Best Beaches of The Algarves

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Discover my picks for best beaches of The Algarves. The Algarve beaches are picture perfect. Take your breath away perfect. Crazy beautiful. With each day that we were exploring the beauty of the rugged Algarve coastline, what we discovered wasn’t just stunning places to while away our afternoons, perched under our hot pink sun umbrella.

We gained a feeling of total relaxation neither of us have felt in what must be years. This amount of days in-a-row doing nothing but laying on scenic beaches taking turns dipping in the perfect temperature of the ocean, and drying under the scorching rays of the sun, was bliss. We did little else on those beaches. Only straying from the routine to sip on sun-warmed water whilst munching on our stealthily-packed lunches. These lunches we’d made as a team during the hotel breakfast buffet, hurriedly wrapping and slipping into our beach bags when no one was looking.

Yes – I’ve fallen in love with Portugal. With it’s sandstone coastline, with its laid-back attitude that feels oh-so-me, the me I haven’t hung out with in years. I fell in that kind of love that you never get over. It was just a summer fling, but boy I’ll never forget.

Map of The Algarves with my recommendations pinned - including these beaches!

Student Beach

| Lagos |

We first dipped our toes into the ocean waters in Lagos. I don’t think I’ve ever been this puppy-dog excited to go to the beach. Being Australian, beaches are pretty standard. I even lived at the beach back in Melbourne before I moved to London (and then Amsterdam). 

Praia de Estudentes is straight off a postcard. This Algarve beach is a small cove-like beach, with a curiously placed bridge joining two of the cliffs. What intrigued me about this beach was the waves which happened to come from 4 places. Through the cave under the bridge came the tide, bashing the rocks and sometimes people .The strong current felt dangerous enough that when I decided to swim under the bridge to the other side of the giant sandstone cliffs, out into the ocean, I was a little bit scared but also felt exhilarated.

To get to ‘Student Beach’, you must walk along the waters edge of 2 other beaches. Then climb up into a rock tunnel, and duck under caves. This beach really set our expectation high for beaches in the algarves. 

We stayed most of the day on this beach, until we were almost marooned. The tide came up so high that our route back through the cave was almost shut off. We made a dash for it and made it just in time before the path was gone. Perhaps we had made a mistake, seeing how much more packed with beach-goers the next 2 beaches were. Almost unable to find a place to re-set up our towels…

Back on Praia Batata we managed to find a square metre amongst the throngs of sun-kissed skin and decided to enjoy ourselves. How could we not? We were in Portugal! Praia Estudentes is definitely one of the best beaches in Portugal. Naturally, this means it is also one of the best beaches in Algarve!

Benagil Beach

| Benagil |

The sun scorched our pale skin as we trekked down the steep road towards the famed Benagil Beach, carrying our beach gear for another full day of doing very little. Expecting another day of bliss, we happily heaved through the heat trying not to be downtrodden by the immediate sight of a beach at full capacity.

Benagil Beach is well known for its most-amazing caves nearby, and thus, the beach is no secret to the masses. I knew I had to at least dip my toes into the water before I gave the masses another thought. The cold of the water cooled down my disappointment to a ‘we-can-do-this’ attitude. Could ocean waters be some kind of miracle cure for impatience and frustration? Definitely.

Another long walk through what felt like a extremely packed desert, like camels, thirsty for a sip, just one sip, of water, we found a spot big enough for us to at least sit down. Yes, I might be grazing shoulders with a hairy greasy wet man, but nothing was going to hamper my mood and excitement to see the caves.

Approximately 30 seconds after we sat, it was already too hot. With a knowing look, the Hunk and I wrapped up any valuable-ish items and we rushed into the ocean. As the waters edge was unbearably packed with people all enjoying the frustration-soothing waters, we were quickly swimming further and further out from the beach.

Caves

What was just to create space between us and the masses, turned out to be our first glimpse at the Benagil caves. Seeing a few people swimming out of our eyesight, around a cliff face, we decided to follow along, thinking that we might be able to see the caves in the distance. Though my arms and legs felt heavy, the first sight of the caves lifted the weight. Soon we had touched down on shore to what can only be described as unbelievable. The caves are grand. Mind-blowing. Worth every shitty moment spent on that beach! Yes, okay, the waters weren’t that soothing – being on that beach was hell and I really just couldn’t barely stand it!….. I feel better now.

