At Garrão, the line of cliffs gives way to huge dune fields that stretch all the way to the sandy barrier islands of the Ria Formosa, not very far from here. The beach runs along two valleys separated by a low cliff: the Dunas Douradas Lagoon lies in the valley to the west, while the […]
The ochre and red cliffs, soft and vulnerable to contact with fresh and salt water, are the hallmark of Vale do Lobo Beach, which is surrounded by a high quality tourist complex. Erosion has carved deep gullies in the cliff face exposed to the elements, resulting in some very curiously-shaped natural formations. The red tones […]
The route to these beaches takes you through a large rural valley with farmlands dotted with olive, cork oak and carob trees, where you will see the unmistakable azure-winged magpies and hoopoes flying around, as well as old hydraulic devices such as aqueducts and norias. As you approach the sea, the lands become waterlogged; this […]
The welcoming Vilamoura Beach is located between the eastern jetty of the marina and the dock at Quarteira, and is backed by one of Europe’s largest tourist developments. What was formerly the Quarteira Estate has now been transformed into an enormous landscaped leisure area offering a host of activities. Golf is the resort’s top sport […]
This beach is located at the far western end of the Ria Formosa lagoon system, already inside the boundary of the Nature Park. Although no water mirror can be seen yet, the waterlogged areas that flood at high tide are well-known and are covered in typical wetland vegetation. The stone pine and cork oak forest […]
Formerly a seafarers’ village, Quarteira grew in response to the demand for its beaches and is now a major tourist resort. The fishing hub, with its boats and equipment huts, still exists but only at the westernmost end of the beach. Fresh, charcoal-grilled fish is ever-present at meal times in Quarteira, along with a variety […]
This beach is situated in a very cosmopolitan summer holiday resort that used to be a major fishing town, especially from the 13th to the 16th century. The seafront promenade with its Portuguese crazy paving offers sunny open-air cafés and restaurants and lots of entertainment during the summer. To the west, the promenade lined by […]
Lying in an ample, open valley, this is a large beach framed at either end by high cliffs. The Atalaia Viewpoint, at the top of the western cliff, affords a superbly scenic view of the coast all the way to Sagres. To the west, the prevailing colours are light greys, the much laminated, precariously-balanced cliffs […]
This very welcoming beach lies beside the Nossa Senhora da Rocha fishing harbour and therefore beachgoers share it with the fishing boats and equipment (especially buckets) and the huts where the fishermen store their things. The fishing boats also take tourists, on request, to visit the area’s sea caves, where you can admire the fascinating […]
Carvoeiro was once a fishing village and has now become a cosmopolitan tourist resort. It boasts a welcoming bay with calm waters. The cliffs around the beach form an amphitheatre, dotted with the brightly whitewashed village houses, taking advantage of the appearance that the passage of time has brought to the rocky wall to make […]
Sea Beach – Known as “Faro Island”, this expanse of sand is actually part of the Ancão Peninsula that delimits the Ria Formosa to the west. Road access is via a narrow bridge that crosses one of the inlets of the estuary and banks of marshland and silt. Despite its urban setting and intense tourist […]
As you set off along the path to the beach, you cut through a tourist complex where you can still see signs of the old rural landscape. The cork oaks and olive trees gradually give way to the dune pines typical of the coast. The stone pines form a dense forest and growing alongside them […]