10 Most Beautiful Beaches in Portugal

Sylvia Paige

06/01/2022

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Portugal is one of the best beach destinations in Europe, full of remote coves and great beach towns. The entire coastline is filled with beautiful beaches, so it is no surprise that travelers fall in love with the stunning blue water, white sandy beaches, and golden cliffs that surround these well-known locations.

This guide will cover ten of the most beautiful beaches in Portugal to add to your itinerary while planning your trip. Whether you’re planning a solo tour or group tour, make sure you pack all of your must-have items for your journey before you leave. Let’s get started.

1. Camilo Beach

Camilo Beach may be considered one of the most stunning beaches in southern Portugal. Located close to the vibrant coastal town of Lagos, Camilo Beach offers a tranquil respite from the busy crowds. The beach is surrounded by unique rock formations and sandstone cliffs, which provide excellent shelter from the ocean winds.

Imagine arriving at this beach at the top of tall orange sandstone cliffs and an opening where you have to walk down 200 wooden steps to arrive. Once you reach the beach, you sink your feet into the white sand and see the turquoise water in front of you. Unique rock formations surround you as the sun shines overhead. You’ve finally reached Camilo Beach! There will be kayaks available to rent during the summer if you are interested in exploring the water and cliffs surrounding the beach.

2. Amado Beach

Amado Beach is well-known for its lively waters and remote location, a favorite location of surfers. Visitors arriving at the beach will be surprised at the sheer size of this beach as it has a length of almost 1 kilometer long and stretches through several bays, creating a beautiful half-moon bay for visitors. As you explore everything this beach offers, you can walk through the rolling dunes and view the colorful cliffs, finally sitting in the sand to relax.

The unique aspect of this park is that it is located in the Parque Natural do Sudeste Alentejano e Costa Vicentina, allowing visitors to walk the trails and soak in all of the natural beauty in the area.

3. Martinhal Beach

One of the most beautiful family-friendly beaches in Portugal, Martinhal Beach welcomes you with soft golden sand and scenic surroundings of limestone structures. The water is overflowing with marine life and is asking to be explored. While the sand may be inviting you to lounge all day, you won’t want to miss out on the variety of water activities in the calm, blue waves.

Scuba diving and snorkeling are the most popular activities here, with windsurfing attracting the most visitors. However, this beach also invites activities such as a 30-minute relaxing walk to explore the ruins of the Roman Kilns east of the resort on the coast.

4. Falésia Beach

Falésia Beach is located in the Algarve region and offers more than six kilometers of sand for visitors to enjoy. While a famous beach, there is so much room to spread out here, leaving space for everyone to find a quiet spot to lay back and relax.

This beach offers dramatic views as its surrounded by intense orange and white cliffs with pine trees on top. Walk along the coast and watch how the rock formations change along the beach. Recently earning a Blue Flag Beach title, Falésia Beach is known for being very clean, and you can relax knowing you’ll have a wonderful experience here. The western end of the beach has the highest red cliffs while the eastern end features lower cliffs and a wider beach. You can expect the most visitors and water activities at the eastern end.

5. Praia da Rocha

Praia de Rocha is a famous beach in Portugal and a favorite summer holiday destination for locals and tourists alike. The large and beautiful beach rarely feels crowded, and as you explore, you can find your small beach or private cove along the cliffs on the coast. If you’re a more adventurous traveler, participate in popular water activities such as kayaking or parasailing.

Another angle to explore this beautiful beach is to walk to the impressive Forte de Santa Catarina, a fort built in 1961 to protect the mouth of the Rio Arade. There is much to do at Praia da Rocha to keep you entertained, whether exploring the beach or the nearby town.

You won’t want to miss the one-hour hike to Praia da Ursa, which is only an hour north of Cabo da Roca. You can’t swim at Praia da Ursa due to strong currents, but it’s definitely worth the hike out to see the beautiful coastline and crashing waves.

6. Almograve Beach

Almograve Beach is the largest and most popular beach located within Vicentien Coast National Park, offering natural attractions and wild beauty to visitors. The jagged coastline and picturesque dunes will amaze even the most well-traveled beach-goer. Take a 360-degree view of the beach and look for the giant black rock outcroppings which round out this fantastic beach. The water can be a little rough at times which calls for caution while swimming, but surfers will take advantage of the large waves.

Make sure to arrive at this beach at low tide to experience the best of the sand and see the pristine Blue Flag beach. The village is a five-minute walk away with facilities available, making this a family-friendly location.

7. Carcavelos Beach

Carcavelos Beach is located only 20 minutes away from central Lisbon and is a frequent excursion for locals and tourists. Once you arrive, you’ll be welcomed by almost two kilometers of beautiful sand with a background of the stunning 16th-century Forte de São Julião da Barra.

As you walk around on a hot summer day, the beach will buzz with activity, and you can choose to relax in the sand, join sand volleyball players, or go surfing. It’s all about how you want to experience your day here – and if you decide you’re hungry, there are plenty of cafes nearby.

8. Praia da Marinha Beach

Praia da Marinha has been listed as one of the ten most beautiful European beaches by Michelin Guide. Upon first sight, this beach is surrounded by orangish-yellow limestone cliffs and iconic rock formations. The landscape narrows with high tide and brings you closer to the rocks. Imagine spending the afternoon snorkeling or swimming in the pristine waters of the beach.

Praia da Marinha also features The Arcos Naturais, a fascinating double sea arch, and a one-of-a-kind cliff feature. So bring your camera and capture the unique angle that looks exactly like a heart shape. There is also a bar carved by hand into the sandstone cliffs here that used to be a popular destination until about ten years ago. With a ton of areas to explore at this beach, it’s worth a walk around.

9. Praia de Machico

Praia de Machico is one of the most popular beaches in the Maderia area and will welcome you with calm, warm waters. Visitors flock here for swimming and people watching thanks to the calm waters and popularity of the beach. Praia de Machico features a busy promenade that stretches around the sand with amenities to rent, such as umbrellas and water sports.

Make the most of your time here and relax on the sand by taking in the backdrop of swaying palm trees and wild hills. This beach was created artificially for everyone’s enjoyment, but you won’t be able to deny how great the location of this suntrap is once you sit back and relax.

10. Costa da Caparica

Costa de Caparica is included in the Spain and Portugal 4 Days Itinerary and is worth the visit. This fantastic city beach features twenty-six kilometers of sandy beaches and natural scenery. The entire stretch is lined with eucalyptus trees and clay-colored cliffs offering a dramatic backdrop. For the length of the beach, the north section attracts surfers and families, the middle section caters to the upper class, and the south end of the beach features nude beaches.

You will find bars, restaurants, and rentals scattered along the beach to help enhance your experience at the beach. Here at Costa da Caparica, you can create whatever beach day you’d like to experience, and with great weather most of the time, you’ll have a great adventure.

Conclusion

Every single one of these beaches offers fantastic opportunities for visitors to explore natural landscapes and relax next to the water. So whether you are looking to make beaches your destination for travel, or a stop along the way, you can’t go wrong with any of the ten most beautiful beaches in Portugal on this list.

Planning a trip to Europe doesn’t have to be a challenging venture; with the help of a company like Passero, you can make it easy. In fact, the Portugal 8-day itinerary includes three of the beaches on this list. So take all the stress away from planning your trip and book a pre-planned trip to see three great beaches.