Explore the Algarve: The Best Things To Do And See

Epic sunrises, gigantic cliffs, golden beaches, and awesome activities, the Algarve has got it all! The Algarve is located in the south of Portugal, the landscape and weather have turned it into a very popular holiday destination and that is not a surprise! You might wonder what the best things to do and see are so you can plan your next trip accordingly. Well, wonder no more; I have compiled a list of the must-dos and see’s in the Algarve region, including some information about hotels, what town to stay in, and the best time to visit.

The Best Things To Do And See In The Algarve

Watch the sunrise/set at Ponta da Piedade

Chances are you have already seen a picture of Ponta da Piedade. These picture-perfect rocky cliffs can often be seen on postcards, but nothing beats standing there yourself, especially during sunset or sunrise. Many people gather there with picnic baskets simply to enjoy an evening well spent together.

Photography-wise I’d recommend visiting during sunrise because the sun rises on the most picturesque side, but if you, like me, don’t enjoy waking up early the sunset is gorgeous too. You could even visit Ponta da Piedade during the day. They have recently opened a new boardwalk which is perfect for a stroll along the coast, but you could also head down the many many stairs to get to the water’s edge or book an excursion, for example, a boat or canoe excursion.

Hike the Seven Hanging Trails Valley

Another great way to enjoy the Algarve’s scenery is by hiking the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail. This is a 6km long linear trail from Praia da Marinha to Praia de Vale Centeanes. During this trail you will pass several beaches you can stop at, so do bring your swimming gear! It’s a moderate trail with several ascending and descending parts. It is important to wear sturdy shoes.

The trail starts near the entrance of Praia da Marinha. If you start, the trail you will be going in the opposite direction of Praia da Marinha, so if you want to see this famous beach, head down there first before starting the trail. You could also do the trail in the opposite direction (starting at Praia de Vale Centeanes), but I don’t recommend that because there are more parking spots at Praia da Marinha and you can sit down and have a drink at Praia de Vale Centeanes, there are no restaurants or bars at Praia da Marinha.

You could split the trail into three parts:

Part 1: Praia da Marinha – Benagil Beach | 2 kilometres

The first part of the trail is the most popular one, although it still didn’t feel crowded when I did this trail back in August. Red and yellow arrows will point you the way through this beautiful piece of nature. You will pass a viewpoint of Praia da Marinha, a beach that is solely accessible by sea (Praia da Corredoura), the Benagil cave (although you can’t really see anything from up there), and end at Benagil Beach. From, there it is possible to book a tour to actually get to go into Benagil Cave, cool down in the sea, head back either with an Uber or walking the same route back, or head on to part 2 of the trail.

Part 2: Benagil Beach – Praia do Carvalho | 1.5 kilometres

This part of the trail is shorter and doesn’t take you past any important sites although the views are still stunning. This part ends at Praia do Carvalho, a secluded beach you can reach by a man-made tunnel.

Part 3: Praia do Carvalho – Praia de Vale Centeanes | 2.5 kilometres

The final part is the least visited one although I truly enjoyed this part. In the distance, you will spot a lighthouse which you’ll eventually pass by. If it’s becoming too much for you, at this point it is possible to stop and head back to the parking lot using Uber.

If you decide to continue the scenery will briefly change from golden cliffs to a pine forest providing some shade. You will also pass a scenic picnic spot before walking the final meters towards Praia de Vale Centeanes. Over there, you could enjoy the golden beach and cool down in the sea, walk the trail back, or book an Uber to get back to the parking lot of Praia da Marinha.

Although Praia da Marinha has got more parking spots than Praia de Vale Centeanes, it still is not a big parking lot. Try to get there in time! I arrived at 10AM and the parking lot was full. Next to the parking lot are some extra offroad spots, but to get there you have to cross a rather deep hole. I didn’t want to take the risk of damaging the rental car or getting stuck so I parked at Aparcamiento Parking, which is an 18 minutes downhill walk to the start of the trail.

Most of the route is not shaded, so do make sure that you bring enough water (you can only get some water at Benagil Beach and Praia de Val Centeanes), a hat, sunblock, and sunglasses.

As mentioned earlier, you could only do this trial one way or decide to do it both ways. If you opt for doing it one way I’d recommend using Uber to get back to the parking lot.

Relax at one of the many stunning beaches

There are plenty of beaches to choose from and honestly, all will be great for a day at the beach but I’ll highlight some of the most beautiful beaches over here:

Praia do Camilo

Praia do Camilo is located in Lagos near Ponta da Piedade. A long wooden staircase winds down towards the sandy beach surrounded by impressive rock formations. The beach is divided into separate areas that you can access through short carved tunnels. It is a popular beach, so if you want the place to yourself either get there very early or late in the afternoon. Photographers: this is a sunrise destination, during sunset, the beach will be cast in shadows.

Praia da Prainha

This beach is located in Prainha which is near Portimão. Praia da Prainha consists of multiple little coves separated by intricating rock formations such as arches, ledges, chasms, and caves. It is a lovely beach to simply explore. Do keep an eye on the tide because the entire beach almost disappears with high tide. This is why many divers prefer this beach over others; there’s a lot of marine life.

Praia da Angrinha

This is a rather unknown beach, mostly used by locals. It’s located in Ferragudo which is near Portimão. You can get there by car (there is a parking lot) or by water taxi from Portimão. The view is what makes this beach so special: this time it’s not the rock formations, but a castle that characterizes the beach. Technically it’s a river beach meaning it’s sheltered from waves, which is perfect if you are looking for a calm beach.

