Really Awesome Things to do in Carvoeiro Algarve Portugal

If you’re looking for a quiet, relaxing location far from the Algarve party resorts of Albufeira where you can experience the beauty of the Algarve, you have to visit Carvoeiro. While this former fishing community is small in size, you’ll be amazed by the incredible things to do in Carvoeiro. Located near some of the best Algarve beaches, including Carvoeiro beach and Praia da Marinha, Carvoeiro is the perfect location for beach hopping. It is also near some of the most dramatically beautiful locations on Portugal’s southern coast including Benagil Cave, Ponta da Piedade and Algar Seco.

Carvoeiro: A Wonderful Vacation Destination for All Ages

After exploring all the activities in and around Lisbon including Alfama, Belem and Sintra, we travelled to Portugal’s Algarve. While there, we enjoyed three wonderful activity filled days enjoying all the things to do in Carvoeiro. We would love to return again!  

Not only were our favourite sights and things to do in Carvoeiro enjoyed by our family with three teens, at each location we also saw many solo travellers, families with younger children, adult groups and locals enjoying these very same activities. Carvoeiro and the Algarve is truly an enjoyable location for people of all ages!

Where is Carvoeiro, Algarve, Portugal?

Carvoeiro is located in the Central Algarve and is situated directly on the Atlantic Ocean. This beautiful little village is 277km south of Lisbon (approx. 2.5 hour drive by car) and 65km east of Faro.

Where should we stay in Carvoeiro?

Carvoeiro is not filled with all inclusive resorts like those that can be found in many other areas of the Algarve but there is no lack of accommodations.

If you are interested in staying near Carvoeiro Beach, there are several options. The old town area has several local hotels but moreover, there are several amazing Airbnb rentals.  We wanted to stay as close as possible to beach as possible and found an amazing Airbnb just minutes from Carvoeiro Beach.

If you’re willing to stay a little bit further away (and up a hill), you’ll find more amazing hotels and Airbnb rentals as well as several self-catering villa resort locations which have a village atmosphere with a centralized swimming pool.

Should we rent a car in Carvoeiro?

Until our visit to the Algarve, Portugal, we had never rented a car in Europe. I was a little uneasy but had read that it was the best way to explore the things to do in Carvoeiro. In the end, we’re really happy we had the car.

We used the rental car simply to travel short distances to beaches that were further away and to travel to Lagos for our day outside Carvoeiro. Our main issue was actually parking in the spot that came with our Airbnb apartment as it was very difficult to access.

I did some research in advance and booked with Algarve Driver, a company highly recommended by the destination experts on TripAdvisor. We had no intention of driving from Lisbon and we did not plan to drive to Faro for our return flight. We simply wanted the car for Carvoeiro and surround areas.

Algarve Driver was fantastic. They dropped the car directly to our Airbnb at the prearranged time and picked it up at the time we planned. There was no issue with upcharges or ‘fake’ damage which seems to be an issue with several car rental companies operating out of the Faro airport.

Overall, we were very happy and would rent with them again. We also learned a great lesson for future European travels. If you want to rent a car in Europe, don’t be afraid. You just need to do your homework to find the most reputable company in the area you’ll be travelling.

Things to Do in Carvoeiro, Algarve

1. Walk the Carvoeiro Boardwalk

The Carvoeiro boardwalk is a wooden walkway that travels along 550m of the incredible Atlantic coastline. The boardwalk is in pristine condition and the walk is an easy 10-15 minute stroll affording some of the best views in the Algarve.

There are benches all along the boardwalk allowing peoples to take a break and enjoy the magnificent views.

The breeze from the Atlantic tempers the summer heat during the day and an evening stroll provides some of the best sunsets we’ve ever experienced.

The boardwalk starts at the fortress and Chapel of Our Lady of the Incarnation which protected Carvoeiro in the 1700s. There is also a nice playground close by for younger kiddos.

