14 Best Best Beaches in Albufeira

Praia dos Pescadores (Fisherman's beach) is situated right in front of Albufeira's old town. It is one of the resort's main beaches along with neighbouring Praia do Túnel and as such can get pretty busy in the summer months. Of course there are advantages; it is easily accessible from the Old Town - there is even an escalator down to beach level from the cliffs behind.

Praia do Peneco (also known as Praia do Túnel) is one of Albufeira's two main town beaches. In fact it really is part of the same stretch of sand as neighbouring Praia dos Pescadores with just the jetty and slipway separating the two.

Peneco beach is named after the huge sandstone rock which rises out of the sand towards the western end of the beach. Penedo is the Portuguese word for boulder.

Located just to the east of Albufeira old town is Praia do Inatel - a lovely, wide stretch of golden sand. This is the next beach along after the town's main beach (Praia dos Pescadores) and is around a 10 minute walk from Albufeira. Whilst not quite as busy, Praia do Inatel is rather popular during the summer months. 

Praia dos Alemães (German beach) is part of the long stretch of golden sand that takes in all of Albufeira's main town beaches. Don't read too much into the name as you are equally likely to see British or Dutch beachgoers as you are German. The name actually comes from an old fish canning factory located nearby which was owned by a German family.

The small cove that forms Praia dos Aveiros sits between the bustling main beaches of Albufeira and Praia da Oura. By local standards this is something of a hidden gem which rarely gets as crowded as neighbouring beaches.

Despite this Praia dos Aveiros has the same golden sand and Blue Flag status of the beaches either side and is arguably somewhat prettier. To either side are high sandstone cliffs and various rock formations which separate the beach from its neighbours.

Situated at the bottom of a steep hill in front of the resort village of Oura, is one of Albufeira's best beaches. A long sweep of golden sand backed by a promenade lined with cafes, bars and some nice restaurants the beach here is a little more laid back than those closer to Albufeira town.

The beach itself stretches all the way to neighbouring Praia dos Olhos d’Agua, about 2km (1.3 miles) when the tide is out. So there's plenty of space.

Praia da Oura is an accessible Blue Flag beach making it a great,safe family beach.

The Praia de Santa Eulália is located a little over 4 km to the east of Albufeira. It is something of an upmarket resort beach as the meticulously landscaped gardens to the rear of the beach will tell you. You will find rows of palm trees interspersed with aloes and other exotic plants along with areas of neatly trimmed grassy lawn.

The beach itself is a good-sized stretch of golden Algarvian sand flanked by low, pine-covered ochre cliffs at either end. The water is the typical clear azure you would expect on this coast making it ideal for swimming and snorkelling.

The crystal clear, shallow waters and silky soft golden sand make Praia de São Rafael one of the most popular beaches in the Albufeira area. The beach is just far enough away from the resort town to not be overrun, but close enough to be within easy reach (2 km to be precise).

Located on the lovely stretch of coast between Albufeira and Armação de Pera is the charming little Praia da Coelha. Translated this means "Rabbit beach" although the only rabbit of any note here is the one on the sign.

To get to the beach involves a short walk along a footpath through assorted greenery. There are olive trees, bamboo groves and ancient carob trees which all lead you towards the wooden stairs down to the beach. Once on the beach you won't be disappointed; there are the same golden cliffs, crystal clear azure waters and perfect sand as the neighbouring beaches.

The small beach of Praia do Castelo is located on the wonderful stretch of coast between Albufeira and Armação de Pêra (about 6km from the former). There are a number of small bays along the several kilometres of coast here, all of which have the same ochre coloured sandstone cliffs eroded into various rock formations; some more fantastical than others.

Praia do Evaristo is far enough outside of the resort madness of Albufeira to retain an air of charm and remain civilised even in the summer! Backed by low, sloping ochre cliffs this pleasant sandy beach is dotted with large rock formations which are great for exploring and give it a slightly cosy feel.

Set around a kilometre east of the resort of Armação de Pêra is the Praia dos Salgados. It is really just one section of a massive crescent of beach that stretches from the resort, halfway to Albufeira.

Unlike the coast further east, towards Albufeira, with its cliffs and rock formations, Praia dos Salgados is backed by low sand dunes. These are criss-crossed with wooden boardwalks to keep this important conservation area intact.

Boasting more than six kilometres of golden sand, stretching from Vilamoura in the west to Olhos do Agua in the east, Praia da Falesia is home to one of the longest beaches in Portugal.

This sleepy residential town is known by the locals as 'beach town' and has managed to preserve something of its traditional Portuguese lifestyle. Backed by cliffs (falesia is Portuguese for cliff) decorated with pine trees the beach is accessed by steps that lead down from a clifftop car park.

For those of you who are staying in the somewhat hectic resort of Albufeira, Praia da Gale offers a welcome respite. Located to the west of Albufeira, the beach runs around the bay of Armacao de Pera to a quiet, unassuming town that boasts just a few cafes and restaurants and a supermarket.