Best Algarve Portugal Beaches — Our Top 5 Picks

Known for its gorgeous coastline, majestic mountain ranges, and breadth of culture and history, the Algarve is one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world. To many, Algarve beach is a summer paradise, with its soft sand and consistently sunny weather. Whether playing in the crystal clear waters, exploring the shoreline, or bathing in the sun, you will have a blast exploring the several beaches of the Algarve.

And with so many beaches in the Algarve region, you might be wondering what the best Algarve, Portugal beaches are. While the best beach for you can vary according to your preferences and needs, I’ve reflected on my own experiences and gathered information to show you our top 5 picks for the best beaches in Algarve.

1.  Praia de Carvoeiro

While Carvoeiro was first a tiny fishing village on the west coast of the Algarve, it has since become a popular destination for tourism. Historically, the waters at Carvoeiro were the setting for many battles between the military and pirates. One of the most famous battles was waged between a fleet of Portuguese ships led by Dom Pedro da Cunha and the ships of a Turkish pirate named Xarramet.

Nowadays, people go to Praia de Carvoeiro to enjoy the warm beach sands and picturesque blue waters. Carvoeiro is infectiously pleasant, with a bustling city center, apartments, and hotels offering magnificent ocean views. As is typical of villages in the Algarve, the architecture of Carvoeiro primarily consists of traditional whitewashed houses framed with colored bars.

What to Do at Praia de Carvoeiro

Praia de Carvoeiro is known all around the Algarve and is the most popular beach in Lagoa. While Praia de Carvoeiro was historically a beach for fishermen, it has since become one of the most popular Algarve, Portugal beaches with tourists from around the world.

While at this western Algarve beach, you have the perfect opportunity to lay in the sand, soak in the sun’s rays, or swim in the beautiful, crisp water. The sand is fine, soft, and perfect for building sandcastles. The many businesses and restaurants surrounding the beach offer refreshing drinks and snacks perfect for recovering from a fun day.

And if you rent a boat or kayak from some of the nearby vendors, you can set out to explore some of the area’s most beautiful natural attractions. Suppose you venture to the nearby Praia de Benagil, for example. In that case, you can view the famous Benagil caves — including Algar de Benagil (otherwise known as the Benagil Sea Cave) with the famous ‘eye’ — and appreciate the magnificent structures in person.

Near Praia Carvoeiro is the Praia da Marinha, also easily accessible to visitors. When you visit, you can admire some of the world’s most incredible natural rock formations. The tall arches and striations in the seaside rocks contrast beautifully against the crisp blue water, creating a beautiful sight. When you visit at low tide, exploring underneath the arches is possible. It’s no surprise that the Michelin Guide recognized Marinha beach as one of the world’s most beautiful beaches.

2.  Praia do Amado

Just outside of Carrapateira, Praia do Amado is a part of the Costa Vicentina natural park on the west Algarve coast. This beach is famous among surfers but has an incredible natural beauty that would easily appeal to any nature lover.

To reach Praia do Amado, you will have to go a little out of the way — you’ll notice when you arrive that compared to many other beaches in the Algarve, Praia do Amado is quite rural! Charming and sturdy wooden staircases lead the way down to the soft, light-golden sands, making a suitable entrance to this beautiful beach.

The ocean is wonderfully clear, but the currents are strong and worth factoring in as you decide which beach to visit. The beach is also quite large, with the wild and rugged terrain that characterizes Praia do Amado stretching over 1 kilometer along the shoreline. Magnificent cliffs tower over the lively waters, varying in color from a deep crimson to ochre and even pink.

What to Do in Praia do Amado

Praia do Amado is primarily famous for surfing, but during the peak tourist season, you may see other groups and families visiting. During the summer and weekends, the beach can occasionally become crowded. Still, it never gets as crowded as the most famous beaches, and during slow times, you’ll find it relatively peaceful. You may even be the only person visiting at certain times in the winter!

Because of the cliffs surrounding the beach, you’ll be naturally protected from many of the harshest winds coming from up north and off of the Atlantic Ocean. The sun is warm and pleasant during the summer, while in cooler seasons, you’ll find the weather mild and dry, as is typical of the Algarve in winter.

If you’re looking to go surfing, this is easily the best beach in the Algarve. With large, consistent waves year-round, there’s no better place to get out in the water and have fun. The conditions here are so ideal that international surfing tournaments are sometimes held at Praia do Amado! You can expect the waves to be moderate in the summer and quite significant in the winter. For that reason, if you’re inexperienced or visiting with anyone susceptible to being caught in a riptide, you should avoid Praia do Amado during the winter.

3.  Meia Praia

Meia Praia is one of the best beaches if you’re looking for a quiet and pleasant beach. This beach is popular among locals and their families and offers all of the typical highlights of a beach vacation, including soft golden sand and pleasantly calm waters. And while this beach can sometimes get crowded, especially during summer and peak tourist seasons, it’s incredibly spacious due to the lack of large rock formations typical to most other Algarve beaches.