Algar Seco is located at the end of the Carvoeiro boardwalk. Make sure to wander past the restaurant located near the top to find the small tunnel that leads to the Gruta da Boneca, cave of the doll.

Inside the cave there are two eroded holes in the rock that look out over the Atlantic Ocean. From the water, they look like the eyes of a doll which is how the cave got its name. This is one of the most popular viewpoints in Carvoeiro.

There isn’t a beach at Algar Seco but you will find incredible sandstone rock formations created by wind and water erosion.

You can explore the caves and wander amongst the rocks. Just be careful!

Continue along the rocks and you’ll find a grotto. The water was very cold when we were there so the kids didn’t swim but many others didn’t mind.

John and the kids wandered while taking in the views instead.

2. Enjoy a Boat Tour to Benagil Cave and Beyond

As soon as we decided to stay in Carvoeiro we knew that we wanted to do a boat tour along the incredible Algarve shoreline to visit the caves and rock formations. I looked into boat tours from Carvoeiro and the TripAdvisor reviews of Carvoeiro Caves made my decision easy.

I reached out by email and pre-booked an early morning tour for our first full day in the Algarve. We booked the 10am tour because I had heard that winds often pick up in the afternoon and that can impact whether the boats are able to enter the caves.

Carvoeiro Caves offers to options for tours: A One-Hour tour from Carvoeiro to Benagil Caves and A 1.5 hour tour from Carvoeiro to Benagil Caves and on to Praia da Marinha. The difference in price was minimal so we chose the longer boat tour and I’m so happy that we did.

The kiosk for booking tours or registering for pre-booked tours is located on the eastern side of Carvoeiro Beach. It is incredibly easy to find. We dropped by when we arrived in Carvoeiro the day before our tour just to make sure that high tide was not at the same time as our tour. That also can impact whether the boats can enter the caves.

Overall, our boat tour was amazing! Our captain/tour guide was fantastic and we learned so much about the local beaches and the Atlantic coastline.

We visited many caves before reaching the famous Benagil Cave. They were all unique and beautiful in their own way. Some say many are even more enchanting than the famous Benagil Cave itself.

The next stop was Benagil Cave. This is truly the most famous cave in the Algarve with many tour boats from along the Algarve coast offering tours.

While tour boats do not allow guests to leave the boat during the boat tour (you can only do this by arriving by kayak or SUP), they do try to bring you as far into Benagil Cave as possible. We arrived early and are so happy that we did. Our views were amazing!

 Because we booked the longer tour, we continued on towards Praia da Marinha. The first view of this amazing area is breathtaking.

We were able to get wonderful pictures of the infamous M rock as well as other photos of other sights that we never would have been able to see had it not been for the boat excursion.  The views of Praia da Marinha from the water are simply beautiful.

3. Visit the Alfanzina Lighthouse

Alfanzina Lighthouse is located about half way between Carvoeiro and Praia da Marinha. It was built in the 1920 and has been fully automated since 1981. Having grown up on the Atlantic coast of Canada, I’ve always had a love of lighthouses. They all have such incredible stories.

We viewed the Alfanzina Lighthouse when on our boat tour from Carvoeiro to the Benagil Caves and Praia da Marinha.

We had hoped to visit the interior but didn’t get a chance. The lighthouse is open to the public on Wednesday afternoons from 2pm to 4pm. Admission is free but a donation is requested.

4. Explore the village of Carvoeiro

Many years ago, Carvoeiro was a small Portuguese fishing village. Today, it still has a year-round local population that is not completely dependent on tourism. In fact, from October to April, Carvoeiro is very quiet. We visited in July and truly loved it. Despite its small size, the village didn’t feel over crowded.

Carvoeiro has a few main streets. We spent most of our time near Rua dos Pescadores and Rua do Barranco which run parallel to each other, meeting at Caroveiro Beach. Near where these two meet you’ll find also Carvoeiro’s ‘restaurant hill’, Estrada do Farol.

