Praia de Vale Figueira

Portugal, Portugal

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Praia de Vale Figueira is a secluded, wild beach in the municipality of Aljezur on Portugal’s Algarve coast, located within the protected Vicentine Coast Natural Park about 12 kilometers southwest of Aljezur village.

The beach features a vast expanse of fine golden sand over a kilometer long and roughly 75 meters wide at high tide, bordered by dramatic dark schist cliffs and virgin dunes, with parts of the shore scattered with large boulders that give it an almost lunar appearance. Access is via a short mix of paved and dirt road followed by a brief wooden walkway, leading to a parking area with no buildings nearby, making it one of the most pristine and least crowded beaches in the Algarve.

It is especially popular with surfers due to its consistent Atlantic waves and strong currents, which make it better suited for surfing than casual swimming, and it also has an established nudist section. The surrounding valley path is lined with dense heather, rockrose, and strawberry trees, and the area is important wildlife habitat where you can spot ospreys and, rarely, the endangered Iberian lynx.