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Which beaches to visit in Algarve

Hi There

I will be staying in Lagos for 4 days with a rental car. I wanted to know which beaches you were recommend to visit.
We like beautiful blue waters, nice cliffs and sandy beaches. Open to having to walk or hike. Open to "Hidden" beaches.

We also wanted to know if there are any beaches we can go to and take a boat to small islands/beaches/grotto's from the coast?

Thank you!

Posted by
233 posts

Hi

My favourite beach in Algarve is "Senhora da Rocha", a cove near "Armação de Pera", 50kms from Lagos. I'm not the kind of person who likes to stay laying in the sand, so I need something to do while in beach, and this one has a lot of funny things: fishermen coming and going, a restaurant in the beach (at 11, more or less, they start picking the fish they will serve from the nets that are in the sea), a underground path (under the cliff) that leads to another beach, etc. Parking there is not easy, but it is possible. There are boats to take you to see hidden beaches and grottes, like "Benagil" (search google to see how beatiful it is). You don't book this boats in advance, just go there and ask the fishermen what time it is possible to go.

If you want something more touristic, at Lagos (or anyother city in Algarve) you'll find a lot of advertisements for "Pirat" boats, etc, that will take along the coast with animation, and will serve you lunch in a desert beach along the way.

Near Lagos, just across the bridge (way to Portimão) there is a nice, long, golden sand beach: "Meia Praia". Very similar ot this one you have "Luz", on the way from Lagos to Sagres.

Helena

Posted by
6113 posts

When are you staying?

There are no hidden beaches these days, as most tourists have a rental car and the information is widely available online.

The sea near Lagos is cold, as it's not the Med. All the beaches are sandy.

If you want cliffs, then you need to head west beyond Salema. The best beach depends on which direction the wind is gusting, as some are too windy to sit on depending on the wind direction. Figueira and Furnas beaches between Salema and Sagres are about as quiet as it gets. If you want a good beach walk, then the Atlantic beaches around Vila do Bispo to Aljezur are ideal. Plenty of cliffs and miles of wuiet beaches. Popular with surfers.

There are no islands off this part of the Algarve coast - the beach islands are at the eastern end of the Algarve. There are many boat trips in the summer from Lagos marina to the caves.