The village of Altura, essentially a summer holiday resort, stands alongside the long sandy beach and its wide line of dunes. Raised walkways lead to various parts of the sands, and give you the opportunity (especially on the western walkway) to observe how the dune vegetation changes from the inland edge of the dunes to […]
At this beach, a vast stretch of sand heads northward and, to the south, an interesting rocky platform emerges at low tide, revealing the intertidal marine life, such as crabs and starfish in the rock cavities, shoals of young, white sea bream swimming around the rocks, and anemones, sea urchins and gobies in the tidal […]
This river beach, set in the heart of the north-eastern Algarve countryside, has formed at a pretty pool in the Cadavais Stream, one of the River Guadiana’s tributaries. Light-coloured sand, unusual for a riverside setting such as this, was brought here from the coast. The beach also offers sports areas and a picnic ground, set […]
East Rocha Baixinha is a large beach, which is delimited to the east by the jetties on the Quarteira Stream and at Vilamoura Marina. The soft, ochre cliffs disappear under the sands, giving rise to a large dune field with a great variety of plant life that you can observe from the network of raised […]
From this beach on, the deeply-eroded limestone coastline of the western Algarve gives way to gentle cliffs of sand and clay, which stretch eastwards to the municipality of Loulé. The best way to get to the beach is on foot, not only because it is a very pleasant walk but also because the dirt track […]
The beach is huge – almost a kilometre in length – and very varied. To the west, tourist infrastructure dominate the skyline and the setting is urban, while to the east, after Pedra dos Bicos (a deeply-eroded rock formation sticking out into the sea), it becomes more natural and progressively quieter. Access to the western […]
Known in English as “Fishermen’s Beach”, Praia dos Pescadores is the continuation of Peneco Beach. It is framed by the pontoon to the east and, to the west, by the bright lights and whitewashed houses that surround the beach like an amphitheatre and whose foundations seem to blend into the rock of the cliff face. […]
Praia da Galé stands at the far eastern end of the large sandy bay of Armação de Pera. Here, the rock formations typical of the western Algarve once again make their presence felt, providing a series of nooks and crannies for bathers, especially at the eastern end. In contrast, the western end is more exposed. […]
This beach follows on from the sands of Praia Grande, to the east of the Salgados Lagoon, a wetland zone that has formed at the final stretch of the Espiche Stream. To get to the beach, you go through the holiday village associated with the golf course that runs alongside the lagoon, descending an avenue […]
This beach is located in the picturesque village of Olhos d’Água, a land of fishermen where, even today, beachgoers share the sand with the colourful traditional fishing boats. The beach and village are named after the fresh-water springs that flow on to the beach and are known locally as “olhos d’água” or “olheiros”, meaning “eyes […]
In Santa Eulália, the blue of the sea and the bright tones of the sand combine harmoniously with the cool green atmosphere of the surrounding pine grove. The stone pines form a dense wood and grow precariously perched at the edge of the small abysses that have been created by landslides on the cliffs, where […]
Before you start heading down to the beach, it is worth spending a moment at the small viewpoint to admire the view of coastline and the curious rock formations – rocky ledges, sinkholes and caves – that have been carved out by the fresh and salt water. You will see countless white dots gleaming on […]