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The Algarve is one of the most visited vacation destinations in Portugal and this video proves why. It’s the southern-most area on mainland Portugal and it’s vast (about 5,500 square kilometres) with mountain ranges and whitewashed communities but the beaches here are what put it on the tourism radar. That, and the fact the temperature hovers around 25°C in the wintertime. The specific area that’s featured in this video is Praia da Rocha, a wide stretch of sand poking out into the Atlantic.
You can’t help but want to visit the area when you watch this footage. But there’s so much more to explore in Portugal with the help of a guide. Spend a few days at Praia but then hire a kite surfing guide near Lisbon or an architectural guide in Sintra or a walking tour guide in Coimbra, the UNESCO world heritage site. Or get off the beaten path with off-road driver and guide João Dickmann. Whatever you decide don’t spend all your time on the beach in Portugal – it’s beautiful but there’s so much more to see and do in this beautiful country.
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All the beaches of this coast are beautiful and singular…
From minute 1:13 till 1:42 : Praia do Carvalho (Oak Beach). The access path is made by Benagil, or by stairs from Atlantic Club… The view from the beach is this…
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/117229331?source=wapi&referrer=kh.google.com
The text refers kite-surf… well, one of the best spots to do it is in Alvor: in the sea, with an extraordinary view of Lagos bay till Ponta da Piedade; or in the Ria de Alvor (a kind of lagoon) near the picturesque Alvor vila (4 km from Portimão, where is the Praia da Rocha).
Take a look here: https://vimeo.com/47352723
Another fantastic kite-surf spots are in Martinhal beach and in the Tonel Beach, both in Sagres.
Near, in Promontorium Sacrum or in Cabo de S.Vicente – the most southwestern point of the European continent – everyday we can also see, from the top of the cliffs, a spectacular sunset over the sea.
Thanks for filling in all the details for us Alexandra. Clearly you’ve spent considerable time enjoying this area! What’s your favorite spot?
Depends on the “mood”, Pamela… plus, the Algarve has so many places we can enjoy, from east to west, in litoral or mountain, so I usually jump from a place to another… Some days ago I spent 2 days in Burgau and Praia da Luz – what a light!! – which I recommend if you like quiet places. All of them can offer many sports and nice activities all the year, and excellent food (I suggest the restaurant “O Castelo”, with a beautiful open view to the sea, in Praia da Luz; and “O Navegador” in the top of the cliff in Burgau, where you can have a meal that you’ll never forget…
But the spot that fills my soul is precisely the Cabo de São Vicente, of which I spoke before… and I love Alvor as well, it’s cozy and near everything.
That seals it! I’ll be booking my ticket before long – and am looking so forward to the unforgettable meal as I love to eat as much as I love a beautiful landscape / seascape. Thank you so much Alexandra for sharing your favorites.
All the beaches of this coast are beautiful and singular…
From minute 1:13 till 1:42 : Praia do Carvalho (Oak Beach). The access path is made by Benagil, or by infinite stairs from Atlantic Club…
The view from the beach is this:
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/117229331?source=wapi&referrer=kh.google.com
Just a Correction, in the video are vary locations:
- The strip of land between the sea and the “Ria Formosa”, with the wide beach full of all the houses is Praia de Faro.
- The Rocky beaches, including the one with the big hole in the cliff it is Called Benagil cave, are on 50Km apart.
Praia da Rocha, although it’s still very beautiful, but it’s very different.
You obviously know your Portugal landscapes! Thanks for the helpful clarification.
The beautiful beaches featured in the video include the region of Ria Formosa (beaches in a natural reserve near Faro, Olhão, etc.), beaches near Carvoeiro and Benagil (Lagoa). None of the images include Praia da Rocha.
Thanks for the information. The video editor must have gotten the spots a bit mixed up! All I know is that we want to be there right now!