Praia da Marinha

Another postcard picture is Praia da Marinha. This beach is located in Caramujeira, the Seven Hanging Valleys trail starts here as well. Praia da Marinha is another stunning beach with phenomenal surroundings; golden sand, rock formations, steep cliffs. There is a parking lot, but it fills up rather quickly so if you want to spend some time at this beach, make sure you arrive early!

Go for a sunrise stroll at Pinhão fort bridge

In the 16th century, the Pinhão fort was built to defend Lagos against privateer attacks. Unfortunately, the fort collapsed due to the earthquake in 1755. The fort was located on a rock formation in the sea and was connected to the mainland by a bridge. Nowadays all that is left of the fort is the bridge you can see from Praia do Pinhão.

Praia do Pinhão is a small beach that is mainly popular amongst Instagrammers and photographers. The bridge faces the southeast which is why it’s at its prettiest during sunrise.

You can access the beach from Praia dos Estudantes, through a man-made tunnel. You could lengthen your stroll by starting at Praia da Batata, from there you can enter Praia do Estudantes via a tunnel and then enter through another tunnel to get to Praia do Pinhão.

It is not possible to walk across the bridge since it is private terrain.

Go to Benagil Cave

Benagil Cave is an immensely famous sea cave located in the Algarve. The cave is only accessible by sea, but that hasn’t held back the many tourists before, and I get why. The cave is absolutely beautiful. There are two entrances, a little beach, and an opening in the roof letting in daylight.

There are multiple ways to access the cave:

• Rent a kayak and paddle to the cave. The entrance is not very far from Praia de Benagil (300m) so even if you’re not a strong paddler, you’d be able to make it over there.
• Go on a boat tour. If you want to set afoot on the beach, either make sure to book a boat tour with kayaks otherwise you’d only get to see Benagil cave from the boat, or book a smaller boat that can get closer to the beach.

2024 update: as of October 2023 it is no longer permitted for canoes and kayaks to enter the beach. This is due to overcrowding leading to dangerous situations. It is still possible to enter the cave by boat, but you cannot get off inside the cave.

Rumor has it that some local companies ocassionaly offer tours that do enter the beach, so it is rather unclear if these rules still apply in 2024, just be warned!

Whatever you do, don’t swim towards it. Technically speaking it should be possible since it’s only 300 metres, but we’re talking about swimming in the sea which can be rather unpredictable. Even the calmest seas can have a strong undercurrent that could take you out. It’s not worth the risk!

As I mentioned before it can get very crowded inside the cave, so try to get there as early as possible.

Here are some tours you could book:

Tip: the smaller the boat, the higher the chances are to enter the cave even when the sea is rough.

Enjoy the views from the Carvoiero Boardwalk

For those who would rather do a less strenuous walk along the coast than do the Seven Hanging Valleys hike, the Carvoiero Boardwalk is the perfect solution! This 600-meter wooden boardwalk offers breathtaking views of the Algarve coast. It is perfectly accessible for wheelchairs and strollers, unlike the Seven Hanging Valleys hike.

The boardwalk is located in Carvoeiro, you can start the walk at the fort of Nossa Senhora da Encarnação or at Algar Seco. There is a parking lot on either side of the boardwalk. The boardwalk has 2 possible detours, the most popular one – and the highlight of the boardwalk – is a visit to the Algar Seco area. These cliff formations are worth exploring! Follow the steps down and experience the coastline like no other! You will come across multiple viewpoints of the sea, tunnels, natural waterholes, blowholes, and the A Boneca cave. You could easily spend an hour exploring the place.

About halfway through you will come across another detour that takes you through an area of impressive cliff formations and past some viewpoints.

Both detours are worth exploring but are not accessible to wheelchairs and strollers.

Go on one of the many boat trips

Being a coastal area, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the sea at the Algarve. Want to go on a party boat? A dolphin cruise? A sunbathing cruise? There is a boat tour for everyone out there! Here are some of my favorites:

Have fun in a water park

With the Algarve being a popular summer destination comes many waterparks to enjoy. They’re definitely a fun way to cool down. There are three parks worth visiting, two of them are even in the top 20 best European waterparks according to TripAdvisor!

• Slide & Splash – Located near Portimão, this water park has about 22 waterslides of which some are built in a beautifully themed mountain. Prices start at €27 (for adults) and vary depending on the season.
• Aquashow Park – Located near Quarteira, this water park has about 14 waterslides, a wave pool, a lazy river, a rollercoaster, and some other flat rides. The park also has an indoor area (which is closed during summer). Entry is €33.
• Aqualand – Located near Alcantarilha, this water park has about 10 slides, a wave pool, and a lazy river. Buy your tickets online because then they’re €19 instead of €31.

Go on a day trip to another town

Depending on where you’re staying it could be fun to visit another town or city.

• Go to Lagos to explore the old town, see the castle and city walls, visit Ponta da Piedade, visit the church of Santo Antonio, buy some souvenirs in the lively town center, and go to one of the beaches.
• Go to Faro, the capital city of the Algarve, if you prefer bigger cities. Over there you could explore Cidade Velha (old town), the Chapel of Bones, Ria Formosa Natural Park (a coastal lagoon), go on a shopping spree, or head to one of the beaches.
• Go to Albufeira for another small-town experience. Over there you can explore the old town, the old fishermen’s area, visit the strip at night, or go to the beach during the day.
• Go to Tavira if you want a more authentic experience. This town is less touristy but still has an old town, the remains of an old Moorish fort, a church with a tower you can climb, and stroll along the waterline.

All could be explored in a couple of hours or a day, only Faro is a bigger city, but it doesn’t have that many sights to see. You won’t need multiple days to see all the highlights.

Want to see even more of Portugal? Check out this blog post about Porto and this blog post about Lisbon!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post. Let me know what you’d love to see best!

Love,

Sharon