Some of the most beautiful and welcoming beaches in the world are in the Algarve.

It is a natural heritage that has been used sustainably, giving rise to quality areas able to respond to different needs. Two hundred kilometres of golden sands stretching as far as the eye can see have contributed to putting the Algarve on the world's lips.

Get ready for paradisiacal landscapes, with cliffs of extravagant shapes. Visit caves and cliffs shaped by the sea. And also algares (natural abysses formed by the action of the waters), under which there are complex networks of underground galleries. In the end, we are sure you will have a thousand and one reasons to want to come back.

• Costa Vicentina - The beach at Odeceixe, flanked by cliffs, is a wide tongue of sand between the saltwater from the sea and the freshwater from the river, where small lagoons are formed that are ideal for bathing and very appealing to children. Further south, near Vale da Telha, the beauty of Monte Clérigo beach and its environmental quality make it one of the best on this coast. The village that gives it its name also gives it a special setting. Arrifana is at the bottom of a cove, surrounded by high cliffs, through which the houses of this charming village descend. In Bordeira, the beach is very extensive (more than three kilometres long) and the cliffs are famous for their almost inaccessible fishing grounds.

• Tavira and the Eastern Algarve

  • Cabanas Island - a narrow tongue of sand extending to the bar of Cacela, the last bar to the east in the Ria Formosa. From the long sandy shore of Cabanas, recently renovated, you can see the fishing boats anchored in the Ria and the houses of material support to navigation. The preferential access to the island is by boat, and it only takes a few minutes to reach it, as the arm of the ria separating the island from the mainland is small. On the beach, the walks along the sand are appealing, and it is possible to enjoy true moments of tranquillity and isolation.

  • Praia da Fuseta - The beach is located at the eastern end of Armona Island, opposite Fuseta, a fishing village, but already on dry land. Sea storms have significantly altered the configuration of this tongue of sand, making it necessary to artificially open a new bar on the island. The stretch of sand between the new bar and the place where the old bar used to be is now designated Praia da Barra Nova and is a deserted and unspoilt sandy beach with very inviting natural pools at low tide.

 • Albufeira and Central Algarve

  • Marinha Beach - An enormous gentle staircase leads down to a small cove; warm-coloured limestone cliffs, very fractured and fissured, surround the beach, displaying a remarkable diversity of curious rock shapes.

  • Vale Centeanes Beach - The beach stretches westwards, flanked by imposing and very sculpted cliffs. At the base of the rocky walls, there are caves excavated by the sea. On this beach, the walks are very pleasant: a wooden staircase marks the beginning of a nature trail and takes the visitor to the top of the eastern cliff, covered by lush coastal scrubland and from where one can admire the view over the coastline.

• Lagos and Western Algarve

  • Praia do Camilo - The esplanade at the top of the cliff offers a fabulous panoramic view of the coastline between Lagos and Albufeira, with a wide perspective of the ocean dotted with the white triangles of sailing ships. A long wooden staircase leads down to the beach, through an area of scrubland with plants that are typical of the Algarve's biodiversity. An enormous rock formation divides the sand; it is possible to cross it through a narrow, damp, hand-carved tunnel.

  • Praia Dona Ana - Dona Ana is a well-known and much-frequented beach and has been considered one of the best beaches in the world by specialised publications. Before setting off down to the beach, it is worth looking out from the small viewing point overlooking the coastline and the curious rock formations sculpted by the fresh and saltwater. The sandy beach of Praia D. Ana beach unfolds in recesses generated by the cliffs, providing sheltered nooks and crannies for bathers.