Praia dos Arrifes, Albufeira: How To Get There & Photos (2024)
If you’re staying around Albufeira & looking for the perfect beach to spend an afternoon, then you need to get yourself to Praia dos Arrifes!
We’ve been here a few times now to watch the sun come up & it’s absolutely gorgeous. You can walk right out along the cliffs for some great views as well.
In this post we’ll share how to get to Praia dos Arrifes, where you can park & what to expect when you get there.
Where Is Praia Dos Arrifes, Albufeira?
The small, sandy beach of Praia dos Arrifes (also know as Praia dos Três Penecos because of the 3 large rocks that line up out to the ocean), is located around a 12 minute drive from the town of Albufeira. It’s close to the neighbourhoods of Sesmarias & Gale.
If you’re staying in Albufeira, it’s not within walking distance from the town – in fact it would take over an hour for you to walk there. So unless you are a keen hiker, we think the best & easiest way to get there is by car (that’s if you aren’t staying close by of course!)
CLICK HERE TO SEE PRAIA DA ARRIFES ON GOOGLE MAPS ⛱️
How To Get To Praia Dos Arrifes, Albufeira
Step 1: The beach is located at the very end of Rue dos Arrifes, so you’ll want to make your way there first from whichever direction you’re coming from. We just set the sat nav on our phones to the car park for Arrifes beach here. This road is in good condition & easy to drive down.
From Albufeira Town, it will take about 12 mins to get there. If you’re coming from Armação de Pêra – 17 mins. From further down the coast in Carvoeiro – it’ll take about 35 mins. Obviously these times will all depend on traffic!
Step 2: Walk down toward the beach. Once you’ve parked up, just head towards the ocean. You’ll see a pathway leading down to the beach, past a white building.
Once you get along this path a bit, you can either turn left down to Arrifes Beach itself & the A Sardinha restaurant, or you can turn right to find the hidden beach of Praia Da Vigia & walk along the cliffs which stretch out to the sea.
Quick Resources For Your Trip To Albufeira🌞:
🏨 Find hotels & apartments in Albufeira via Booking.Com
🚗 Rent a car for your trip through DiscoverCars.com
🏝️ Book boat trips, tours & fun experiences on GetYourGuide
What To Expect At Praia Dos Arrifes
Praia dos Arrifes is the smallest of the main beaches in & around Albufeira, but well worth a visit. It can get quite busy, especially during summer – so we recommend arriving early to secure yourself a spot on the beach!
If you want to spend a few hours sunbathing, it’s the perfect place as it’s sheltered from the wind by the cliffs behind, & the sand itself is soft – perfect for throwing your towel down.
Admittedly it’s not the best place for swimming due to it being quite rocky, however if you’re into snorkelling, this is one of the best beaches for it!
The rock formations out in the sea make this place super unique & a great spot to take some holiday photos too! 🌞
If you’re feeling peckish or just want to grab a drink there’s also a restaurant right on the beach – A Sardinha, which has pretty good reviews!
Other things to do at Praia dos Arrifes:
CLIFF WALK: If you want some even better views, you can walk right out onto the cliffs that jut out near the beach. From here you can get a better look at the rock formations in the water & on a good day you can see all the way towards Albufeira & beyond. You can also walk from here over to Praia de São Rafael, a bigger beach to the right which we recommend visiting too.
PRAIA DA VIGIA: On your way to the cliffs, do not miss out on this tiny hidden beach right beside Arrifes. The slope down to it will be to your left. Well worth a look especially if the tide is low! If the tide is low you can sometimes walk round to it from Arrifes on foot.
Best Time To Visit Praia Dos Arrifes
We’ve been to this beach twice now, mainly for the sunrise. At that time of the morning it’s super quiet, we’ve had the place to ourselves both times!
If you’re wanting to chill at the beach, as we suggested above it probably gets quite busy in the summer – so arrive early to get a sunbed or a space on the sand. In the shoulder seasons it may be quieter.
One thing to note aswell is high/low tide – at high tide the beach will get smaller so maybe position yourself back towards the cliffs slightly!
Will you go in search of Praia Dos Arrifes next time you visit Albufeira? We hope this post will help you find it! Let us know in the comments if you’ve been here OR what YOUR favourite beach in the Algarve is! 🏖️
More posts about Albufeira you might find useful:
- Albufeira Marina: Things To Do & Complete Guide 🚤
- How To Spend One Day In Silves, Portugal 🏰
- Do You Need To Rent A Car In The Algarve, Portugal? 🚗
- Praia Da Vigia, Albufeira: How To Find This Secret Beach
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