Praia do Vale Covo
Carvoeiro, Algarve, Portugal
Praia do Vale Covo sits along the clifftop boardwalk that runs from Carvoeiro's Algar Seco rock formations, Portugal, a small beach tucked below a sea cave carved into the limestone over millennia. The walk out from town takes just over ten minutes along a raised wooden platform, past the famous Algar Seco caves before dropping down to the sand.
A striking little beach with real geology to look at nearby, but its spot along Carvoeiro's most popular walk means it gets crowded fast in peak summer despite its small size.
Go early in the day if quiet is what you're after. The boardwalk brings a steady stream of visitors through Algar Seco all summer, and the small beach below fills up fast once the sun is high.
There's parking near the Algar Seco entrance in Carvoeiro, about a 12 minute walk from the main plaza along the boardwalk.
The boardwalk itself is a raised, accessible wooden platform, but the final descent to the small beach involves steps and uneven rock, not suited to strollers or wheelchairs.
June through September brings the warm, dry Algarve summer and the busiest crowds along the boardwalk, while spring and fall offer calmer weather with a much thinner crowd.
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