Beaches

There are so many beautiful beaches in the Algarve that you will find amongst them a good selection to relax and enjoy your holiday. When traveling along the coast and you come across the sign 'Praia' this means in Portuguese 'beach'

The beaches vary from broad endless stretches of golden sand to small sheltered coves. Equally the sea bed near to the beach can vary from a comfortable shallow slope to a more sudden drop!, in general, the rule is that as you travel from east to west along the coast, the beaches become more subject to seasonal currents.

The coastline running from the west point of Sagres up to the north is very variable and being open to the winds and Atlantic Ocean waves from the west it normally presents different conditions to those found on the same day along the south coastline. The sea can be very choppy with big waves and often combined with a dangerous fast undercurrent.

We have listed below a few of our favourite beaches in and around Lagos.

Meia Praia

One of the most famous beaches in the Algarve is the beautiful south east facing sandy beach of Meia Praia which stretches for more than four kilometres to the sand barrier of Ria de Alvor. It is a long wide golden sandy beach which has plenty of beach bars to relax in. It's also a particularly attractive spot for all kinds of water sports and beach sports: windsurfing, surfing, kitesurfing, sailing, water sking, fishing, beach volleyball, beach football, etc. various support facilities for these sports are made available on the beach for the use of holiday makers. A little further away from the coast, its also possible to enjoy some deep-sea fishing.

Batata Beach

Adjacent to the small fort at the entrance to the harbour and opposite the gardens on the other side of the Avenida, Batata beach is the nearest to the town on the western side. There are no steps at the fort end of the beach but there are quite a lot of steps down from the top of the hill at the other end. This beach is great for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Praia de Dona Ana

Accessed via steep cliff steps, this beautiful beach has 200m of gently shelving sands ideal for families with young children, surrounded by rock formations, sea stacks and caves. Because it faces east, the beach is nicely sheltered from the prevailing westerly wind and has beach bar facilities and plenty of parking.

Praia do Porto de Mos

Accessed via a tarmac road from Lagos you arrive at a fairly large parking area near the beach. This beautiful sandy south facing beach is situated in a wide open valley framed by cliffs at either end where cliff face plants such as sea orach, wormleaf saltwort and shrubby seabite can be found. Despite its proximity to Lagos town this area still maintains its natural characteristics and there are some very quiet sections to be found.

Luz

Praia da Luz, a half mile long sandy beach is located before Luz approx 5 miles west of Lagos. The sheltered beach is well suited for children and is enclosed by a large dark rock massif on the one side and a small villa community on the other. Various water sports can be found.

Burgau

A paved village road leads directly to sandy beach which nestles in a small cove sheltered from the elements. This pretty little fishing harbour is the perfect place to sit and relax watching the days catch come in. On the cliff is a 17th century fort and the ruins of a 16th century tower.