Albandeira Beach – Explore Algarve, Portugal

Albandeira Beach Location

Praia de Albandeira is located in the Algarve, the South Coast of Portugal, between the towns of Carvoeiro and Albufeira.

This is a small, remote cove surrounded by the majestic cliffs characteristic of the Algarve. It’s famous for its turquoise waters, fine sand, easy access, and peace and quiet (except during the high season, of course!).

If you visit the popular Benagil Cave, you’ll be very close to the Albandeira beach. You can visit both in half a day. It’s only a 15-minute drive from Benagil.

How to get to Praia de Albandeira?

Here’s the info to access Praia de Albandeira, by car or public transportation.

🚗 By Car

Driving time from the popular towns in the Algarve to Albandeira Beach:

• From Carvoeiro – 15 minutes
• From Albufeira – 30 minutes
• From Lagos – 40 minutes
• From Faro – 50 minutes

There’s a road that goes all the way to the beach, called Estrada de Albandeira (Albandeira Road). The road gets pretty narrow towards the end, so you’ll have to drive slowly and make way for vehicles coming the other way. You don’t need a 4×4 drive to go there.

At the end of the road, you’ll find a free parking lot where you can park your car. To reach the beach from the parking lot, you’ll have to walk a lot… maybe 1 minute 😜

Read more: Best Day Trips from Lagos, Algarve

🚌 By Public Transport

The area has a well-developed public transport system, especially the buses. However, there is no direct bus service to the beach. You’ll either have to walk a minimum of 30 minutes to the beach (which can be tough in the blazing summer) or take a cab.

If you choose to take a cab, you should know it’s not an easy task to find a cab close to Albandeira. So it’s best to arrange with a taxi driver in advance to pick you up at the time you want. Uber works in the Algarve, but you won’t find many close to secluded beaches.

➡️ If you don’t have a car and you’re staying a bit far from Albandeira, the best option is to come by the sea on a guided tour. Here are the best tours that will take you to Albandeira: 

1. Portimão: Kayak Tour of Benagil Caves & Albandeira 
2. Benagil Caves and Wild Beaches Boat Tour

What to Pack for a Day on Albandeira Beach

The beach has enough facilities for a great beach day, i.e. a small bar/restaurant equipped with toilets. The bar has a pizza oven, so you can even have a pizza right on the beach!

Of course, you can bring your own food and eat it on the beach if you prefer.

Discovering The Natural Gem of Albandeira

Albandeira is beautiful in so many ways you can’t miss it if you’re staying in Algarve.

The sand beach is one of the prettiest of the whole Algarve coast, it’s nowhere near as crowded as the main beaches, there’s little walk to get to it, plus there’s also free parking!

There are 3 main things to enjoy in Albandeira: the arch, the beach, and the cave.

The Arch – Arco de Albandeira

When arriving at Praia de Albandeira, take a right and go on the right side of the main cliffs. You’ll end up on a smaller beach, Praia da Estaquinha.

From there, you’ll have one of the best views of the Arco de Albandeira

Photo by Paulo Silva

This beautiful rock formation, called an arch, is a marvel of nature. It’s been formed by millions of years of erosion by sea and wind, to create this hole in the rock.

As time goes by, the Arco de Albandeira is doomed to collapse, eventually. Go and see it while it’s still standing!

The Beach – Praia de Albandeira

If you go straight to the beach, you’ll find wooden stairs, that will take you down to the Praia de Albandeira

What I particularly like about this beach is that there’s sand everywhere, even in the water. It’s all sand, so you don’t have to worry about stepping on rocks, like other beaches in the Algarve.

On the right side of the beach, there are a lot of rocks, on which you can climb, and then jump from when it’s high tide.

There’s also a hole in the rock, that acts as an ocean pool. After high tide, when the water recesses, some of the water gets trapped in the hole, creating a natural pool. Your own private pool on the beach!

The Cave – Algar de Albandeira

The third and last interesting aspect of Albandeira Beach is the cave, called Algar de Albandeira.

Well, there are actually 2 caves.

The first one is on the left side of the beach; it’s an opening in the cliffs, and you can go inside for a few meters. It’s a nice place to find shelter from the hot blazing sun in summer and to relax in the shade.

The second one is the actual Algar de Albandeira, and it’s located a bit further west.

To get to it, you’ll have to walk 10 minutes on the cliff path, above the sea. Pass by Praia de Estaquinha (the one where you can see the arch), Praia do Salgueiro, and then keep going until you see a wooden fence around a big hole in the ground. That’s it, you’ve found it: the Albandeira Cave!

Where to Stay Nearby

Looking for a hotel as close as possible to Praia de Albandeira? Here are my recommendations:

✅ Best Hotel – Vila Alba Resort: this hotel is located right behind Albandeira Beach, so you can’t be closer. It’s a 4-star hotel offering nice rooms, an infinity pool overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, and various activities such as horse riding.

⭐️ Luxury Hotel – Vila Vita Parc: located about 15 min drive from Albandeira, this beachfront 5-star hotel is marvelous. Rooms are large and feature either a terrace or a balcony, there are several pools and no less than 12 restaurants onsite!

Discover more accommodations in the Algarve? Check out this guide of the best Algarve hotels.

What to See Next?

Looking for other things to see around Albandeira Beach? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered!

👉 Check out this Bucket List Places to See in Algarve.

In the immediate area around Albandeira, you’ll find:

• The Benagil Cave
• the Hidden Cao Raivoso Beach

If you take your car and drive a bit further, you’ll find other beautiful locations, such as:

• Camilo Beach
• Ponta da Piedade

Which one of the 3 makes you want to visit the Albandeira beach the most? The secluded sandy beach? The incredible arch over the sea? Or the cave? Let me know in the comments below!

Either way, I hope you’ll enjoy your time in Portugal, and that you’ll have a blast in Algarve!