The Portuguese Algarve is known as Europe’s most famous secret. Located in the southwestern corner of the Iberian peninsula, the Algarve region is home to some of the most beautiful beaches and landscapes in the world.
The Algarve has a rich and varied history with many cultural influences spanning three thousand years, having changed hands among the Phoenicians, Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Moors, and Christians. And finally, it was acquired by the Kingdom of Portugal. Indeed, the Algarve gets its name — Al-Gharb — from the Moors, meaning the west.
Relics of the past remain and shape the modern Algarve, most notably in architecture, design, and especially the cuisine. It comes as no surprise then that the Algarve’s cuisine has developed in two directions. An impressive variety of dishes using fish and shellfish on the one side and a varied assortment of meat and game dishes on the other.
All of this was an added bonus of my trip since my primary goal was to enjoy the Algarve’s world famous beaches, which I’ll focus on here.
First Things First: Travel, Car Rental, and Accommodation
By air, the entry point into the Algarve is the capital city of Faro. The Faro Airport, also known as Alrgarve Airport, has dozens of direct routes within Europe. Faro is a small, unassuming town in the center of the Algarve region. It has a cute Old Town along with a more modern city center. The restaurants were great, in particular I recommend Café Aliaça and Sabores da Sé.
From the US, the cheapest routing is most likely to layover in Lisbon or London. Checkout Skiplagged and Kiwi.com for unpublished routes, but purchase directly from the airlines to avoid small fees from these services. Flights to Faro from various points of Europe are often cheap. From the US, I have found roundtrip flights starting at $495 with American Airlines/British Airlines, with a stopover in London (LHR) from New York (JFK). You could also use as few as 45k AA or 34k British Airways miles during off-peak dates
I stayed three nights in a private room Airbnb near central Faro for $31.45 per night. You can go much cheaper with hostels starting at about $13 per night. In addition to Airbnb, use Booking.com and Agoda.com for the most comprehensive accommodation searches.
For your car rental, I recommend rentalcars.com or autoeurope.com. Be aware that there are very few automatic transmission vehicles in Europe, and they are about three times as expensive as a manual transmission rental. You can rent manual cars for as cheap as $15 per day. The main highway in the Algarve is the A22 toll road, which adds some costs. Consider renting a transponder to cover your toll payments. More information on that here.
Faro is not necessarily close to many beaches. The following recommendations are all 60-90 minutes drive away. In retrospect, to reduce driving time I would have stayed in different cities along the Algarve coast each night. On the other hand, it’s worth noting that many people make Faro a home base during their time in the Algarve, and I did meet a couple new friends during my three nights there. Ultimately, were I to do it again, I would have stayed one night in Lagos, one in Albufeira, and one in Faro (in that order so that the Faro train station or airport are easily accessible on the day of departure). The nightlife is best in Lagos and Albufeira, so try to stay there on a Friday and/or Saturday. Falésia beach near Albufeira is famous for its nightlife. The beach has won awards for being the best beach for nightlife in Portugal, but I can’t personally vouch for that claim.
The Beaches!
It would take months to properly experience all the beaches along the Algarve coast. They are just about endless, and they’re all certainly beautiful. But after a lot of research and with only three days in the Algarve, I settled on five beaches that gave me a variety of solitude, natural beauty, and convenience.
Tavira Island
As this is a blog about islands and coastal regions (on a budget!), it wouldn’t have been a complete trip without a visit to a nearby island. As soon as I landed in Faro, I grabbed my rental car, checked in to my Airbnb, and headed for Tavira Island, unsurprisingly located off the coast of the town of Tavira.
The summer time ferry service departs from the river harbor in Tavira (GPS 37.12496, -7.64541) and the fare is €1.30/€2.00, one-way and roundtrip (please let me know if you find the prices have changed). The boat departs about every half hour from 10AM-7PM. The journey time is 20 minutes and passes through the mudflats and salt water lagoons of the Ria Formosa Nature Park. While you wait, there are several shops for either a full lunch or a light snack. This is a good chance to grab a bottled water as the prices are slightly higher on the island.
During the summer expect the ferry to be very busy with long lines, especially when returning to Tavira at the end of the day. The latest timetable can be seen on the Silnido (ferry company) website.
Be warned that parking is limited, and it’s quite a crunch to get through the very narrow alley way to the harbor. To avoid this, there is a second ferry service between the Cais das Quatro Águas pier and the Ilha de Tavira, which provides year-round service and is a much shorter journey, taking only 10 minutes. The pier is located 2km south of Tavira (GPS 37.11651, -7.62928) and is very convenient for visitors with a car, as there is a large car park close by (GPS 37.1169396,-7.6312595). The ferry fares are €.90/€1.50, one-way and roundtrip. The most up-to-date timetable can be seen here.
Now that all of that is out of the way, it’s time to actually enjoy the island. Once you arrive at the island dock, it will be about a 15 minute walk to the other side of the island, where the expansive beach lies. As you approach the beach, make a quick stop over at Xiri Beach Bar for a drink and an umbrella rental.
Enjoy the beach! The water is warm, calm, and clean, and the beach runs widely in both directions so there should be no trouble in finding solitude if that’s what you want.
Falésia Beach
Falésia Beach is known for it incredible towering red cliffs that protect the 3.5 mile long beach, which stretches from Vilamoura to the small village of Olhos d’Água. The beach consists of these two parts, which are quite different from each other. Starting in Vilamoura, the beach is very large and the waters are shallow. Thus, especially during low tide, you can walk perhaps 30 yards into the water. The portion near Vilamoura has all sorts of water sports, including paragliding, diving, and a surfing school. Superb beach restaurants can be found on that part of praia da Falésia. There are also several popular hotels within walking distance from the beach.
