Praia da Marinha

Praia da Marinha beach is known for being one of the top 10 most beautful beaches in Europe. As a result, it is very popular and often difficult to get parking close to the beach. It's an easy walk from Bengil beach if you want to see both beaches in a single day. Anyone looking for the greatest selfies in Algarve frequent this beach for its specatular cliff views of the beach and surf.

The beach has two main roads that lead into downtown Carvoeiro and the beach. You will find lots of quaint cafes, restaurants and shops along the main roads that you can have a drink, eat and shop at. There is often live entertainment found in downtown Carvoeiro in the summer.

Praia da Marinha is the last stop on the 7 Hills and Valleys trail and hike.

Good to know

Where to eat?

Praia de Marinha has a sit down restaurant and bar that overlooks the beach. It does require stepping down many steps to get to the restaurant and beach. At the entrance to the beach and the parking lot you will find food trucks and street vendors selling drinks, fruits and other snacks.

Parking

Praia de Marinha has parking dedicated to the beach. The street access is through a tightly packed residential area with narrow streets that don't offer parking. The parking does fill up quickly which sometimes results in the road access to the beach parking lot being shut down. There ia a grass parking lot that is also avaiable but almost 2 kilometer away from beach.

Surf

Good for cooling off and families to enjoy the water. The beach is medium sized. Large elevation drop downto the beach. Waves tend to come in multiple directions given the beaches very small width. This makes it difficult to enter and exit the beach with waves comging from multiple directions as they bounce off the cliff walls. Not good for surfing given its narrow width.

The beach is not good for The beach is busy board or body surfing. with people.

How Busy

You can usually find a place to lay your beach blanket even in the summer. You can have it to your self in the fall, winter and spring as it seems very few people either know about the beach or don't have the strength to climb up the hill, step down to and back up from the beach. Finally, to walk back down the hill to Carvoeiro beach.

Activities

There are plenty of activities to do at Carvoeiro beach.

Boat Tours: Excursions of the Algarve Coastline. The boats are pulled right on to the sand when they aren't in use. The tour passengers board the boat from the beach. The tour provides excellent tours of the Benegil cave. Sometimes they even land on the beach to allow visitors to see the cave from sandy beach inside the Benegil cave opening.
Swimming:
Sun Bathing: Listening and watching to surf come into the beach from at the top of the westerly hill that overlooks the beach.
Picnicing: On the beach.
Shopping: Shop for unique artisean and craft jewlery on the calcada steps down the the beach.
Watching Sunrises and Sunsets: Some amazing views from the tops of the cliffs. Towards the west of Algarve you can see the sun set. Towards the east of Algarve you can see the sun rise.
Walks: A small narrow sidewalk along a one way narrow road west leads you a short distance to Praia de Paraiso. A similar walk is available on the east side cliff that give majestic view of the beach. Stop along the way on the benches to enjoy the views. You will find a playground, school and church at the top of the west side cliff. Visitors flock to the top of the hill at dusk to enjoy the sunsets and views of Lagos and Sagres in the distance. It is a short walk to Paraiso beach from here. Consider going there by foot down the hitll to Carvoeiro beach. Use an Ube to get to the beach if you don't want to deal with the hills. Uber rides for short distances are very inexpensive in Algarve.
Walk: Up the stairs to get icecreams and drinks and fresh fruit from the food truck vendors in the summer.