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Situated at the bottom of a steep hill in front of the resort village of Oura, is one of Albufeira's best beaches. A long sweep of golden sand backed by a promenade lined with cafes, bars and some nice restaurants the beach here is a little more laid back than those closer to Albufeira town.
The beach itself stretches all the way to neighbouring Praia dos Olhos d’Agua, about 2km (1.3 miles) when the tide is out. So there's plenty of space.
Praia da Oura is an accessible Blue...
The small cove that forms Praia dos Aveiros sits between the bustling main beaches of Albufeira and Praia da Oura. By local standards this is something of a hidden gem which rarely gets as crowded as neighbouring beaches.
Despite this Praia dos Aveiros has the same golden sand and Blue Flag status of the beaches either side and is arguably somewhat prettier. To either side are high sandstone cliffs and various rock formations which separate the...
Praia dos Alemães (German beach) is part of the long stretch of golden sand that takes in all of Albufeira's main town beaches. Don't read too much into the name as you are equally likely to see British or Dutch beachgoers as you are German. The name actually comes from an old fish canning factory located nearby which was owned by a German family.
This beach is the most easterly of the main Albufeira beaches, making it the furthest from the old town. As such it is somewhat less...
Located just to the east of Albufeira old town is Praia do Inatel - a lovely, wide stretch of golden sand. This is the next beach along after the town's main beach (Praia dos Pescadores) and is around a 10 minute walk from Albufeira. Whilst not quite as busy, Praia do Inatel is rather popular during the summer months.
The name of the beach comes from the Inatel Albufeira Hotel which somewhat dominates the backdrop as well as providing a pleasant spot for a coffee. This is set in...
Praia do Peneco (also known as Praia do Túnel) is one of Albufeira's two main town beaches. In fact it really is part of the same stretch of sand as neighbouring Praia dos Pescadores with just the jetty and slipway separating the two.
Peneco beach is named after the huge sandstone rock which rises out of the sand towards the western end of the beach. Penedo is the Portuguese word for boulder.
As you might imagine, being the main beach at one of the Algarve's most...
Faro's main beach is a long, narrow sandy bar reached by a road that crosses the lagoon just south of Faro airport. A typical 'ilha' beach, Praia de Faro is a long sweep of sand with both a sea-facing side and a sheltered lagoon-facing side.
This beach is not for lovers of peace and solitude. Its proximity to Faro and the airport mean that it gets very overcrowded in summer and the narrow strip of sand is stuffed to bursting with restaurants, bars...
Located on the lovely stretch of coast between Albufeira and Armação de Pera is the charming little Praia da Coelha. Translated this means "Rabbit beach" although the only rabbit of any note here is the one on the sign.
To get to the beach involves a short walk along a footpath through assorted greenery. There are olive trees, bamboo groves and ancient carob trees which all lead you towards the wooden stairs down to the beach. Once on the beach you won't be disappointed; there are the...
The small beach of Praia do Castelo is located on the wonderful stretch of coast between Albufeira and Armação de Pêra (about 6km from the former). There are a number of small bays along the several kilometres of coast here, all of which have the same ochre coloured sandstone cliffs eroded into various rock formations; some more fantastical than others.
Whilst Praia do Castelo cannot boast any rock arches or sea stacks it is all the same a very pleasant spot offering everything an...
Praia do Evaristo is far enough outside of the resort madness of Albufeira to retain an air of charm and remain civilised even in the summer! Backed by low, sloping ochre cliffs this pleasant sandy beach is dotted with large rock formations which are great for exploring and give it a slightly cosy feel.
As a Blue Flag beach you can be sure of clean water and a good standard of amenities. Praia do Evaristo has a lifeguard service during the summer months along with lounger, parasol and...
Set around a kilometre east of the resort of Armação de Pêra is the Praia dos Salgados. It is really just one section of a massive crescent of beach that stretches from the resort, halfway to Albufeira.
Unlike the coast further east, towards Albufeira, with its cliffs and rock formations, Praia dos Salgados is backed by low sand dunes. These are criss-crossed with wooden boardwalks to keep this important conservation area intact.
Beyond the sand dunes lies the Salgados Lagoon...
Vilamoura is more of an area than a town in itself and has grown over the past couple of decades to more or less engulf Quarteira to the east. Located virtually in the middle of the Algarve coast, within 15Km...