Algarve destination guides
Beaches, activities and practical tips: pick the destination that matches your holiday.
Albufeira
Cliff beaches, whitewashed old town and lively nights
Albufeira is the heart of the central Algarve: a whitewashed old town above Praia dos Pescadores, ochre cliffs cut by hidden coves and around twenty beaches within a 20-minute drive. It is the easiest base for a first trip, from fish restaurants to boat tours to the sea caves.
Read the guideAlgarveOlhos de Água
Former fishing village at the foot of Praia da Falésia
Olhos de Água takes its name from the freshwater springs that bubble up through the sand at low tide, right in front of the village beach. Ten minutes east of central Albufeira, the mood is far quieter: a small bay lined with fish restaurants, colourful boats and the huge Praia da Falésia starting a few hundred metres away.
Read the guideAlgarveGuia & Salgados
The piri-piri chicken village, minutes from the western beaches
Guia is an inland village in the Albufeira municipality, famous across the Algarve for its piri-piri chicken. Around it, the countryside opens onto Albufeira's western beaches: Salgados, Galé and Castelo, wider and far quieter than those in the centre.
Read the guideAlgarveBoliqueime
Hills, sea views and Vilamoura fifteen minutes away
Set on the hills between Albufeira, Loulé and Vilamoura, Boliqueime offers what the coast no longer can: space, quiet and views running down to the sea. The village has kept its market, cafés and Algarvian restaurants, away from the tourist flow.
Read the guideAlgarveVilamoura
International marina, golf and lifeguarded beaches
Vilamoura is the most polished resort in the Algarve: a 1,000-berth marina lined with restaurants, five international golf courses and wide lifeguarded beaches. Green spaces, cycle paths and calm traffic make it a very comfortable base.
Read the guideAlgarveQuarteira
Fishing town, long beach and friendly prices
Quarteira has kept its fishing-town soul: the morning fish auction, a palm-lined promenade and a flat, lifeguarded sandy beach several kilometres long — ideal for families. It is the best value destination in the central Algarve.
Read the guideAlgarveArmação de Pêra
One of the Algarve's longest beaches, minutes from Benagil
Armação de Pêra combines a huge sandy beach, a still-authentic fishing village and immediate access to the most spectacular coves on the coast, including Praia da Marinha and the Benagil caves. It feels far more family-friendly and relaxed than Albufeira.
Read the guideAlgarvePaderne & the countryside
Orange groves, a medieval castle and total quiet
Fifteen minutes from the beaches of Albufeira, Paderne opens onto another Algarve: almond and orange hills, walking trails, old mills and a 12th-century Moorish castle above the Quarteira river. The village keeps its own pace, with cafés, a small church and traditional restaurants.
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