Golden beaches and luminous sandstone formations - The Algarve

We had direct access to the expansive sandy beach Praia da Falésia with its golden sand and its red rock formations covered with pine trees from our hotel. Praia da Falésia is one of the most beautiful beaches on the rocky coast of the Algarve, protected by a 30-meter-high natural wall of red rock.

Praia da Falésia

Cabo de São Vicente

Cabo de São Vicente forms the southwestern tip of mainland Europe. The Algarve ends there in a rocky, up to 70-meter-high cliff coast with sparse, treeless vegetation. There is a lighthouse on the windy cape, whose light can be seen up to sixty kilometers away. There is also a snack bar called "Last Bratwurst before America".

Praia do Beliche

On the way back from Cabo de São Vicente, we made a short stop at Praia do Beliche. The beach seems to be very popular with surfers, as there were many of them in the water, waiting for waves. From a distance, all the black dots in the water looked like sharks.

Praia do Castelejo and Praia da Cordoama

The beaches Praia do Castelejo and Praia da Cordoama are located near the town of Vila do Bispo on the wild west coast of the Algarve. Just as we arrived at Praia do Castelejo, the weather changed and there was a heavy shower, so we had to run back to the car. Nevertheless, we were quite wet and covered in sand due to the strong wind. We drove back up the road towards the beach and took the next turn to the neighboring Praia da Cordoama. The rain had almost stopped by then, and after a little more than half an hour, we had bright sunshine again. The great thing about the off-season is that you can have the beach almost to yourself.

Praia da Marinha was one of the most beautiful beaches we visited in the Algarve. You can walk along the cliffs above the rocks all the way to Praia de Benagil. Along the way, you can enjoy beautiful views of the coast and the beaches. Every now and then, you come across deep holes from which you can hear the waves crashing. The holes are fenced off, but you can still catch a glimpse of the beach or the sea from below.

Ponta da Piedale

Ponta da Piedae is the tip of a steep peninsula that stretches into the Atlantic Ocean near Lagos. There, you can admire the up to 20-meter-high cliff landscape with hidden beaches and bays. You can climb on small paths above the cliffs and look down on the rock formations. Since we were there in spring, the landscape was very green and there were already some blooming spots.