After a night flight to Faro and an hour long car ride in the dark, we located our adorable Air BnB in the small beach town of Carvoeiro which is very close to Praia de Marinha. While searching for the best place to stay in the Algarve coast region, I looked all over the place, not sure which coastal town to choose. Lagos was the most popular destination but it wasn’t really close to the sites we wanted to see and we didn’t care about being in a touristy area with a lot of shopping.

In the end this small town ended up being perfect for us. You could walk to the local beach, get good food from a fair selection of restaurants or the local grocery, and the coastal sites we wanted to see were only a few minute drive away. 

The first beach we ventured out to see was Praia da Marinha, one of the top ten most beautiful beaches in Europe and the 11th most photographed beach in the world. The road to get there made little to no sense to me as it was paved but zigged and zagged all over the place but we knew it was leading to somewhere beautiful. We arrived at the clifftop beach parking area and got out, the ground beneath our feet bright yellow with tinges of red. Then we had to choose which trail we wanted to follow. 

Instead of heading straight down to the beach, we divert from our plan and head out on one of the foot trails which lead to a clifftop edge overlooking the beach. The views of the bright yellow limestone coast, chiseled out by years of powerful ocean waves is amazing. The beach looks amazing too, but it’s the cliff colors and formations surrounding the beach that make it so special. In fact, this coastline is so special, an 11 kilometer hiking trail, dubbed the Seven Hanging Valleys Hiking Trail, starts at Praia da Marinha and ends in Carvoeiro.

We didn’t hike the entire clifftop trail but we did take our time exploring segments, my camera rarely leaving my hand. On the cliffs to the east of Praia da Marinha, we only met two or three other people, one of them a clifftop fisherman just casting a line. It was vacant, beautiful, and the weather was perfect.  

Finally, we made our way down to the actual beach and set down a few towels in the course and sticky sand. The beach was fairly busy as the busses from other touristy towns had already rolled in for the day, but we noticed there weren’t many people actually in the water. Even I don’t love getting wet but I know how fun swimming in the ocean waves can be!

So, we approached the waters edge and after feeling the first crashing wave flow over my feet, it was clear why. The salty ocean water was so cold it made me shriek out loud. Choosing to stay out of the water, we took some time to explore the beach, listen and watch the waves roll in, have a snack, and people watch. People watching and wave watching certainly made for adequate entertainment in this beautiful setting, we should have packed a cooler!

After a while we left the formal beach area and took one more short hike beyond the iconic M rock in an attempt to soak in more of the beautiful coastal and surrounding desert views. 

The Algarve coast and its many beaches are just as beautiful as the pictures and more accessible than one might think. Our rental car was the most convenient way to get around to our proffered beaches, restaurants, and early morning activities and we were always able to find parking.

We conversed with a few strangers at a rooftop bar that was part of a resort just outside of Carvoeiro. They were chatty ladies and, while we were watching the sunset over the ocean horizon, we were surprised to learn many Brits come here for a beach vacation. Kind of like the Caribbean for Americans I suppose, just head a bit south. I wouldn’t categorize the Algarve as the best beach vacation spot as the water is so cold, but the beach views, coastal hiking trails, numerous water activities, and gorgeous sunrises and sunsets tend to make up for it. 

Check out the full 12 day Spain and Portugal itinerary.

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