We enjoyed wandering and enjoying the small Portuguese shops, local grocery stores and perusing the menus posted outside restaurants. We found two very nice, authentic cork stores where we purchased several gifts for family and friends with prices similar to those in Lisbon. We arrived in Carvoeiro with very little in the way of beach supplies and we were able to find everything we needed in more tourist-oriented shops. We also found a very well stocked wine shop with local Algarve wines.

The food in Carvoeiro is wonderful and we enjoyed a different restaurant for dinner each evening. Our favourite had to be A Marisqueira where fresh fish is cooked on the grill just outside the restaurant.  

We also loved the food at Martin’s Grill which overlooks Carvoeiro Beach.

Each summer evening there is entertainment in the Carvoeiro town square which is located directly in front of the beach. It’s a fun time for all ages!

5. Explore as many Algarve Beaches near Carvoeiro as possible: Praia da Marinha, Carvoeiro Beach, Benagil Beach and More!

Visiting the Algarve beaches near Carvoeiro is at the top of almost every list of things to do in Carvoeiro. These beaches are truly some of the most stunning in the world and you absolutely have to visit and explore as many as possible.

All you really need to bring is a durable beach umbrella, beach towel and your swim suit! We were able to borrow a beach umbrella from our flat and we purchased souvenir towels in Carvoeiro.

Carvoeiro Beach

Carvoeiro Beach (Praia de Carvoeiro) is located right in the village of Carvoeiro. It is the only one on this list that has direct entry to the beach without stairs which is great for children and people with mobility issues.

The view is stunning as the beach is in a cove surrounded by limestone cliffs. It’s a beautiful place to relax.

Carvoeiro Beach is surrounded by many restaurants and snack bars. To the left, you’ll find the stairs that lead to the Carvoeiro boardwalk as well as kiosks for small boat tours which leave directly from the beach.

The sand is not really sandy soft as there are quite a few shells and shell pieces but it is still easy to walk and it makes for a wonderful place to collect a few shells.

Praia da Marinha

Voted one of the 20 most beautiful beaches in Europe by Conde Nast Traveller, you simply can’t visit the Algarve without at least seeing Praia da Marinha.  That said, even in early July, Praia da Marinha was packed with people.

Praia da Marinha is located approximately 9km from Carvoeiro. There is plenty of parking available but at times it is difficult to find a parking place because the parking area is a series of different unpaved lots.

Near the parking lot, there are kiosks selling food and drink as well as souvenir kiosks. I found a nice sun hat! Before taking the stairs, find the walking trail nearby for an amazing view over the cliffs and rock formations.

The stairs down to Praia da Marinha are steep and plentiful but also wide and deep so easy to manoeuvre.

After leaving the parking area, there are few services at Praia da Marinha itself. We joined the masses with our beach umbrellas and blankets and thoroughly enjoyed our few hours.

Make sure to wander down the beach to the right to get an up close look at the beautiful rock formations.

Praia de Vale Centeanes

Praia de Vale Centeanes is only 6 minutes by car from Carvoeiro. There is plenty of parking nearby and if you’d prefer to walk, it’s only a 30 minute walk from Carvoeiro Beach.

Praia de Vale Centeanes has pretty much anything you may want at the beach. We rented beach chairs during our visit and were able to get five together without difficulty. It is permitted to set up a beach umbrella and blankets to each side of the rental beds if you’d prefer.

Praia de Vale Centeanes has a rental kiosk for kayaks. They also offer tours along the coast including those to Benagil Cave. There is a small takeout restaurant/kiosk which the kids enjoyed. There are also toilets available and a lifeguard on duty during peak periods.

As with Praia da Marinha, make sure to wander down the beach to explore near the cliffs to find another small cave.

It’s so cool to explore the walls that are filled with small shells.