With a warm and sandy coastline stretching over 4 kilometers, this is easily one of the most extensive beaches in the Algarve. Whether you prefer to walk along the shoreline, build sandcastles with the soft and pliant sand, or swim in the calm and crystal-clear waters, Meia Praia offers a full day of fun — it’s a popular destination for a reason!

What to Do in Meia Praia

Plenty of restaurants and cafes are dotted around the area, which is very convenient when you spend the day exerting all your energy at the beach! Some businesses offer rentals on large beach essentials like oversized parasols and chaise loungers, meaning you can enjoy all the beach fixtures without needing to lug them around.

It’s important to note that you’ll have to pay to use the bathroom or get water if you visit Meia Praia, so you should come prepared with a waterproof wallet and beach bag!

Aside from the typical beach activities you can expect to enjoy, Meia Praia is a great destination for water sports. Whether you prefer kayaking on a guided tour to the magnificent caves nearby or kite surfing on the great blue waves, you won’t get bored during your visit to Meia Praia. After enjoying your day sightseeing, there are plenty of luxurious hotels to choose from where you can sleep the night away peacefully.

4.  Praia da Rocha

Framed by the 17th-century fortress Fortaleza de Santa Catarina and the looming Castelo de São João do Arade in the distance, this beach and those who inhabited its shores protected the Arade River for centuries. The pirates of these times are gone, and the cannons have gone cold, making this “Beach of Rocks” the ideal destination for a relaxing day since it was redeveloped in the 1930s.

Aside from the grand fortresses lining the shores, the limestone cliff formations are gorgeous. Though not as profound, this beach shares its dramatic limestone foundations with nearby Praia dos Três Castelos beach. While some of these limestone monuments have eroded into shapes resembling great pyramids and castles, others have weathered with time to form cliffs over the head of the beach.

What to Do in Praia da Rocha

The length of this beach is imposing compared to other Algarve beaches since even during the busiest tourist seasons, you will have over a mile of coastline to swim and sunbathe along! If you’re looking just to kick back and relax, many vendors sell beach equipment to help you pass the time. The waters of the Praia da Rocha don’t have powerful waves or riptides since the rock formations shelter this beach from the worst of the Atlantic Ocean’s currents.

Praia da Rocha is a little chilly for most of the year, but never uncomfortably so. Even in December, the beach generally pulls a crowd for holiday celebrations. There also tends to be lively nightlife in the beachside bars and restaurants year-round, though the late end of winter can draw some inside as it gets rainy. And once you’re done partying the night away, there are plenty of luxurious stays to rest at.

The gorgeous waters and fun-filled amenities at Praia da Rocha have attracted visitors for nearly a century. Whether you’re looking to join in on the nightlife or just prefer to lounge in the sun, you’ll love everything the Praia da Rocha offers.

5.  Praia de Dona Ana

Praia Dona Ana is one of the most beautiful beaches in the Algarve, with gorgeous sea-facing cliffs and lush foliage to frame its picturesque view. This beach is easily accessible, located just south of Lagos, and has gorgeous cliffs with erosions showing all of the rock’s golden striations. The sea is calm and warm and takes on a magnificent turquoise color that contrasts beautifully against the shimmering sands.

What to Do in Praia de Dona Ana

Praia Dona Ana is the perfect place to go if you’re looking for a relaxing getaway. The atmosphere is pleasantly calm and quiet. While this beach is known among tourists, you can expect the crowds to be lighter due to the sheer amount of space the beach offers to lounge out and relax. Due to the calm waters, this beach is also a perfect pick for anyone visiting with their young children.

Praia Dona Ana isn’t well suited to water sports like kitesurfing or jet skis, but it is an excellent place to bring your paddleboard or swim about in the relaxing waters. Since Ponta da Piedade shields Praia Dona Ana from many of the Atlantic Ocean’s most powerful currents, the waters don’t have strong winds. They have a low tide, with the beach never being excessively windy.

This beach is also family-friendly, tending to attract groups with children rather than rowdy, drinking, or excessively loud visitors. And if you’re looking to go just to enjoy the view, Dona Ana beach is easily one of the prettiest beaches in the area. Pictures of the gorgeous cliffs overlooking the waters are already enough to inspire, but it’s a truly otherworldly experience seeing the scenery in person.

After you’ve had fun in the crisp ocean waters, there’s plenty to do in the area. Overlooking the beach is the Marisol restaurant, a popular lunch spot that offers deliciously authentic food and refreshing drinks. After a short wait for a table, you can enjoy local delights like grilled seafood and fresh sandwiches, all while enjoying an incredible view of the Atlantic Ocean.

How Many Beaches are in the Algarve?

We have barely scratched the surface of the best Algarve Portugal beaches, with over 133 beaches found along the coast of Southern Portugal. While some can only be accessed by boat, others are long and close to resorts and coastal towns. If you’re looking for some of our other top favorites, we recommend Praia da Falesia in central Algarve, Praia da Coelha, and Praia de Odeceixe, all of which are easily accessible to sun-seeking tourists.