Praia do Amado, Praia do Carrapateira

The beautiful West Coast of the Algarve with its dramatic cliffs and rock formations is still completely unspoilt and there are some fantastic beaches - famous for fishing and bird-watching - but usually unsignposted and hidden from the road by high sand dunes.

Praia do Amado, West Coast Carrapateira

Aljezur itself is a little visited, but quaint old town, founded by the Arabs in the 10th Century.If you climb up to the ruins of the old Castle, you can enjoy spectacular views over the surrounding countryside and Aljezur makes a good central point for a scenic drive through the West Algarve. Take the EN 125 from Lagos to Vila do Bispo and then turn North, over the hills of the Dog´s Spine Ridge and down into Carrapateira, where you will find the first of the wonderful West Coast beaches. From there continue to Aljezur and return to Lagos on the EN120.

The Western Algarve coast is one of the major destinations for serious surfers from around the globe as the long Atlantic rollers sweeping onto the west coast beaches offer ideal conditions for serious practitioners of this art. Many gravitate to the vast, sandy expanse of Praia do Amado near Carrapateira.