Beaches in Lagos
Your guide to the best beaches along the coast of Lagos. Our Top beaches within the resort, Blue Flag, accessibility, LGBT & nudist friendly. Uncover beaches in Lagos with AlgarveUncovered.comThe beaches in Lagos are some of the best in the Algarve and include the wonderful 4kms of golden sands along Meia Praia, Batata Beach just across the road from the town centre, Dona Ana Beach with it’s spectacular rock formations nestling beneath the cliffs, the small, sheltered Camilo Beach on the way to Ponta de Piedade and the beautiful sandy bay of Porto de Mós Beach – the furthest beach from Lagos town centre.
Porto de Mós Beach and Meia Praia Beach are classed as ‘Accessible Beaches’ and all the Lagos beaches have sunbeds to hire and are supervised during the bathing season. For information about Accessible Beaches, which Algarve beaches have been awarded Blue Flags and beach safety warning flags take a look at Algarve Beaches.
Meia Praia is the most famous of the Lagos beaches. Its sheer size, wonderfully clean sand, lovely beach bars and proximity to the town make it a perfect choice for relaxing into the Lagos beach life! Meia Praia extends over 4km up to the delta of the rivers Odiáxere and Arão and has numerous car parks along it’s length. Walking from the marina, past the train station takes around 5 minutes to reach the western end where 3 of the beach bars are situated. There are ramps and wooden walkways for ease of access. Alternatively, during the summer there is a water taxi (“Vai Vem”) from the main avenida in Lagos (“Avenida dos Descobrimentos”). The pontoon is opposite the underground car park and it drops off on the other side of the river giving direct access to the far western end of Meia Praia beach.
Praia da Batata is the closest beach to Lagos town centre and consequently is known locally as the “town beach”. As you arrive to the beach you are met with the magnificent sight of a fortress, Forte Ponta da Bandeira, which was historically used to guard Lagos by protecting the river mouth from attack. Although small compared to Meia Praia, Praia da Batata is wonderfully sheltered and is divided into smaller coves accessible by holes in the rocks. There is a beach bar at the main entrance to the beach and another further along, which is also accessible down some quite steep steps. There are sunbeds for hire and activity kiosks at the entrance to the beach for water sports and sea kayak tours.
Dona Ana beach in Lagos is embraced by cliffs, which offer shelter from any sea breezes and the magnificent rock formations offer a fabulous sight from the beach. Access to the beach is by way of wooden steps, so it’s not suitable for disabled access. Dona Ana beach has a restaurant and there is limited parking behind the beach.
Directions to Dona Ana beach: To walk from Lagos town centre, follow the road past the cultural centre (“Rua Lançarote de Freitas”) to the arch in the town walls. At the roundabout turn left, walking past Campsite “Trindade” and the road to Dona Ana beach is on the left. It is less than 1km from the arch to Dona Ana.
Camilo beach in Lagos (‘Praia do Camilo’) is simply beautiful! The view over the beach from the top is breathtaking and if you can make it down all the steps you will not be disappointed! Picturesque cliffs embrace the little beach and the rock formations are magnificent. It is a wonderfully sheltered bay for swimming and is an ideal choice of beach for a breezy day.
There is a restaurant on the cliffs above Camilo beach which is very popular with local residents, serving local dishes and specialising in freshly caught seafood and the views are stunning!
‘Praia do Camilo’ is on the way to Ponta da Piedade and is the turning 500m further on from Dona Ana along ‘Estrada da Ponta da Piedade’. There is a small car park by the restaurant.
Porto de Mós beach in Lagos (‘Praia do Porto de Mós’) is a beautiful sandy bay backed with tall multi-coloured cliffs at either side. There are two beach restaurants with the usual stunning views and a large car park right behind the beach.
Porto de Mós beach is 3.5kms from Lagos town centre. To get there follow the Avenida dos Descobrimentos past the fort and up the hill past the fire station. Turn left at the ‘ball’ roundabout, straight across the ‘tulip’ roundabout, straight across the next roundabout, down the rather steep hill to the beach. If you are feeling energetic and want a great view..walk up to the top of the cliffs on the western side of the beach…you can even walk all the way to Praia da Luz! Just to the left of Porto de Mós is the small beach of Canavial.
A Lagos beach page just wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the stunning cliffs at Ponta da Piedade and, in fact, there is a very tiny beach just to the left of the lighthouse! From the point there are views all the way to Sagres in the west and to the east, the Algarve coastline stretches into the distance with views across the bay to Alvor, Portimão, Carvoeiro and beyond with the Monchique hills as a backdrop. The flora on the cliffs changes throughout the year with wild flowers of all colours opening from December onwards, tall giant fennels, huge “flowers” on the Agave plants and figs for the picking. People gather on the cliffs to watch the sun set behind Sagres – it really is a sight not to miss and all this before exploring the amazing caves underneath the cliffs on one of the many boat trips.
To get to the Ponta da Piedade in Lagos just follow the road past Dona Ana beach and Camilo beach right to the end – there is a car park, restaurant and two touristy shops.