Praia da Arrifana
Set in a bay surrounded by high escarpments, where a cluster of houses slides peacefully down to the sea, Arrifana beach is an excellent balance between man and nature. One of the best places to contemplate this combination is from the ruins of the former fortress. The beach boasts all the usual facilities generally available in summer holiday centres, and is frequented all year round by fans of surfing and body boarding.

Praia do Barril
Magnificent for the stretch of sand that goes on endlessly and for the calmness and excellent temperature of its waters, Barril beach forms part of the Natural Park of the Ria Formosa. To get to this paradise, visitors can cross the floating bridge on foot and catch the picturesque train that crosses the island, leaving from near the Pedras d’El Rei tourist complex, or cross the estuary using the boat that leaves from Tavira island and which offers a regular service in summer. Near Barril beach and approximately 1.5 km from the train stop, there is an area set aside for nude bathing.

Praia de Dona Ana
Set amidst a backdrop of cliffs, the sandy stretch of Dona Ana beach, bathed by a sea with calm and crystal-clear waters, is one of the pictures most often selected to represent Algarvian beaches. The small rock formations, set inside the sea and scattered across the sand provide some shady areas for summer visitors and give a picturesque touch to the landscape.
In addition to an excellent network of facilities and services, Dona Ana beach is favoured by proximity to Lagos, one of the most important cities in the Algarve, which can be reached on foot in about 25 minutes.

Praia de Vale do Lobo
Surrounded by a reddish escarpment, at the top of which sits one of the most famous and most photographed golf courses in the Algarve, Vale do Lobo beach, located next to the tourist complex that shares its name, is one of the region’s most internationally famous beaches.
Its extensive stretch of sand that goes on for kilometres until reaching the neighbouring beaches is excellent for long walks, and there is a wide range of sports and leisure options including water sports, golf and tennis, in a well cared for area set between pine trees and gardens.

Praia da Coelha
Set between golden escarpments, Coelha beach is a small beach sheltered from the wind, which is lapped by a gentle sea. Located roughly 5 km west of Albufeira, the beach is quite popular in the summer.

Praia da Falésia / Açoteias
With its backdrop of golden, copper and reddish tinged cliffs and at its most attractive at sunset, the immense stretch of sand that goes on for kilometres between Olhos de Água and Vilamoura has several privately managed zones. The zone known as Falésia beach or Açoteias (the name of the tourist complex nearby) is in the centre and is a beach with calm waters, well-connected by paved roads and offering a range of water sports for summer visitors to enjoy.

Praia da Galé
The extensive stretch of sand found on Galé beach is divided into two different beaches with two different parking areas, and each of these is called, as their location would suggest, East and West. Nevertheless, only the East Galé beach was awarded the blue European flag in 2006. Bordered by golden escarpments, Galé beach features diverse rock formations that make the landscape most picturesque. For those who like water sports there are several options as well as a wide selection of entertainment in the town’s restaurants and bars. The town is 10 km from Albufeira.

Praia da Oura
Very close to Albufeira and right in the centre of one of the liveliest areas in the Algarve, Oura beach offers the key ingredients for a fabulous seaside break. The gentle sea, which encourages visitors to relax or to try out water sports such as windsurfing and diving, is complemented by the diverse nightlife of the different bars, restaurants and discos, where your only problem is which one to choose.

Praia da Rocha Baixinha
Popularly known as Tomato Beach due to the plantations located next to one of the paths that ends here, Praia da Rocha Baixinha is a laid-back area to the extreme east of the extensive Praia da Falésia, frequented by many Portuguese politicians. Very near the Vilamoura Marina, one of the liveliest areas in the Algarve, this beach is divided into two areas – West and East. The quality of its environment, recognised over the years in its possession of the European blue flag, was confirmed in 2003 when it received the ISO 14001 environmental certification, which it won after being put forward by Lusotur, the company that manages Vilamoura.

Praia de Santa Eulália
Charming. Between the golden escarpments covered in pine groves and gardens, Santa Eulália beach is one of the prettiest and well cared for in the Algarve. Next to the sand there is an entertainment complex that serves the beach, including a bar, restaurant and disco that attract summer holidaymakers from the surrounding area.

Praia da Rocha
Located next to the mouth of the Arade River, Rocha beach has an enormous expanse of sand that goes on for roughly 3 km, dotted here and there with interesting rock formations fashioned by the sea over thousands of years. Images of the beach are considered to sum up tourism on the Algarve and are used time and time again in international advertising campaigns. The beach is one of the most popular summer destinations in the south of Portugal, with a very lively nightlife and even a casino. Lapped by a warm and gentle sea, which is safe even for night swimming, Rocha beach also has facilities for different sports activities, with areas set aside for basketball, football, volleyball and aerobics.

Praia do Alvor
With an expanse of sand that goes on forever, Alvor is an idyllic beach, surrounded by excellent hotels and featuring a complete network of facilities including equipment for sailing, waterskiing and windsurfing. The origins of the picturesque fishing village of Alvor go back to the Arab occupation, when it was an important port. Although there are no visible links to that era, it is worth the effort to take a stroll through the historic centre of town to admire the beautiful Manuelino door of the parish church. Nature-lovers shouldn’t miss the Ria (estuary) at Alvor, a wetland zone of international importance, and is a stopping point for various water birds during their migration from North to South.

Praia do Vau
Set between copper coloured cliffs, Vau beach has a small but very pretty sandy area lapped by a gentle sea that offers the perfect setting for relaxation. Very popular in summer, the town next to the beach has entertainment for all tastes and restaurants serving delicious fresh fish dishes.

Praia dos Três Castelos
Golden sand and calm blue sea are the essence of Tres Castelos beach, located next to the famous Rocha beach and joined to it by a passageway carved out of the rocks that delimit the Eastern edge of the beach. To the west lies the small Careanos beach. Both beaches are bordered by a tall cliff that is worth the effort to climb in order to admire the scenery from a different perspective.

Praia dos Três Irmãos
Três Irmãos beach is a bay set between large rocks, located on the Eastern tip of Alvor’s expanse of sand, which goes on non-stop for roughly 7 km. With various facilities and excellent hotels, the beach has a small grotto that gives it a lot of character and where children love to play.