The two extraordinary beaches are both located in the Algarve and they are specifically Praia Dona Ana in Lagos and Falesia in Albufeira. The world-renowned Praia Dona Ana is remarkable for its trademark cliffs and grottos, while Falesia has become a very popular destination for travelers, particularly foreigners, who are in search of the most diverse services.

Probably the most picturesque beach in the Algarve, Praia Dona Ana is conveniently located a pleasant 30 minute walk away from the city center of Lagos. The waters are crystal-clear and the invited sandy beaches lie at the foot of the imposing cliffs that are so symbolic of the Portuguese seaside. For 10 Euro, you can hire a parasol and chair on the beach for one day. A word of warning, though: the beach is only accessible down a long flight of stairs, so it is not the best option for elderly people, pushchairs or armchairs.

To go to Dona Ana Beach, you can hire a car in Lagos and travel throughout the Algarve, also visiting Falesia Beach.

Falesia actually means “cliff”, a name derived from the orange cliffs present along the bech – one of the longest in the Algarve, actually. This beach is excellent for families with children and for people who enjoy outdoors beach activities. From both Albufeira and Vilamoura (the beach basically stretching between these two cities), there are lots of facilities available: scuba diving lessons, water skiing and windsurfing, as well as places to have a drink or a coffee.

Apart from the Portuguese beaches, at the top of Tripadvisor’s list is Italian Rabbit Beach, but also the Greek beach Elafonisi and Formentera beach Ses Illetes in Spain.

The fishing village of Alvor can be found in the municipality of Portimao. Alvor is considered a civil parish in the region of the Algarve in Portugal and with a population of about five thousand people which inhabit an area of a bit over fifteen square kilometers, it is small, quaint and quiet.

Alvor… and what it has to offer

Alvor

Largo da Ribeiro - Alvor

Alvor has a particular place in the history of the region and of the country because this is where King Joao II died in 1495, however the history of the place goes back much further than that though, the settlement being founded back in 436 by the Carthaginians.

Just like the rest of the region that it is situated in, Alvor was once under Moorish rule and this lead to it featuring that particular type of Moorish architecture that one can see all throughout the Algarve, however most of those buildings were simply washed away because of the earthquake and tsunami that destroyed Lisbon in 1755.

The place has since recovered, obviously, but despite it being a rather well known tourist destination and undergoing rather steady development, you will not see any high-rise hotels or apartment complexes in Alvor. Instead of this rather common sight, you will be glad to see that the charm of the old town is not lost at all, there are still narrow cobbled streets and most of the modern buildings are low-rise.

Besides the town itself, Alvor’s main features are the riverfront and its main beach, the Praia de Alvor. The riverfront is arguably the town’s most idyllic setting, it is fully paved and lined with palm trees and alongside it you can find many beach bars and at its end, near the lifeboat station you will find several restaurants that will tempt you with the wonderful aromas of freshly barbecued fish.

The Praia de Alvor is a nice and long sandy beach featuring dunes at its back. At the eastern end of the sandy area is characterized by some large rock formations, this place is known as the Praia de Tres Irmaos. In this part of town you will find quite a few hotels but despite this you will almost always find plenty of room on the beach, even during the height of the summer season.

You should take your time to explore the city a fair bit as well, its network of streets housing a plethora of varied eating and drinking establishments; you can find many types of restaurants, traditional Portuguese ones of course, but also Indian, Chinese and Italian as well, and when it comes to bars you’ll find quite a few Irish bars dotting the landscape.

Considering its size and atmosphere, Alvor is a great place to visit if you have children, it is an ideal resort for families offering lots of relaxation, bu there’s also a water park nearby in Lagoa, fishing and boat trips as well as other things such as small grocery shops which are ideal for daily needs of you or your children.

When visiting Alvor you also have to constantly keep in mind that you are just a few minutes drive away from either Lagos or Portimao, so if you’re looking for a bit of variety during your trip you can always take a bus or hire a transfer that will take you to those places.

Related links for Alvor – Portugal

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Alvor, Algarve – Travel Guide