Cao Raivoso Beach in Algarve, Portugal

Praia do Cao Raivoso, or Cao Raivoso beach, is a beautiful hidden beach along the Algarve Coast in Portugal.

Protected from the winds, it’s the perfect place to relax, away from the crowds, especially for couples looking for privacy.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Cao Raivoso Beach Location
• The Secluded Cao Raivoso Beach

Cao Raivoso Beach Location

Praia do Cao Raivoso is located at the very south of Portugal, in the Algarve region.

When coming from Lagos, head to Benagil Caves, then keep going further east and you’ll reach the beach.

The beach is a little off the beaten path, so don’t expect a full-on concrete road all the way to it. At one point, you’ll take a sharp turn from the main road, to go on a dirt track. Follow the dirt track all the way to the end, and you’ll reach Cao Raivoso beach.

You don’t necessarily need a 4×4 vehicle to go on the dirt track, but be cautious and drive slow as there are a lot of potholes and big rocks lying around.

Also, you can reach Cao Raivoso on foot walking the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, a famous track running along a part of the Algarve coastline. 

The Secluded Cao Raivoso Beach

After exploring Porto, Lisbon and Sintra, we headed south to discover the southern Portugal coastline, also known as Algarve.

We left Azenhas do Mar at 9pm and made our way to the coast. We stopped 3/4th of the way in Ourique to spend the night. The following morning, we woke up around 5am, grabbed a quick breakfast, and hopped in the car: direction Algarve!

Our first stop for sunrise was Cao Raivoso beach. We drove past the Benagil Caves, which we would visit later, and missed the turn to the beach. After stumbling around for a while, we found the way! Right off the main road, there is a small dirt track that is easy to miss if you’re not paying extra attention.

We followed the dirt track all the way to the end, driving extra slow, avoiding potholes and rocks. We got to the edge of the cliffs, and parked the car a bit further, in an open area designated as “4×4 parking”.

Cao Raivoso beach is very impressive; there are 2 huge chunk of cliffs on each side, and the beach in the middle. It’s impossible to climb down from the cliffs to the beach, and I felt dizzy looking down at the beach below.

Perched atop the cliffs, sat on the rocks, Nesrine and I watched the endless motion of waves crashing on the rocks below our feet. Cao Raivoso beach is the perfect place to watch the sun rise.

What makes this beach so special is its location: it’s impossible to reach it by foot, or by car. The only way to access the beach is by sea. You can either swim all the way from a nearby beach, or rent a boat/kayak for a day and find refuge on this beautiful beach.

The Algarve gets really crowded during summer, and it can be hard to find a calm beach on which you can relax, far from all the people. Praia do Cao Raivoso is the perfect private beach 🙂 If you want to find other nice beaches in Algarve, check out this guide: 36 Best Places in Algarve.

And if you want to avoid the crowds, book a hotel with a private beach!

There is also a cave that you can explore while on the beach.

Even if you don’t go down to the beach, the view you get from the cliffs is simply amazing.

Cao Raivoso beach is also the perfect place to start your Algarve hike. You can park your car there for free, and then head out along the cliffs to explore the rest of the area.

After chilling for a while at Cao Raivoso beach, we then went to see Corredoura beach, the Benagil Caves, and Praia de Benagil from above.

The hiking trails on the cliffs are pretty well-maintained, and make for an easy hike.

Be careful though during your walks: don’t walk too close to the edge of the cliffs, as the rocks are pretty unstable, and can fall at any time. You’ll also see wooden barriers along the way, there are made to protect particularly fragile part of the cliffs, don’t put yourself at risk.

Have you been to the Algarve yet? It’s was definitely one of my favorite part of my Portugal itinerary.

Which place was your favorite? Let me know in the comments below!