvoeiro
It has often topped various lists of dream beaches. Massive rock walls up to 30 meters high protect the Algarve beach from winds. To the west, you can swim to explore large rock arches and grottos. Snorkelers might be lucky enough to spot seahorses. However, the beach also highlights the dangers of the rocky Algarve: In 1998, a rock wall collapsed here, and its remnants still make access to the western part of the beach difficult.
Praia do Martinhal in Sagres
Located at the southwestern tip of the Algarve, Martinhal beach is particularly popular with families with children. The gently sloping beach features a wooden walkway for strollers, lifeguards, several restaurants, and a large hotel specializing in families with children. The town of Sagres is just a stone’s throw away, and at Cabo de São Vicente, a considerable crowd of local and international beachgoers gathers every evening to watch the sun set into the Atlantic.
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Ilha da Culatra in Olhão
Just outside the city of Olhão, you can enjoy the Ria Formosa Lagoon Nature Park on the island of Culatra with its miles of dune beaches in peace. In addition to the approximately 1,000 resident fishermen, shellfish farmers, waiters, and lighthouse keepers, almost exclusively Portuguese people venture to the small island, which is only accessible by boat or ferry. There are no hotels on Ilha da Culatra or the neighboring four islands. The few guests who stay overnight are accommodated in fishermen’s houses. Everyone else enjoys the boat ride through the lagoon, the endless, almost deserted beaches, and the fresh Conquilha clams.
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Praia Odeceixe in Aljezur
It doesn’t get much more varied than this. To the north, the Seixe River brings freshwater and silt to the beach, creating a large sandbar that provides children with protection from the otherwise strong surf of the western Algarve at low tide. Further out at sea, surfers wait for the perfect wave. If you like, you can also swim in the freshwater or paddle up the river. Further south, steep schist cliffs rise at the beach, enclosing Praia das Adegas, one of Portugal’s few nudist beaches.
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Praia do Amado in Bordeira
This is where surfers and those who aspire to be meet. At the long beach between red and ochre-colored rocks in the north and slate-gray rock in the south, a stiff breeze almost constantly blows–bringing forth a variety of wave types. This phenomenon attracts surf schools and makes the beach an ideal venue for surf competitions.