Albufeira & Benagil Cave

Albufeira is a former fishing village, turned major tourist destination on the Southern coast of Portugal. It is now the largest, and most lively resort town along the Algarve coastline. Catering to English tourists (UK in particular, as many places even accept payments in English Pounds), this area is a great spot if you’re looking for all of the comforts of home, nice beaches, and luxurious resorts. Albufeira has two main areas, the old and the new town, both offering different things to do. ‘Old’ Town is on the West side, is more family oriented with many restaurants, cafes and shops in cute squares to stroll though and a vibrant atmosphere no matter the time of day, ‘New’ Town is to the East, and essentially has everything that the ‘Old’ town does, but is known for its party and karaoke scene. When it comes to beaches, you can’t go wrong regardless of where you decide to stay in Albufeira. Either way, you’ll be near to a beach with some beautiful views and the classic views of the Algarve.

The Benagil Cave is the most famous cave or ‘grotto’ in the Algarve, and is sometimes referred to as the Benagil Cathedral because when viewed from the outside the arches it forms inside give the appearance of a cathedral. Wind and water have eroded the sandstone and limestone rock formations, shaping the impressive cave that we see today. The cave is a short boat ride or drive away from both Albufeira and Lagos, and depending on how much time you want to spend, and how you want to view the cave will dictate the best way to get there. If you have a car and are a good swimmer, I would highly suggest driving close the cave and working your way in from there. This way will allow you to view the cave from the hole above, as well as swim around to spend time on the beautiful beach on your own time. The warning with this is that the currents and waves within and near the cave can be quite hectic, so if you aren’t confident about swimming in the ocean in strong surges or waves, I wouldn’t try. Alternatively, you can rent a kayak or take a kayak tour that will allow you to also go right into the cave to spend some time. The last way to visit the caves is to take a boat tour from one of the nearby towns. In this way you will either be in a Zodiac type boat, catamaran, sailboat, or something similar depending on your tour. The disadvantage with going this route is that you will NOT be allowed to get off of the boat to visit inside of the cave. The boats will only pull in quickly so that you can take photos of the hole, before pulling out. In the peak summer months, you may have to wait in a queue behind other boats to get in to see it, as it does get very busy. This is a great way to spend a few hours on the water and see much of the other beautiful coastline along the Algarve, and if you do this on a clear evening as we did, a great opportunity for an amazing view of the sunset.