Bordeira's beach

Portugal, Portugal

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Bordeira's beach (Praia da Bordeira), also known as Praia da Carrapateira, is a huge and beautiful beach stretching over 3 kilometers (about 2 miles) in Aljezur's Costa Vicentina on Portugal's western Algarve coast, making it the largest beach in the Costa Vicentina region.

Located within the protected Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park near Carrapateira village, the expansive beach features large white sand dunes backed by dramatic limestone cliffs and is part of a wild, unspoiled setting with dunes stretching inland all the way to Carrapateira village.

The beach is essentially a major surfing destination with epic waves, frequented by surf schools and surfers in wetsuits, though it can be windy and the water is very cold with strong currents, making it not ideal for swimming except for the shallow, calm lagoon formed by the Ribeira da Carrapateira river at the southern end, which is perfect for children. Facilities are minimal—there is a beach bar open in summer with a surf school where you can rent equipment and wicker parasols, plus restrooms, lifeguards during bathing season, and free parking above the beach—but no public transportation reaches it, requiring a car to access.

Southern exposure offers a river mouth that sometimes forms a tepid lagoon where otters can be spotted, while the northern end has bigger waves preferred by experienced surfers, and a clifftop viewpoint provides breathtaking panoramic views accessible via a wooden boardwalk that leads down to the sand from the parking lot.