However, I spent my entire time on the portion of Falésia nearer to Olhos d’Água. This is the best spot to put down a towel, enjoy the beautiful red cliffs, and swim.
Above the cliffs there is a hiking trail. From this trail you will get spectacular views over the beach and the sea. Be careful along this trail after it has rained as it can be slippery.
To get to the beach, I parked about 3/4 of a mile away (GPS 37.0901317,-8.168968), although I’m certain it’s possible to park closer if you arrive earlier in the morning. If you need lunch or a snack, there is a small snack bar at the top of the stairs which lead down the cliffside to the beach.
Before I arrived at the beach, I grabbed lunch at Casa Falésia, located in a small shopping center about five minute’s drive from the beach. They had great fresh fish dishes (and the usual burgers, etc). After lunch, I purchased a small beach umbrella for €8 at this little shop located in the same shopping strip just down the sidewalk from the restaurant. An older gentleman ran the shop, and he was very kind. Give him some business, whether you need more sunscreen, a towel, an umbrella, etc.
Praia da Marinha and Praia de Benagil
I pair these two beaches together because they are the two most famous beaches in the Algarve, and they are also within a mile of each other. I didn’t know they were so close together, and it has only been in my subsequent research that I now realize their proximity. I probably would have swam through the ocean alongside the bordering cliffs from one beach to the other had I known this, and at the very least I would have simply hiked across the well-worn trail connecting the two. For the less adventurous tourist, you can either reserve a kayak or a boat tour with Taruga Tours. Prices and timetables here.
Praia da Marinha is known mostly for its iconic arches, which you can walk to during low tide. The beach is surrounded by steep cliffs. When you arrive and park your car (on the side of the road or in the bushes), you can take a long stretch of stairs to go down to the beach. Before you descend the stairs however, make sure you check out the breathtaking view over the beach. You’ll be able to get a great view of the famous “M” arch.
The sand on Praia da Marinha is soft and the beach is well-maintained. it is not the biggest beach of the Algarve, but it was still easy to find a spot. Praia da Marinha is popular with Portuguese families and tourists. The beach is not as crowded as some of the other beaches in the Algarve, which is weird considering the fact that every tourist resource points to this beach. The beach can only be reached by car, so that is probably why. The sea near Praia da Marina is calm and the water is clear, almost transparent. This makes it a popular destination for snorkeling, as it is possible to see many different kinds of marine species and fish underwater. So bring your snorkeling gear, and know that there usually aren’t rental shops on-location.
As I mentioned, there is a walking trail up on the cliffs above Praia da Marinha. Instead of descending the stairs on the left to go to the beach, you go right and follow the walking trail. This walk will give you amazing views over the nearby cliffs and beaches and can be highly recommended. About a mile down the trail you will arrive at Praia de Benagil. I drove there, however. There is plenty of parking around, but you may have to park as far as half a mile away in a dirt road area.
This takes us into how to experience Benagil Beach. Benagil is known for the Benagil cave, which is about 200 yards off the beach’s shoreline. It is only accessible by boat or swimming. In my case, I took the more adventurous and cheaper method of swimming, which took me about 15 minutes. Do know that this is real open-ocean swimming, so there are more risks involved although I clearly thought they were minimal. If you do prefer to rent a kayak or take a boat tour, then make reservations with Taruga Tours. They are located at Benagil Beach, not Marinha.
Algar Seco Cliff Walk
If you research Algar Seco, you’ll see a lot of hype about it. Just take a look! I think it’s a great spot to visit in conjunction with lunch or dinner in the charming town of Carvoeiro, but it’s not worth a visit in itself if pinched for time. If you’re tired of the beach and want some great Insta pictures, then this is a great option. The Algar Seco (GPS 37.09324, -8.46545) are a series of beautiful cliff formations near the town of Carvoeiro that have been carved out of the limestone bedrock.
The western side (right at the fork) climbs down to a curious series of rock formations and honeycomb pitted strata. The most obvious feature is the limestone pinnacle, but more interestingly is the cave fondly known as “A Boneca” (the doll). The short cave passage leads to a small chamber and the most famous viewpoint of Carvoeiro, two eroded arches with views out over the deep blues of the ocean. The “A Boneca” cave name originates from the seaside exterior, which resembles a doll, with the two cave arches forming the eyes of the doll.
This is also a great spot to have a bite. At the base of the Algar Seco cliffs is the Boneca Bar, a great setting for lunch or dinner. They have some limited indoor seating and their outdoor seating consists of a very comfortable covered patio area.
Praia de Dona Ana
Praia do Dona Ana sits at the edge of the former Algarve capital of Lagos. The benefit of this beach is that it is within walking distance of central Lagos, so it pairs well with touring the city. This strength is also a weakness though since its proximity to central Lagos makes it one of the most accessible beaches in the Algarve and thus one of the most crowded.
Regardless, many consider Dona Ana one of the most worthy beaches in the region with its deep red, high cliffs, golden sands, and clear waters. I arrived at Dona Ana about an hour before sunset, and it was a lovely way to end the day. The beach also has a restaurant that serves a variety of Portuguese dishes. If I went back, I would plan to briefly check out the city of Lagos and then make my way to the Dona Ana.
Here’s a great write-up with pictures!
Estimated Costs for One Week Stay
- Flight Starting at $495 (with route from JFK-LHR-FAO) or as much as $1000 from most other big cities, or you could use as few as 45k AA or 34k British Airways miles during off-peak dates
- Accommodation $15-$40 per night
- Car Rental $15 per day (Manual Shift – search with autoeurope.com)
- Gas $60 for a tank refill
- Food/Meals/Eating Out $25-$35 per day
- Misc. $10-15 per day