Beaches in the Algarve

The Algarve is blessed with some of the loveliest beaches in Europe most have been award the EEC blue flag, waters are clean and clear and water sports are available from most of the main beaches.  If you like to explore then you can find some empty small beaches along this coast.  There are so many to select from that we felt it would be more useful to you to know the nearest beaches to the hotels we offer, even though some of them are directly in front of a particular hotel it does not mean they are private you can use any beach you wish in Portugal.

Quinta do Lago - has a golden sand beach of the same name about 5 to 10 minutes walk from the hotel.

Sheraton – the beach below the cliffs that the hotel sits on it Praia de Felesia and nearby is a village call Olhos de Agua which has a beach called Praia de Olhos de Agua and a few kms away towards Albufeira there is another beach called Santa Eulalia.  All of these are golden sand.

Le Meridien Dona Felipa has the very long Vale do Lobo golden sand beach directly in front of the hotel.

Vila Vita Parc hotel has a small beach in front of it or the larger well know Armacao de Pera beach 2kms by hotel courtesy transport. 

The Lake Resort - Vilamoura has one end of the Praia de Falesia  and nearby is Quarteira a small fishing village with a beach of the same name.

If you would like more information on other beaches do please ask us.

Places to visit in the Algarve

In addition to the areas we mention on our Algarve destinatiion page the following are some interesting towns and villages to visit. 

Lagos –  a visit here would make a great day out with lots to see in the town which was where Henry the Navigator left to on journeys that included the discovery of Madeira and Porto Santo, the rounding of Africa and more.  Some places to visit in Lagos include The Chapel of St Anthony and the Antonine Museum full of 18th century Rococo art and gilt walls, next door to the church is the Museum Regional which has archaeological displays and ethnic items including African sculptures and more.  The Slave market is where African captives were put up for auction.  Lagos offers very good shopping and the beaches in this area are excellent.

Silves – formerly the Moorish capital of the Algarve it has an old Castle and Cathedral and is full of historical interest and you can even visit the cork factory there.

Loulé – has a typical Portuguese market every morning and is well known as a centre of handicrafts where you can still find craftsmen of copper, basket and leather. There is even a museum dedicated to dried fruits (one of the local industries) and Carnival (February) here is reputed to be one of the best in the Algarve.

Almancil – not far from Loulé has São Lorenço church, on the outside it appears to be a modest 17th century building but it houses the most valuable collection of painted tiles from 1730.   If on your way back to the Quinta do Lago area (10 minutes away) you could even take the family Karting – there is a replica track for the F1 Brazilian racetrack, fun for all the family.

Faro is not far away from our resort areas and has everything one would expect of a modern capital city including pedestrianised shopping areas.

Tavira – the most preserved town in the Algarve and boasting 37 churches from the 17th and 18th centuries, this is a place best explored on foot make sure you see the ancient castle, one of the best views in town!

Activities in the Algarve

Naturally with so many fabulous beaches all water sports are readily available either from the hotels or the nearest beach. Surfing and windsurfing is most challenging  on the western end of the Algarve coast whilst the eastern end tends to be safer bathing for families with young children. Fishing in the many lakes in the area or deep sea fishing is popular with locals and visitors.

Horse- riding here is lovely and there are several stables nearby. Para and Hang gliding, tennis you name it and it is almost certainly available. If you would like us to check details and availability on a specific sport do let us know.