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Algarve

photography of seashore during daytime

Seeing and Doing


It would be a shame to miss the Praia da Benagil, most famous for its cave, Algar de Benagil, where crystal clear waters are lit by the sunshine that beams through the hole (or “eye”) in its ceiling. It’s also a good snorkeling spot.

Fancy going horseback riding on the beach while the sun sets and the sky turns pink? You can do that and even pair it with a wine tasting experience thanks to the local family-run horse ranch Passeios a Cavalo Melides.

The Costa Vicentina is the Algarve’s wild and mostly unspoilt coastline facing the Atlantic; a surfer’s paradise and great for long walks. It runs along a protected natural park; the beaches are vast and peaceful, and it’s also home to one of the most secluded spots, the nudist-friendly beach Adegas at Odeceixe.

Praia do Camilo is one of the most magical little beaches of the Algarve, best-appreciated off season or in the early morning, but be prepared for a hike. Before making your way down (and back up) 200 steep wooden steps to the enclosed beach, you’ll be met with majestic views of the sea. Bring a bottle of wine for a picnic or treat yourself to a seafood feast at the cliff top restaurant with incredible views, O Camilo.

Ferragudo – get lost in the winding streets among the traditional cottages and stroll along the harbour front to see the fishermen at work in this small, peaceful village where time slows down.

Cacela Velha – this peaceful village on top of a hill boasts breathtaking views of the Algarve coast.

Tavira – one of the highlights of the Algarve is this colourful town on the Gilão River, where you can find an abundance of cafes and restaurants along its cobbled streets, and historical sights such as ornate churches rich with Rococo, Renaissance and Gothic influence.

Off the coast of the town of Faro, the capital of the Algarve often overlooked by tourists, there’s a collection of small and uninhabited islands surrounded by shallow, clear water. Their unspoilt beaches and former salt flats are reachable by boat. There’s Ilha Barretta (Deserted Island) with its wide sandy beach peppered with seashells, Cabo de Santa Maria, and one restaurant on stilts, Estimané, with a fantastic view of the lighthouses.

Ilha de Tavira (not to be confused with the town of Tavira) has a secluded Barril beach (Praia do Barril) with soft white sand and an anchor cemetery to explore underwater. There’s also Fuzeta (pictured above), which is host to a colourful fishing town and miles of sandy beach (Fuzeta beach).

Both Ilha da Culatra and Ilha da Armona have small villages with several restaurants at one end and long sandy beaches at the other.

In the small town of Sagres, Artesanato A Mó, which is also known as the “House of a thousand plates”, is more than just a ceramics shop. It’s heaving with beautiful traditional Portugese artistry and handmade treasures to bring home. Its white walls are covered by an array of colourful plates in all kinds of shapes, sizes, designs and budgets.

Don’t forget the Sunday flea markets:

In the town of Fuseta – 2st Sunday of the month
In Sao Bras de Alportel – 3rd Sunday of the month
In Quelfes – 4th & 5th Sundays of the month

Spend a morning with the family at the historical Parque da Mina, a former ore mine with a moonshine distillery. Snoop around the 18th century manor house and its charming gardens and animal farm.

Eating and Drinking

Restaurante Pequeno Mundo: One of the most special restaurants to find in the Algarve, this hidden fine dining restaurant serves French and Portuguese fusion food in an elegantly converted farmhouse. Outside in the romantic courtyard, the walls are lined with blossoming flowers and the al fresco tables surround a graceful trickling fountain. This is the kind of place to go for a special evening meal by candlelight.

A Casínha : Stop by this cosy and delightful restaurant set in the owner’s grandparents’ house, and try the local barbequed fish known as cataplana. Located in the charming town of Sagres, home to an iconic lighthouse and ceramics shops.

Vila Joya Sea: This beach bar and restaurant is a little taste of paradise on the beach. It’s connected to a 5 star boutique hotel but the white, elegant beach shack stands alone on the beach amidst wild shrubbery. Creative cocktails and Japanese fusion food await.

Casa do Campo: a welcoming farm-house restaurant, serving Algarvian and international cuisine in an al fresco setting for an intimate dinner under a hundred year old fig tree.

Morgado do Quintão – Located between Silves and Lagoa, this three century old family-run winery is a 60 acre dreamlike estate where you can learn about the Algarve grape varieties and the wine making process. You will also get to taste their wines under a two thousand year old olive tree. You can book here and also stay with them on the farm.


Gigi Praia – At this restaurant where colourful paintings and sculptures of fish hang from the walls and ceiling, you will only find fresh seafood on the menu. The wooden house is set on a beach in the wild Ria Formosa National Park, and while you eat you might be lucky enough to catch the opera singing owner.

Bar Bacchus – While visiting one of the most renowned pottery producers of the Algarve, Porches Pottery, stay for a light lunch at Bar Bacchus, and eat off their gorgeous ceramics, surrounded by beautiful blue and white Portugese tiling on the walls and tables. Their dishes are always fresh and prepared according to local and seasonal ingredients.

Aqui d’el Rei – Homely, family run restaurant, filled with singing and joy. Don’t be in a rush here as the home cooked food comes out at its own pace.

Three Little Birds – A cool and Insta-friendly spot for homemade organic dishes with lots of veggie options.

Where to Stay

Vila Monte – A beautiful historic farmhouse B&B, 15 minutes drive from the beach, offering a diverse menu of experiences during your stay including pottery masterclasses, wine and tapas tastings, and sunset picnics at the beach.

