Praia da Marinha

Praia da Marinha is consistently rated as one of Europe's most beautiful beaches and among the top 100 in the world. The Michelin Guide has named it one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in Europe, while CNN has called it one of the 20 most beautiful beaches in the world—and one visit makes it clear why. The beach's most famous feature is its double sea arch—the Arcos Naturais—a pair of rock formations sculpted by wind and waves over millennia. Viewed from a certain angle, these arches form a near-perfect heart shape, known locally as 'O Coração do Algarve' (The Heart of the Algarve). At low tide, you can walk along the damp sand and shallow pools to get close to these arches. Praia da Marinha also marks the starting point of the Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos (Seven Hanging Valleys Trail), a spectacular 7km cliff-top trail considered by many to be the finest coastal walk in Portugal, passing Benagil Cave on its way to the Alfanzina lighthouse.