Don’t do what Lucas did though. He opted to relax and planned to visit the cave later during our visit … but the tide rose and he never was able to explore. Take advantage of low tide but absolutely don’t get caught inside when it rises.

We all really enjoyed Praia de Vale Centeanes. The water was calm and the beach was beautiful.

Praia do Carvahlo

I had read a lot about Praia do Carvahlo and despite its small size, or perhaps because of it, it ended up on our list of Algarve beaches to explore. Located only 10 minutes by car from Carvoeiro, it’s easy to visit even for a short time.

Parking at the top was relatively easy but access to the beach is so unique. Visitors need to walk through a stone cave near the parking area. This cave leads to stairs that you follow down to get to Praia do Carvahlo.

The beach is very sheltered with little waves and soft sand. There are no rental services so you’ll need an umbrella and blanket or beach towels. That said, on the way down the stairs you’ll pass a restaurant so food and drink are available.

The most impressive site at Praia do Carvahlo is the incredible rock formation jutting out of the Atlantic Ocean near the beach.

Benagil Beach

We viewed Benagil Beach from the water during our guided boat tour from Carvoeiro to Benagil Cave and Praia da Marinha.

While we didn’t actually visit Benagil beach, it is undeniably popular. This is the closest location to Benagil Cave and visitors can get boat tours to the cave or they can rent kayaks or paddle boards.

6. Visit Lagos and boat tour to Ponta da Piedade

Lagos is located approximately 40km from Carvoeiro and, even though its’ population is less than 25,000, Lagos is one of the largest towns in the Algarve. For us, the shining star of Lagos is the Ponta da Piedade, an incredible set of rock formations jutting from the Atlantic Ocean near the shoreline of Lagos. While not directly in Carvoeiro, the Ponta da Piedade is special enough to make it on our list of the best things to do in Carvoeiro.

We booked our boat tour of Ponta da Piedade in advance with Connie and Pedro from Lagos Grotto Trips. Parking at Lagos Marina was incredibly easy as there is a huge parking just past the roundabout when following Google Maps to the marina.

As we arrived at the marina, we realized just how many boat tours were available. All along the very long L shaped marina, kiosks were set up offering a variety of boat tours. Some even offered dolphin watching! We, however, were intent on finding Lagos Grotto Caves. Little did we realize exactly how far it was from the marina parking area.

We wandered all along the marina to no avail. Eventually we crossed the pedestrian bridge and wandered along the other side of the marina and finally found the proper kiosk. Connie is super sweet. She’s an expat from, I believe, Scotland who married Pedro, a Lagos local. She was totally unphased about us being late. She hooked us up with our captain, explained where to meet him back on the other side of the pedestrian bridge and told us not to rush ourselves. In retrospect, Connie’s directions were perfect … some how we just missed a few details. If anyone plans to book with Connie and Pedro just reach out to me and I’ll create a google map for you.

Visiting the Ponta da Piedade is truly an experience of a lifetime. Yes, you can see the rock formations from above the cliffs just outside Lagos but the joy of seeing the rock formations from the water is the experience of understanding how truly massive they really are. You don’t really get this from looking at it from above.

Some of these rock formations are so famous that fishermen have given them names including O elefante, the kissing couple, the camel head and the Sphinx.

Amongst the incredible rock formations of the Ponte da Piedade are hidden caves and grottos that can only be seen by boat, kayak or paddle board, including the gruta dos amores (grotto of love).

You’ll also see beaches around Lagos including: Praia Dona Ana, Praia do Camilo, and Praia Porto do Mos.

Our captain/guide was fantastic. He explained the history of the area as well as the geographic features but he was also fantastic with the kids. We had the boat to ourselves and the kids had a fantastic time.

Once you’ve explored the Ponta da Piedade, it’s time to visit the town of Lagos. Lagos has a really nice old town area that is easy to find just by crossing the pedestrian bridge from the marina. The boardwalk area is filled with small cafes and souvenir/craft kiosks.

