Algarve Tourism Guide - Algarve Best Beaches

Albufeira Beaches, Beaches near Vilamoura & Central Algarve Beaches

Albufeira's best dramatic feature is its glorious beaches, tons of them over 20 if you include all the little beach bays. Some of the best beaches on the Algarve are here - particularly to the West down from Guia at Gale East and West beaches (great rock pooling, sunsets and stunning rock formations here indicative of the Western Algarve Coast). To the east sits the beautiful beach of Oura, conveniently situated down from the central tourist hub in Albufeira - Montechoro and 'The Strip' crammed with bars, restaurants and holiday shops - and English Chippys of course.

Vilamoura's main enormous sandy beach, a big puller for the family holiday crowds in peak season, stretches for 3 kms. Plenty of space for all then, and it's blue flag beach here at Vilamoura and nicely sheltered so perfect for families.

Watersports are numerous along Vilamoura's beach, including windsurfing, jet-skiing, paragliding, family pedalos and fishing. Bars and restaurants line the beach front offering plenty of eating out choices in Vilamoura - and right overlooking the beach too. Marvellous!

Ilha Tavira Beaches, Faro Beaches, Montegordo Beach and Algarve beaches on the Leeward Coast

Some of the best blue flag beaches on the Algarve are near Tavira. Calm, gentle endless sandy beaches are here, perfect for families. The coastline is peaceful, and you need to do a bit of walking to reach Tavira beaches like Praia do Barril situated in the middle of Ilha de Tavira. But what pleasant walking it is, through almond trees, fig trees, olive and carob trees across one of the channels of the Ria Formosa. It's a birdwatcher's paradise here on the mudbanks which evolve into sand dunes as you move closer to the sea.

Faro is the perfect base from which to explore the many exclusive beaches and off shore islands of the Ria Formosa Natural Park. The Ilha de Barreta or Deserta is one of the island barriers of the Ria Formosa and is actually the most southerly point of the Portuguese mainland.

Beautiful remote Algarve beaches await you here, easily reached via regular ferries from Faro's ferry pier. The ferry trip to the Blue Flag Ilha da Barreta beach takes around 20 minutes, and it's a great trip for Algarve birdwatching, as the boat crosses sand and mud banks. You'll spot flamingos for example here. Once at Ilha da Barreta you can expect to see sandwich terns, plovers, common terns, little terns and gull-billed terns.

Like windsurfing? Head for Monte Gordo's fine sandy beach and warm waters. There's a choice of windsurfing companies lining the long beach at Monte Gordo. Fish restaurants are numerous here too - they line the beach.