Tavira travel guide »
Tavira is one of the gems of the eastern Algarve. Straddling the River Gilão and the River Segua, its gentle charm and predominantly low-rise architecture set it aside from other resorts in the region. Sometimes...
Huge, quiet sandy beach located just west of Tavira. It's a bit of a walk to Praia do Barril from the town but fortunately there is a small train running from Pedras d’El Rei. Barril is a Blue Flag beach so there are plenty of facilities, including seasonal lifeguards. At the far end of the there is an official nudist beach.
The beach of Cacela Velha is located at the eastern end of the Ria Formosa Natural Park and could be considered an extension of neighbouring Manta Rota beach. What marks the start of the beach at Cacela Velha is the wide lagoon behind the spit of sand here.
To reach the beach requires a boat trip across the lagoon from Sítio da Fábrica, near the village of Cacela Velha. It is...
Manta Rota is part of a long sweep of fine sand that arches from the frontier town of Vila Real de Santo António, on the Spanish border, to Praia de Cabanas in Tavira. The beach at Manta Rota sits on the edge of the Ria Formosa Natural Park, an important wetland where a host of migratory birds, and other wildlife, are found in abundance.
You'll find plenty of space at Praia da Manta Rota even though it is a popular beach, especially amongst locals. The beach is backed by low sand...
This lovely stretch of fine golden sand is located on a slightly quieter section of the Algarve coast between Tavira and the Spanish border (less than 2km away). That is not to say the beach isn't popular and has somehow managed to escape the tourist radar. You will still find straw parasols and sun loungers a-plenty here but the beach does still retain something of an unspoilt, if not a little upmarket air to it.
Unlike many of the algarve's beaches further west there is very little...
Monte Gordo is the Algarve's closest resort to the Spanish border. As such it attracts a mix of Portuguese, Spanish and international visitors drawn by the expansive golden sand beaches and the casino.
The beach of Monte Gordo itself is a huge stretch of powdery, almost white sand that extends for around 1.5km (1 mile), almost to the border with Spain. The central strip of beach in front of the resort is backed by a wide, flat promenade lined with tall palm trees along with a number...
The Ilha da Armona, on which the Praia is situated, is one of three islands off the coast around Faro that form part of the extensive Ria Formosa National Park, a small archipelago of lagoon islands that stretches east 50km from Faro to the Spanish border. Armona, Culatra and Farol, known as the sandbank islands, all feature long, sandy beaches, made peaceful by their relative inaccessibility.
The Praia da Armona is...
Named after the border town behind, the Praia de Santo António is the most easterly beach on the Algarve, or all of Portugal for that matter. To get to the beach you can take the pleasant 10 minute stroll along the bank of the river Guadiana or alternatively take the path through the pine woods that grow on the dunes behind the beach - known as the "Caminho dos Três Pauzinhos". This is the best route as there is a wealth of wildlife including chameleons, although they do live up to their...
Tavira is one of the gems of the eastern Algarve. Straddling the River Gilão and the River Segua, its gentle charm and predominantly low-rise architecture set it aside from other resorts in the region. Sometimes...