We wandered beyond the boardwalk to find the Mercado de Escravos which you can recognize by its double arched walls. The museum housed inside traces the history of slavery in Lagos and the Algarve.  Slaves from west Africa were first brought to Lagos in the 15^th century and the first slave market in Europe was located here. It continued until the mid-1700s. While it is troubling history, we thought it was important for our kids to see. They learn history in school but it is so far removed from their own reality in Canada.

Nearby is Igreja de Santo Antonio (Church of St. Anthony).  It is considered to be one of the finest church interiors with some of the nicest wood carvings in Portugal. By this point everyone, including John and I, were incredibly tired. We longed to return to Carvoeiro and visit a nearby beach so we didn’t explore the interior. I wish we had.

We wandered towards the ancient city walls to have a distant look at the Forte da Ponta da Bandeira fort which once guarded the entrance to Lagos and then returned on a leisurely walk along the marina boardwalk towards the parking marina.

We grabbed a quick lunch at a non-descript location on the marina (we really should have eaten earlier at one of the local restaurants in the old town with delicious smells wafting from their kitchens but hindsight is 20-20) and returned to the parking lot.

If you have more energy than us there are loads of other activities you can do nearby. Our plan for the day included viewing the Ponta da Piedade from the nearby cliffs outside Lagos. There is a staircase of 182 steps but having done the boat tour, that wouldn’t be necessary. Instead, it would be wonderful to view the rock formations from above.

The next stop on our ill-fated itinerary was Praia do Camilo for a little swimming, Praia Dona Ana for the views and some seashell hunting and finally, Praia Porto do Mos which I had read was one of the best beaches in the area with watersports that our teens would enjoy. But realistically, we were all simply too tired. And now we have a reason to return!!!

Additional Things to do in Carvoeiro

Visiting the beaches around Lagos is not the only item on our itinerary that simply did not happen. We truly enjoyed our visit to Carvoeiro but our time was way too short. There are so many things to do in Carvoeiro! If you have more time, you absolutely have to include some of the following.

1. Visit local village

I had spent a lot of time narrowing down our options as so many of the nearby villages have so much history. My top two villages to visit would be Silves and Ferragudo.

Silves is the former capital of the Algarve and it is relatively untouched by tourism. It would be wonderful to visit the local park, the roman bridge, the Saturday market and the cobblestone streets leading to the Silves cathedral and the Silves castle on the hill.

Ferragudo is a former fishing village with a rustic beach, beautiful harbourfront, cobbled streets, and historic town square.

2. Kayaking or Stand Up Paddle Boarding

Whenever we were on or near the water around Carvoeiro we encountered kayaks and SUP. I’m not a sporty person at all but would have loved to explore the coastline of the Carvoeiro from the water in a relaxing kayak or on a SUP.

Both of these devices allow you full access to each nook and cranny surrounding the incredible Algarve rock formations.

3. Slide and Splash Waterpark

I’ll be the first to admit that I am not the one adding the Slide and Splash to this list but the first thing my kids did when they entered Lagoa en route to Carvoeiro was scream “MOM, LOOK AT THAT! ARE WE GOING THERE?!” Well, the answer was “No”. Yes, I’m the mean mom but we have a waterpark not far from our home and we didn’t visit Portugal to go to a waterpark. But honestly, any kid or teen would love to visit this place so if you have time, you might want to add it (or cover their eyes as they drive through Lagoa!)

Final Thoughts:

To all the naysayers saying the Algarve is overrun with tourists and isn’t worth visiting, we totally disagree. The Algarve is absolutely stunning and absolutely worth taking the time to visit and explore. There are locations along the coast, like Carvoeiro, that are family friendly locations where memories of a lifetime can be created. We will absolutely return! There is so much we haven’t yet explored! And this is coming from yours truly who was just named one of the top 100 family bloggers to follow!!

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