Travel Blog
In this space, I inform the reader about my experiences during my trips and I name many interesting attractions for each place or region, so that the reader could go to the best restaurants, hotels and attractions suggested by me and, of course, at the best price.
Travel Blog
In this space, I inform the reader about my experiences during my trips and I name many interesting attractions for each place or region, so that the reader could go to the best restaurants, hotels and attractions suggested by me and, of course, at the best price.
Travel Blog
In this space, I inform the reader about my experiences during my trips and I name many interesting attractions for each place or region, so that the reader could go to the best restaurants, hotels and attractions suggested by me and, of course, at the best price.
Francisco Ferreira
July 19, 2018 • 5 minutes to read
Algarve Travel Guide
Algarve (Portugal is an amazing region, full of warm beaches and breathtaking landscapes. There are located some old cities, like Lagos, Faro and Tavira, and villages, like Silves, Cacela Velha and Ferragudo. So, what are you waiting for? Continue reading this post for more information.
Best beaches
Carvalho Beach
Located in Benagil, this peaceful beach offers rest to tourists, whether they stay in the sand or prefer diving in the crystal clear Algarve sea. To access it, you should park your car in a small park and go down a short wooden staircase to the foot of the cliffs.
Benagil Beach
This beach is very popular, especially because of the the existence of the famous Cave of Benagil, one of the Portugal and Europe’s most beautiful caves. There, it’s possible to take a boat trip inside the cave or rent a canoe and float on it to the sand of the cave.
Camilo Beach
This beautiful beach is perfect for the city and sea lovers, joining the historic beauty of Lagos, a 10-minute drive from it, and the peculiar charm of the Atlantic Ocean. The access to the beach is easy, being only needed to descend a staircase to the foot of the limestone cliffs that surround it.
Marinha Beach
Who carries out the Sete Vales Suspensos pedestrian route has, as the arrival place, this beach. It is only reachable on foot, by the views make up for it: from everywhere you can see a singular work of nature, an arch carved by the erosion action over thousands of years.
Vale Centeanes Beach
Unlike Marinha Beach, this tiny beach is, usually, the departure place of Sete Vales Suspensos pedestrian route. There is a bar, very close to the sand, which is an amazing place for socializing with friends. …and, of course, for a beautiful dip in the warm Algarve water!
Best things to do
1. Walk on the top of the cliffs
It is on Barlavento coast that the beautiful Algarve cliffs exist. And it is for this same reason that one of the 5 best things to do in Algarve is to stroll along the top of them, not forgetting to visit the amazing Benagil Cave, whose interior, in addition to being visited by boat, can also be sighted from its hole. I don’t recommend to jump the fence that surrounds it (I did it with a little fear; the rock may collapse and, below it, there’s the sea!).
2. Explore Cacela Velha
In Sotavento, the most rural area in Algarve, there are some tiny villages of rare beauty, as well as unique and very sandy beaches, such as Armona Island and Cacelha Velha beaches, this last one just in front of the fort of the village, which deserves to be visited and explored, as if we had been teleported to another century in the Middle Ages.
3. Discover Ferragudo
At the mouth of the River Arade, in front of Portimão, there’s a small and typical fishing village, with small and colorful houses, as well as the church. Once in Portimão, midway between Carvoeiro surrounding beaches, you can make a brief stop at Ferragudo to discover the narrow alleys of it.
4. Adventure in Carvoeiro
Like Cacela Velha and Ferragudo, Carvoeiro doesn’t escape the beauty, because there’s an extraordinary beach. Although the village is different, nowadays, due to the tourism, there are still other ways to have fun, such as Sete Vales Suspensos pedestrian route, whose departure place is the amazing Vale Centeanes Beach and the arrival place is the not less beautiful Marinha Beach. And it can take more time, for the most patient ones, discovering and counting the famous and already scarce Algarvian chimneys, an inheritance of the Muslim culture in Portugal.
5. Stroll in Tavira
Next to Cacela Velha, the beautiful Tavira takes place, just two kilometers from the mouth of the River Gilão. In this city, you need to visit freely the whole historical center, making small stops in some places, such as the Fenicia Ruins, the Castle, the Church and Nossa Senhora da Piedade Hermitage, without forgetting, of course, the magnificent Roman Bridge, one of the symbols of the city. The dusk in the city is particularly magical: the river runs calmly, the summer heat dissipates slowly and the sky gets blue and beautiful tonalities, which are reflected in the handsome Gilão.
Where to sleep
During the days I spent in Algarve, I stayed at Next Inn Hotel in Portimão, which I liked a lot. It has a great service, a good cleaning of the rooms, these are quite spacious. Unfortunately, it doesn’t include breakfast or free parking, although it is not expensive (about 3€ per night). However, for guests with greater financial possibilities, there are awesome hotels, such as Tivoli Carvoeiro, right by the sea, on Vale Covo Beach, or Tivoli Marina Vilamoura.
Tivoli Carvoeiro (by unknown)
Where to eat
In Algarve, the food is delicious. From the famous “cataplana” to the typical “Doce Fino”, the dishes that we can choose to live the region and the places are immense. So, besides proving theses delicacies, I make it clear that this restaurant, Pizzeria Fenícia, has surprised me positively. In this restaurant you can eat delicious pizzas at very low prices.
Fish and Seafood Cataplana (by unknown)
Useful Informations:
• Medium temperature: 15ºC (Winter) and 28ºC (Summer)
• Medium price per night (Hotel): 50€ (Winter) and 90€ (Summer)
• Medium price per person (Restaurant): 15€
Take a look on my Algarve Photo Album and on my YouTube video about Algarve!
Images: Francisco Ferreira (PhotosOfEurope) and Google