The Praia da Amoreira beach, Portugal; one of Portugal's most scenic beaches

Visit Praia da Amoreira

The Praia da Amoreira is in one of the less touristy parts of the Algarve coast in the north west of the region and for this reason is a lot quieter than most of the Algarve beaches.

Explore the Amoreira Beach

The Amoreira beach is at the end of a long road through a valley. The road is long and quiet enough that you will start to wonder if you are indeed heading in the right direction!

As you get close you will see that the beach is at the outlet of a river and indeed the beach continues up along the riverside and these areas are almost as popular as the main beach next to the sea.

The beach opens out into a lovely large sandy beach edges with a beautiful area of rocks and rock pools great for exploring with children.

The sea here has some dangerous currents and is not recommended for children however there are often large pools on the sand that are great for splashing around in. When the tide is out a large lagoon forms.

This beach is very popular with surfers and body-boarders as the waves can be big. You can hire surf boards on the beach and book surfing lessons in the summer.

There are two cafes on the beach. One on the south side and one on the north side. Both sides have car parks though on the south side access to the beach is down some wooden steps. Toilets are available at the cafes.

Even on a cool cloudy day the beach is beautiful and great for a walk along the beach or up along the River Aljezur where there are also lots of sand dunes.

The beach is in the Vicentine Coast Natural Park and so the surrounding valley is very pretty too adding to the charm of the beach.

Places to visit nearby

The nearby town of Aljezur has an old town on one side of the river and a new town on the other. Above the town are the remains of a 10th century Moorish fort.

This area of the Algarve is very quiet and unspoilt. Drives by the coast offer some stunning views of the Western Atlantic. The drive to Amado beach is one of the best of these.

Drives in the countryside reveal a scenery and way of life that is very traditional. You may see fields ploughed using oxen as you drive around.

If you want to see some of the more popular Algarve destinations it is a fairly short drive from here to the town of Lagos with its popular Dona Ana beach.

Or head north instead to see Portugal's lovely capital city Lisbon or the nearby historic town of Sintra with its Pena Palace.

You can find more local travel ideas in and the Algarve guide.