Morgado do Quintão – Farmhouse cottages on a historic vineyard surrounded by olive, fig, almond, and carob trees.

Fazenda Nova Country House – A romantic but contemporary couples’ hideaway in the countryside, just fifteen minutes from the historic and beautiful town of Tavira and a half hour drive from Faro’s airport. Rooms start from 187 euros.

Casa Cerro da Vigia – A charming 5 bedroom private villa overlooking the Atlantic ocean. Rates from 250 euros a night.

Casa Mae – a trendy and elegant hotel by the sea from 95 euros.

The Oasis at Far Out Inn – Inland affordable shabby chic hippie hotel away from the crowds. Rooms start from €55

You’ll find the more charming hotels and places to stay are inland, not right on the coastline. Inland, there are groves of cork trees, olive trees with storks nesting on them and white-washed villages, covered with deep pink bougainvillea, where men with weathered faces and flat caps fill the cafés in the main square. Drive along the coast, and you will pass field after field of wild flowers, tiny stone chapels and views of the blue sea at every turn, a drive worth dallying over.

If you are keen on prehistoric ruins, keep your eyes peeled for the menhirs (megaliths) that dot the countryside. At Sagres you will see a huge fort on the cliff tops, where Henry the Navigator reputedly had his school of navigation. A giant pebble wind compass is all that remains.

You will already feel you have reached the end of the world before you get to the rocky outcrop of Cape St Vincent. The landscape is austere, the cliffs dramatic and the sea noisy and unforgiving beneath. The Romans revered this spot, naming it Promontorium Sacrum, and sunsets here, still today, have a mystical magic.

To see sea life in its natural habitat, head to Mar Ilimitado at Sagres, which specialises in marine wildlife-watching. Accompanied by a couple of marine biologists, guests go out in a RIB and are likely to see sea turtles and porpoises as well as storm petrels, shearwaters and gannets. Dolphins frequently come to play in the wake of your boat. These passionate marine biologists are also well equipped to teach you to dive so you could combine a trip out to sea with a lesson to begin a PADI certified scuba diving course or Open Water Diver Course.

Silves, with its magnificent sandstone Moorish castle and neighbouring 13th-century cathedral, a 20 minute drive from the sea which means it’s quieter and not overrun by tourists. 

Ferragudo, the colourful village a 20 minute drive south of Silves next to the sea and close to some great hiking trails. In between Farragudo and Silves is the dreamy Morgado do Quintão for a farm lunch or overnight stays.

Tavira, in the east of Algarve lovely for a more for a quiet stay, close to another beautiful village called Cacela Velha. Around there is the Fazen da Nova country house or this B&B and this guesthouse.

Larger towns: 

Lagos, a great area for first-time visitors, it’s the old capital of the Algarve but a more relaxed beachy hub in comparison to Faro, which is pretty much in the centre of all these options on the sea, it’s the capital of Algarve, slightly busier with more of a city on the beach vibe. 

A 15-minute drive from Silves (with its magnificent sandstone Moorish castle and neighbouring 13th-century cathedral) is Porches Pottery, where old Iberian designs have been dusted off and brought back to life by the skilful hands of two sisters, Stella and Julie. Their father, the Irish artist Patrick Swift, started the pottery. Grab a table at the pottery’s Bacchus Bar, under the rambling bougainvillea, for fresh salads served on the pottery’s own wares.

In the afternoon, hit the Seven Hanging Valleys trail, which winds along the coast atop the ochre-coloured cliffs, passing postcard-pretty beaches such as Praia de Marinha. Join it in Porches and walk to the perfect sunset spot, Boneca. Ten minute’s drive from Boneca (you can call Ubers around here by the way) dine at Rei das Praias. Perched on stilts above the golden sands of Caneiros Beach, its friendly service and seriously fresh fish make it stand out from the crowd.

Discover the Algarve’s wild western coast (about 40 minute drive west of Silves) and take surf lessons at Future Surf School. Visit Amado beach (near Carrapateira), the best-known surfing beach, to watch the action before driving to the windblown Cape St Vincent – believed in the Middle Ages to be the end of the world. 

Eat lunch in the little harbour town of Baleeira at Memmo Baleeira. Go down to the harbour and take to the waters in a RIB with Mar Illimitado’s marine biologists to spot dolphins, sea turtles and porpoises in the wild. Stop for dinner at Boia in Salema – a little fishing town. The house special is a caldierada de peixe (a very typical fish stew) but try the sardines when in season and a crisp white wine for a little taste of heaven. Continue on to Lagos and have a nightcap in the courtyard of Casa Mãe which sits right under the original town walls.In Faro, the Algarve’s capital, you can take a speedboat shuttle out to the Deserted Isle (Ilha Deserta): a natural park, in just 15 minutes you’ll be delivered to its white sands and crystal-clear waters.  Book a table at the only restaurant there, Estaminé, which serves the freshest of seafood or bring your own picnic. The boat leaves from Cais das Portas do Mar.

Or drive east to see the beautiful villages of Cacela Velha and Tavira. From Tavira,you can travel to Tavira island by ferry boat. Ilha de Tavira (not to be confused with the town of Tavira) has a secluded Barril beach (Praia do Barril) with soft white sand and an anchor cemetery to explore underwater. There’s also Fuzeta (pictured above), which is host to a colourful fishing town and miles of sandy beach (Fuzeta beach).

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