My favourite beaches in the country lie more to the southwestern side, but there no denying that some of our most beautiful beaches (and we have tons of them!) are in the South. And today, you'll meet one that's considered one of the top beaches in Europe!
Praia da Marinha
This beach is located near Carvoeiro, the little village where I'm spending my vacations. Given all the praise it gets, I had to try it for myself! It's a short car ride away, so off we went.
As we parked and got nearer the coastline, a large square opened up with a few shade spots - and given how hot it gets, they're much needed!
From here, we have to go left; and as you get closer to the passageway, you can already admire the beach from above, as there's a nice belvedere.
From here you can already see the beach lining and the fabulous rock formations. There's actually a great hiking trail that encompasses this beach, but more on that later on. Now, down to the beach!
From here the path is pretty straightforward, no way to get it wrong, with a small inclination downwards to the seashore.
During the path you catch a glimpse of the first part of the beach, near the only restaurant/bar supporting it.
From here, you're almost there. At this point, you turn right, since going to the path to the left will take you along the hiking trail to another beach.
And there you go: praia da Marinha! But you need to walk a little more for the full experience, since this is the ugliest part of the beach, no one stays here.
You contour the rocky wall and... bliss!
The rocky formations all around are incredible, and the cliff is filled with nest of swifts and kestrels, chirping loudly. Nature sounds beat any chill out music!
The rocky formations that resemble an amphitheater lie a few meters after the lonely rock in the middle of the water, the best way to see them closer is to rent a kayak, or do as I did and swim there!
I regretted not bringing the action cam, but you can get an idea of this formation from the first photo in the post.
Apart from swimming to enjoy the rocks up close... you can just enjoy the sun, warmish water and surrounding nature!
A word of caution: be wary of the tides! Because in high tide, there's no way of leaving the beach without getting wet!
As a curiosity, if you had followed he path to the left instead of taking the stairs to the beach, you would arrive to this beautiful beach, although I think this one is only acessible by boat: praia do Pau.
This path is part of the trail I mentioned in the beginning, called Trilho dos setes vales suspensos, a coastal trail around 6km that passes through stunning beaches and landscapes. There were people doing it, but for me it's waaaay to hot to do it this time of the year.
The trail follows to the right near the parking lot that gives access to the beach, were you have more belvederes and nice view of the beautiful rock formations.
So there you go, another beach to place on your to-see list if you visit Algarve. Hope you enjoyed the mini guided tour, albeit the photos don't do it full justice; the better is to see it for yourself!