In my dreams sometimes I imagine what that beach could have been like had we gotten our lazy arses out of bed an hour of 2 earlier that day. It was probably bearable for a solid hour, the perfect amount of time to enjoy the beauty of Benagil Beach – which is surrounded in dramatically high sandstone cliffs looking out onto gorgeous aqua water.

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Sao Rafael Beach

| Albufeira |

Not knowing what to expect from a Google Maps 4.6/5 rating, hoping for more Student Beach than Benagil beach, we pulled into the already full parking lot at Sao Rafael. Here we go again, I thought, another packed beach. As we drove around the lot, nearing the closest part of the lot to the beach, angels began choir-singing. We had ourselves the number one parking spot in the whole parking lot! Our moods quickly lifted from dread to euphoria and we bounced out of the car, grabbed our gear and seemingly skipped down the pathway and boardwalk to Praia Sao Rafael. (The Hunk would like you to know his skip is very manly)

I kept my flip flops on as we wandered the beach, the sand already too hot, looking for the perfect spot to set up. Towards the back of the beach seemed best, as we had learnt from previous days, seeing numerous people woken from their sun-snooze to an ocean wave washing over them and all of their belongings.

Not long after our first attempt at a much needed sun-snooze (all of this lazing about is hard work!), we decided to take a walk along Sao Rafael. This beach has all of the charms of Praia de Estudentas, with wind-created archways leading to other areas of golden sand. My view was littered with rocky formations and bright blue water, and whilst I would classify this beach as being ‘full’, there was still tons of space. The clear waters sparkled and was the perfect cool temperature to enjoy all day long. This was my kind of beach.

Making Friends

We made friends with a group of beach-chatters (which I usually dislike, cos ya know, I’m over here enjoying the sounds of the ocean and napping), all of us topless, including the Hunk (tee-hee-hee). The Algarves is my first brush with topless bathing in my life. It’s not the done thing in Australia, though there are nude beaches scattered around the lesser-known areas. But me? A topless bather? I never thought I’d see the day. But here I was, sitting on the beach, topless, having a conversation with my topless compadre’s.

Ilha Deserta Beach

| Faro |

We waited for what felt like an eternity to pay for our boat ride tickets. After discussing with the pier attendant our options, we decided to hop aboard the ferry from Faro pier to Ilha Deserta. We also pre-purchased our return on the speed boat. This gave us the best of both worlds. The ferry ride was calm. We ate our hotel-prepared sandwiches whilst we enjoyed the view looking across the Ria Formosa Natural Park. After 30 minutes, we pulled into a make-shift landing of old blocks of cement. We had arrived at Ilha Deserta, aka Deserted Island.

Our first sighting of life was the one building on the island (not including the old lighthouse). A beautiful wooden beach club takes space along the wooden boardwalk from the boat to the beach. We knew we could not starve to death here – we had the luxury of beer, too.

Our first sighting of the beach felt a little bit of a con. Whilst beautiful, it felt like they were expecting us on this here deserted island. Straw umbrellas with shells dangling from the edges, swinging in the breeze sat over beach recliner chairs, lining the entire beach.

Heaven

The sand was so soft, I almost didn’t feel it, as we strolled along the beach, realising how few people were actually here. Finally, we were (almost) alone. After walking some 30 metres, there were no more umbrellas. Just beach. And lots of it! We went as far as we could be bothered before deciding on our own private area of the beach. There were no noise interruptions for the entire day.

We could see people in the distance, but once we had picked our chunk of beach, it was ours for 6 hours.

As our time-slot for the speed-boat neared, we meandered down the beach, taking our final moments of peacefulness, finding another concrete slab where the small old lighthouse sat. We watched the fisherman for a while, trying for a bite. With a short time left on our deserted island, it was time for a beer, which was so cold my glass was streaming in condensation. Perfect.

The speed-boat was full of beach-goers I had never seen until now on our journey back to Faro. Ilha Deserta isn’t just a marketing slogan.

With love to the beautiful beaches of the Algarves I was able to enjoy, and to the many more I am yet to visit…

Do you have a favourite beach? Where is it? Have an Algarves beach tip for me?! Let me know in the comments!

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About Lesley

Australian expat, married to a Dutch guy, living in Amsterdam. Previously lived in London for 3 years, too! Lover of travel, coffee, brunch, beaches, fresh flowers, and family. Now a new mum, navigating life with a baby!