DK Travel : The Algarve : Outdoor

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Praia da Rocha, Portimão

One of the most famous and impressive beaches in the Algarve, Praia da Rocha is one vast blanket of golden sand set against a backdrop of cliffs the colour of cinnamon. It can get very crowded in summer, but a tunnel at the western end allows access to narrower stretches of sand. At various points along Avenida Tómas Cabreira there is further access via steps, some of them steep.
Praia da São Rafael, Albufeira

With its shallow waters and soft white sand, Praia da São Rafael can fill up quickly. Its pretty bay is framed by some extraordinary rock formations, pocked by a number of caves just waiting to be investigated. It offers ideal snorkelling territory and is popular with families.

Praia da São Rafael
Praia da Vilamoura

The beach at Vilamoura enjoys an enviable location right next to the resort. Its waters are calmed by the harbour breakwater, and the place is often used as a backdrop by fashion photographers.
Praia de Burgau

One of the best locations in the area for snorkelling and diving, the beach skirts Burgau resort and is hemmed in on either side by sloping cliffs.
Praia de Cabanas

Less crowded than some of its neighbours, Cabanas’ pristine beaches lie in peaceful seclusion and are reached by continuing westwards along the shores of Praia de Manta Rota.
Praia de Dona Ana, Lagos

A spectacular and intimate picture-postcard beach, framed by extraordinary outcrops of ochre sandstone. A warren of caves and grottoes runs through the base of the nearby cliff face.
Praia de Faro (Ilha de Faro)

One of the narrow barrier islands that shelter the Ria Formosa lagoon, this giant sand spit is a magnet for Faro residents and those visitors wishing to escape the city heat mid-season.
Praia de Figueira, Salema

This select swathe of sand is popular with youngsters and windsurfers. There are also some excellent nearby dive sites, such as Boco do Rio to the east, where the wreck of theOcean, an 18th-century French man-of-war, lies in shallow water. Praia de Figueira lies right in front of the village of Salema. Arrive early to find parking space.
Praia de Figueira, Salema

This popular beach fronts the tidy fishing village of Salema and attracts a young, sporty crowd, with windsurfing running a close second to sunbathing.
Praia de Manta Rota

Part of a sweep of golden sand that arches from Vila Real de Santo António to the tip of Praia de Cabanas. Access is via Manta Rota and Alagoas.