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Of our 9 day road trip through Portugal, Carvoeiro was by far the most relaxed destination. We loved the laidback vibes! This quaint town is located one hour from Faro and 30 minutes away from Lagos. There isn’t as much to explore in Carvoeiro compared to Lagos, you can easily walk through the downtown area within an hour. Even so, there is still a lot to explore with an abundance of natural beauty and features of a traditional Portuguese town.
Keep reading to learn more about some fun things to do in Carvoeiro. We stayed at a bed and breakfast called Quinta Nova Vale Del Rey and I would highly recommend it to anyone who’s planning a trip to Carvoeiro. To see our nine-day itinerary for our Algarve road trip, click here. For some food recommendations in Carvoeiro, click here.
PADDLE BOARD TO THE BENAGIL CAVES
One of the main reasons we wanted to stay in Carvoeiro was to see the Benagil Caves or Algar de Benagil. There are multiple ways to get to these caves, including boat tours, renting kayaks or stand-up paddle boards. We opted for paddle boards and rented them from a small shop located up the hill from Benagil Beach. From the beach, we paddled for a short time, around 10 minutes and reached the Benagil Caves. Of all the things to do in Carvoeiro, I would put this at the top of your list! Be aware of fast boats that might cause larger waves while paddle boarding!
Click here for the map.
TAKE A STROLL ON THE CARVOEIRO BOARDWALK
In the evenings after dinner, we enjoyed taking strolls along the Carvoeiro boardwalk, which sits along the coastline. It’s a great place to get a scenic view of the ocean. The boardwalk also leads to many other trails for more relaxing walks along the water.
Click here for the map.
EXPLORE ALGAR SECO
Algar Seco is a large group of caves and rock formations in Carvoeiro. We had so much fun exploring the little nooks and crannies. Algar Seco gave us Star Wars or Indiana Jones vibes. Be warned however that this spot is very touristy and in some areas quite crowded. In some of the narrower nooks and crannies, we definitely had to wait for people to pass us or wait our turn to take phoots. Make sure to pack proper shoes with traction as there is a lot of walking on uneven surfaces! You can swim there too, but I’d highly recommend swimming shoes or slippers as the rocks can be jagged.
Click here for the map.
SUNBATHE AT PRAIA DA CORREDOURA
After we finished exploring the Benagil Caves, we then paddle boarded further east to Praia Da Corredoura to sunbathe for a short time and enjoy the beautiful views. This was a great beach as it was not too busy and the waters were very blue and beautiful. We would have loved to spend the entire day here. If you’re not feeling super adventurous and don’t want to paddle board, you can also drive to Praia da Corredoura.
Click here for the map.
DISCOVER CARVOEIRO TOWN
We love Portuguese towns! Though Carvoeiro isn’t as big as Lisbon or Lagos, there is still plenty to do as a tourist, whether it’s enjoying the local restaurants, or shopping at various boutiques. There are cute little shops lining the street, or you can enjoy a drink on one of the many patios. We loved getting ice gelato from Gelados & Companhia.
