The Benagil sea cave
A vast domed cave with a hole to the sky, reached by boat or a strong swim — book a small-boat tour.
The Algarve
Golden cliffs and Atlantic coves
Best time
May – June & September – October
Gentle pace
5–7 slow days
Ideal for
Beach-loving families · Couples · First-time Portugal
The Algarve is Portugal’s sunniest coast — two hundred kilometres of golden cliffs, sea caves and sheltered sandy coves lapped by clear Atlantic water, backed by whitewashed villages and a gentle interior of fig and almond. It is the country’s most family-friendly region, with calm beaches, easy driving and a resort for every mood.
With children, base in the central or western Algarve away from the busy strips, hire a small boat to the Benagil cave, walk the Seven Hanging Valleys cliff path, and spend evenings on grilled fish in a village square.
Worth lingering over
The Seven Hanging Valleys trail
A cliff-top path between Praia da Marinha and Praia de Vale Centeanes — the finest coastal walk in Portugal.
Praia da Marinha
Repeatedly voted one of Europe’s best beaches — golden sand between limestone cliffs, perfect for a long swim.
Hidden gem
Praia da Amoreira and the Aljezur coast
Beyond the busy central Algarve, the wild west coast around Aljezur offers mile after mile of empty golden sand backed by dunes and cliffs, with hardly a sunbed in sight. Praia da Amoreira, where a small river meets the sea, is the loveliest — shallow pools for children, a cliff-top café, and a sense of being at the edge of the world. Most visitors never make it this far west; those who do find the Algarve as it was before the resorts.