5 Best Ways to See the Beautiful Algarve Caves

Famous for its long sandy beaches and Mediterranean climate, the Algarve has hosted tourists for many years. Most come to lounge on the beach, and relax for a week or two before getting back to the daily grind. But the Algarve also has one of the most impressive looking coastlines around. With high cliffs, secluded bays, hidden beaches and secret caves it is an adventurers dream. What are the 5 best ways to see the beautiful Algarve caves? Read on and we’ll advise you on the various ways we went about it.

Over time the elements have shaped the Algarve coastline into a spectacular scene

1. Hire a kayak and take a guided tour

In the various towns along the Algarve, there are lots of places you can hire kayaks. You can take a guided tour on the kayaks out along the coast, or go yourself. We went to Lagos, and took a guided tour from one of the places on the marina.

The kayaks are a great way to see the coastline as you can enter areas that some of the larger boats can't enter — The kayaks are a great way to see the coastline as you can enter areas that some of the larger boats can’t enter

We were advised to take our valuables with us and given a waterproof bag to keep them in. The kayak was a double seater sit-on kayak. We sat in and tied our waterproof bag with our valuables inside onto one of the ropes on the kayak. For reasons we will explain later it was lucky we did!

There is quite a bit of traffic on the seas around the coast with other kayakers, tour boats, and private boats

The tour

The group was about 30 kayaks in total, these were split up into 3 smaller groups each with a guide. The guide was good and waited for anyone who was having trouble maneuvering the kayaks. Or anyone who was getting left behind. He stopped at a lot of points along the way and explained the names of the beaches and some of the landmarks around.

You go through some of the small openings in the cliffs when on the kayaks which may lead to caves or beaches

We went through a good few tunnels and into some of the caves as well. But you need to watch out for tour boats. Especially for the swell coming off them as the waves can be quite large and can turn you if your side is turned into them. On one of the beaches we got out for half an hour to just take a little walk around.

One advantage of having a kayak is that you can disembark on some of the otherwise inaccessible beaches

Caution on the kayaks

After our time at the beach was up, it was time to head back. Now this is the bit we had an issue with. All 30 kayaks were tied to each other, like a row of ducks, and these were then pulled by a motor boat back to the pier we left from. This wouldn’t have been a problem apart from the fact that keeping that many kayaks together when there is various sized boats around causing waves and swell is a recipe for disaster. As it predictably was!

Getting back on the kayaks is easier if its a tour as you are pulled back by boat

At one stage a boat passed close by and the wave caught us on the side. Unfortunately our kayak was the one affected and we overturned. Not a big deal apart from the fact that one of our GoPros was lost to the depths and it could have been a lot worse if we didn’t have our bag tied to the kayak! We could potentially have lost our wallets, our phones, and our passports!

Due to the swells, getting back to our kayaks was impossible, and the boat had to come and pick us up. We stayed in there all the way back, wet and cold, and Misha with a cut on her forehead. It was a bad end to what was otherwise a nice trip.

If going on this type of trip, be extremely careful with your valuables! If you decide to bring them and use the waterproof bag make sure to secure it well to the kayak!

Benagil Cave

We also hired kayaks to go into Benagil Cave, (we will talk a little more about the cave in the next point), and this was definitely in our opinion the most rewarding way to see this marvel of nature. To kayak in, and then get out and spend some time there, you feel like a real adventurer and explorer, finding an unknown location. At least you would except for all the people already there before you!

To us kayaking is still the best way to see the coastline. But it does have it risks so take care!

2. Take a boat trip

A much safer and less energetic option to see the coastline is to take a boat tour. We went to Portimao, and from the Vasco da Gama pier took one of the tours. We had booked it earlier in the morning from a booth along the seaside walkway and had passed the few hours earlier walking around the centre of Portimao and having some lunch.

The walk beside the sea in Portimao where you can find the tour operators selling tickets for the boat trips to the caves

The tour itself was in a nice large boat, and again the guide that was with us was good. He spoke in Portuguese, English, and French, so that everybody would know what he was saying. He explained each location we came to, what it was called and how it got its name. Also on the way back they had water, juice, and some wine for anybody who wanted a glass.

The boat we took from Portimao to take the tour of the caves

A castle on the hill you see as you leave the harbour in Portimao

Viewing the coastline from the boat

We passed some secluded beaches that looked like there was no access but you may see a lone person sunbathing on them. We went into some of the caves that had a beautiful little sandy beach hidden away right at the back. It reminded us of being in a pirate tale. You could imagine pirates or smugglers from hundreds of years ago using these places to hoard their ships or stolen treasures.

The hidden beaches are reminescent of the tales of pirates hoarding ships and treasure in isolated caverns

Past some of the caves you will see secluded beaches accessible only by sea

In some of the caves the roofs have collapsed causing the sunlight shining through to create a beuatiful effect

Benagil Cave again

The highlight of the trip was a journey into Benagil Cave, one of the most famous on the Algarve. It is a large cave with an opening on the top where the sun shines through. The cave is a busy site as people kayak in here, paddleboard, or swim, and there are lots of tourist boats going in and out.

