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Vilamoura Best Beaches | Beach Guide
Unlike many of the Algarve's resorts which grew around existing coastal towns and villages, Vilamoura was purpose built with on thing in mind - holidays. Set in the middle of the Algarve coast, upmarket Vilamoura sprung up around some of the region's finest beaches. In either direction there are virtually endless stretches of golden sand offering all the facilities you could ask for. With not a bad beach in area the choice comes down to how far you are willing to travel and whether you want to head east or west from the marina.
As a beach holiday destination Vilamoura is pretty hard to beat. Of course this means the beaches within easy walking distance of the town centre (Praia da Marina / Praia da Rocha Baixinha) tend to get very busy during the summer. They are however great beaches offering plenty of activities, in and out of the water, beach bars and cafes for meals and refreshments, seasonal lifeguard patrols and the usual parasol / sun-lounger rental. With easy parking and level access they are also a good option for those with limited mobility.
If you want to escape the crowds a little then the best advice is to head a few kilometres west to the vast expanse of beach that is Praia da Falésia. Here you should be able to find plenty of room to throw your towel down whatever the season.
What are the Best and Closest Beaches to Vilamoura?
Showing 1 - 10 of 20
- Albufeira Vilamoura
Karl EggerBoasting 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...
- VilamouraValter Jacinto | BY-SA
Vilamoura beach is a decent sized strip of golden sand set between the Marina to the west and Quarteira harbour to the east. It is relatively developed although nothing like the scale of Quarteira next door. In fact it has a much more open feeling with plenty of space between the nearest apartment blocks.
Given its location between resorts on the Central Algarve it is no surprise that the beach is popular. In fact during the summer it is positively heaving. If you are...
- QuarteiraPhotogal | BY-SA
Given the long stretch of golden sand that lies in front of Quarteira it is little surprise that the resort was one of the earliest to be developed on the Algarve coast.
The beach is backed by Quarteira's long broad promenade (Avenida Infante de Sagres) which is lined with palm trees and innumerable cafes and bars. As you would imagine from such a well established resort there are no shortage of facilities at hand, both on the beach and in the town behind. As a Blue Flag beach you...
- QuarteiraVal Thoermer
Despite being located within an easy walk of the resort of Quarteira the beach at Praia do Almargem is surprisingly unspoiled. Here, instead of high-rise seafront apartments you will find a backdrop of sand dunes and pine trees.
The beach here is among the most tranquil and laid back sections of the 15 km long stretch of unbroken fine, golden sand between Quarteira and Faro. This doesn't mean it is without facilities though, the Blue Flag award guarantees this. As well as the seasonal...
- Quarteira
The Vale do Lobo is one of the Algarve's premier and exclusive resorts. Located within the so-called 'Golden Triangle' it is known for its upmarket hotels, high end golf courses and pristine beaches.
Directly in front of the Vale do Lobo resort is the long sandy beach. Stretching for just over a kilometre the beach is backed by the typical Algarve ochre-coloured cliffs.
This section of the Algarve is something of a golfer's paradise. The beach here is backed by two of the coast...
- VilamouraSven Grüne
Praia de Garrao is one of the principal beaches that serve a collection of high-end resorts known as the 'Golden Triangle'. Originally consisting of little more than sandy beach and pine forest, the Vale do Lobo was developed for tourism in the 1960s, closely followed by the neighbouring Quinta do Lago. The Vale do Lobo boasts a riding school, which offers fantastic rides along the beach, and the most famous tennis...
- Albufeira
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).
Set in a pretty bay, flanked by tall ochre coloured limestone cliffs São Rafael is reminiscent of many of the beaches along this stretch of Algarve coast. The beach is home to an array of wonderful rock...
- Faro QuarteiraNatalia | BY-SA
The seemingly endless stretch of golden sands that form the Praia do Ancão sits roughly halfway between Faro and Quarteira. It is also lies within the so-called "Golden Triangle" which is an area containing the Algarve's most affluent resorts; Vale do Lobo, Vale do Garrão and Quinta do Lago.
Ancão forms the western boundary of the Ria Formosa Natural Park and as such is backed by pristine sand dunes along much of its length. There are however also plenty of facilities as this is a...
- AlbufeiraiStockPhoto
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.
The name of the beach comes from it once being where the town's fishermen would launch their boats from. There are...
- Albufeirastavros1 | BY-SA
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...
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Vilamoura travel guide »
Vilamoura is more of an area than a town in itself and has grown over the past couple of decades to more or less engulf Quarteira to the east. Located virtually in the middle of the Algarve coast, within 15Km...