Our only little gripe was that we didn’t stop long in the cave. It was pretty much in and out. We didn’t get to disembark at all. However, as mentioned in our previous point, we went the next day and kayaked in. So we got our time there another way. But don’t rely on the boat tours to get your chance to really spend time here and appreciate the cave. No matter what they tell you when booking your trip!

However, for a nice smooth and relaxing way to see the coastline, a boat tour is a good option.

The cliffs are sheer in places leaving the only access onto some of the beaches below via the water

The coastline is dotted with caves all along its length

3. Swim if you’re capable enough

Swimming is an option only to be taken if you are a capable and accomplished swimmer! One of the places you will see most people swimming into is Benagil Cave, but the route in is pretty crowded with people on paddle boards, kayaks, and tourist boats. These all cause waves and if you’re not a strong swimmer you could find yourself in trouble or being pushed towards the rocks.

Swimmers need to be aware of other traffic in the water such as kayaks and tour boats

The stretch is about 200m so it’s fairly easy for a good swimmer. But make sure to keep an eye out for other vehicles as they may not always see you due to the fact they are looking at the cave itself and in some cases are more concerned about keeping themselves afloat!

To get to the cave and back you need to be a strong and confident swimmer

Also remember that depending on the ebb and flow of the tide the swim back to the shore may be more difficult than the swim in. You will also be tired from the swim in, and you don’t want to be stuck here, as if you swim in, the only way out is by swimming also!

4. Balance on a paddleboard

While we didn’t try the paddle boarding, we saw a lot of people who did. Some would lie on them and paddle, others had the balance to stand on them and maneuver their way around the caves and beaches. A lot would also sit on them and find their way this way.

Paddleboarders returning from a trip to the cave

The paddle boards are again available for rent at most beaches so it is easy to find them. It makes for an easy way to get into some of the secluded caves and beaches. We came across a few people in these hard to reach areas who had gotten in by paddle boarding.

Paddleboarders reach a lonely beach inside one of the caves

The drawback is that it’s easy to get overturned on one of these if you’re not experienced. With the amount of traffic from tourist boats in the vicinity of the caves and beaches then this could happen quite a lot. We also didn’t see any using them who were wearing life jackets. So we would advise you to ask for these if you are hiring a paddle board.

Even if you can swim, if you get thrown into the water, the shock of the cold water and the waves from the boats can tire you pretty easily and you might not be able to swim as well as you could in a flat calm swimming pool.

5. View the coast from the cliffs

Our final way to see the coastline is by taking a walk along the cliffs. There are many places to do this and lots of viewpoints.

Looking from the little town of Benagil down onto the beach below. Benagil Cave is located just around the first headland seen in the background

The first one we went to was accidental, as we were looking for a kayak renting place in Lagos, and our directions took us to the top of the cliffs! But the vantage point from here was beautiful! We could see all along the coast, and could see the many kayakers and boat trippers below.

The view from one of the cliffs not too far from Lagos

But don’t get too close, like any cliffs, what you see above may not be fully supported ground. It could crumble away easily. So keep your distance from the edge. By no means sit on the edge no matter how many ‘likes’ that perfect selfie shot is going to get on FaceBook or Instagram!

There are trails to folow on some of the cliffs but care needs to be taken on these as they are narrow — There are trails to follow on some of the cliffs but care needs to be taken on these as they are narrow

Viewing Benagil Cave from the top

We also walked along the top of the cliff where Benagil Cave is located. From here we got to the hole at the top and were able to look down into the cave below. There is a loudness in there created by all the people and the echoes reverberating off the walls. It is strange watching them all below, as if you are a higher being looking over them! Again, take care on the edge! There is a barrier around to basically keep people from getting too close to the edge. But this doesn’t stop people getting past it to get close.

The opening down into Benagil Cave from the clifftop. It is not accessible through here

Looking down into Benagil Cave from the roof opening

The cliffs have some beautiful walks all along the coast. If you are not a seafarer or you hate the water, then this is the perfect way to see the coastline.

The view from the cliff near the town of Benagil

Conclusion

In conclusion, we felt that even though we had a bad experience at the end of our first kayak trip, we still feel it is the best way to see the coastline of the Algarve. You naturally will need a little bit of fitness for it as it can be quite exhausting. Especially if you are going against the waves. But it does also give the most rewarding feeling. After all of your hard work, to disembark on a quiet sandy beach where you can relax for a little while, is a beautiful feeling.

The coastline is rugged with lots of caves created by erosion over time, some have hidden beaches inside

With erosion still continuing the coastline will continue to evolve and change

Some of the caves have eroded all the way through allowing you to pass through them

For us, as a couple who like the feeling of adventure, it was definitely the best way to see the coastline of the Algarve.

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5 Best Ways to See the Beautiful Algarve Caves

5 Best Ways to See the Beautiful Algarve Caves