Carvoeiro Holidays in the Algarve

Carvoeiro Holidays – great beaches, great food and some old world charm!

Carvoeiro Holidays

Without doubt Carvoeiro is a pretty village. It is about 15 km east of Portimão and 58 km west of Faro airport. Although it has grown to accommodate the explosion in tourism over the years, it is still a fishing village at heart and has managed to retain a lot of its original charm. Luckily it has managed to avoid the blight of high-rise developments seen in so many costal resorts.

The village is built around the main square next to the beach. There are plenty of bars and restaurants surrounding it and in the summer free entertainment is on offer here. Although there are lots of bars and restaurants there is only one nightclub, making Carvoeiro ideal for families and couples looking for a relaxing holiday.

Who are Carvoeiro Holidays suitable for?

Carvoeiro is great if you want to tone those muscles. If you haven’t rented a car and are on foot, you’ll find plenty of hills to build your endurance. If you’re not so mobile, then you can make use of the buses, which many of the accommodation complexes lay on (although you’ll have to keep to their timetable). The other option are taxis, which tend to be cheap and fairly plentiful.

If you’re looking for an Algarve holiday destination, which still retains some of its old fishing village charm, then Carvoeiro won’t disappoint. I like the fact that it’s not as commercialised as places like its near neighbour Albufeira (something you might well appreciate if you’ve been constantly hassled by scratch card touts). Carvoeiro tends to attract middle class families and couples, for whom it’s an ideal destination.

There are plenty of restaurants dotted around, although some need some seeking out. All tastes are catered for from traditional Portuguese cuisine, through to more international fare, provided by French, Italian and Chinese restaurants.

For my money, some of the best attractions in the Carvoeiro area are the many beaches and hidden coves and grottos that exist. Most are surrounded by high cliffs, with many step leading down to them and some are only accessible when the tide is out or by boat.

Carvoeiro Beaches

The main Carvoeiro beach is a very pretty, if somewhat small beach, which leads straight onto the main square. It is surrounded by whitewashed villas perched on the cliffs on both sides. The beach is very convenient to get to and has the easiest access of all the beaches in the area (i.e. you don’t have to climb down hundreds of steps to get to it). However, it can get crowded in the summer months, so, if like me, you want more peace, there are other smaller and generally less crowded beaches nearby.

Paraiso Beach is about half a kilometre to the west of the main Carvoeiro beach. It is in a small cove and tends to be much quieter, although you must negotiate over one hundred steps, set in the cliff face to reach it. Parking is available at the top.

Just over a kilometre to the east of Carvoeiro is Vale do Covo beach. It is a fairly small but beautiful cove behind the Tivoli Almonsor Hotel, which is built down into the cliffs and overlooks the beach. Like many of the beaches in the area, you have to negotiate a fair few steps to reach it, but this is worth doing if only to explore the caves.

A little further afield and perhaps best reached by car is Centianes beach. This is beach is quite a small and is a couple of kilometres east of Carvoeiro. There is a small car park at the top and a path leads pretty much down to the beach, with a few steps at the end. Not long ago some of the cliff was removed for safety reasons, which has made it a little bigger. The cove is overlooked by the Colina Sol Aparthotel and the O Stop restaurant and snack bar (Tel: 282 358 159).

Carvalho beach is 2 km further east than Centianes beach. There is parking at the top of the cliff. It is accessed down a lot of steps and then by a passage cut out of the rock. The beach is nice and sheltered.

About 8 km east of Carvoeiro is Marinha beach. I think this is one of the most beautiful beaches in the area, with its beautiful little coves and grottos. There is plenty of parking in the cliff-top car park, followed by a walk along the coast path and down the steps to the lovely beach.

Other beaches worth visiting are Praia de Benagil and Praia da Albandeira.

Carvoeiro Restaurants

One of the great pleasures of Carvoeiro is its restaurants. There are plenty to choose from, although some do take a little finding. Pretty much you’ll find something to suit all tastes and budgets. I can assure you that your Algarve holiday will not be ruined because of poor restaurants.

It is difficult to recommend restaurants, because there are so many good ones to choose from and as they say, one man’s meat is another man’s poison (hopefully not literally). So here are a few to consider anyway:

Bon Bon Restaurant
Bon Bon restaurant ishas a good reputation, serving up an international style of cuisine. The food and the service are both excellent, but it’s not the cheapest restaurant around. There is a nice terrace at the back with good views of the Monchique mountains. It is located in the Sesmarias area, west of Carvoeiro and is a fine place to eat if after a round of golf at the Pestana Golf Resort, close by. Booking is advisable, and take some cash, as it does not accept credit cards. It is closed on Mondays. Contact tel: 282 341 496.

Rey das Praias Restaurant
You’ll find this charming little fish restaurant in the small cove, Praia de Caneiros, which is in-between Carvoeiro and Ferragudo. Contact tel. 282 461 006

O Pátio Restaurant
O Pátio is located in Carvoeiro's main square and they say the oldest restaurant in Carvoeiro. It is an upmarket establishment, with a good reputation serving international cuisine. If it’s warm enough then sit outside on the large patio and enjoy a fine meal. It is open all year round and accepts credit cards. Contact tel: 282 357367

Lanterna Velha Restaurant
Lanterna Velha is a very popular restaurant, serving good International and Portuguese food at reasonable prices. It can get quite busy, so worth booking in advance. The staff here are very friendly and families with young children are made very welcome (and there’s a no-smoking area). The only disadvantage, as I can see, is that it appears not be open in the winter. Apart from that it is open daily. It is located on up the Estrada do Farol. Contact Tel : 282 357 746

Carvoeiro Holidays – Things to do

Water Parks and Theme Parks
If you are on holiday with the kids, you may be glad of other things to do than spend every day down the beach. Luckily there are a number of fun Algarve attractions nearby. These can be easily reached by car, but some do offer their own bus service, which pick up from various points. Tickets can be bought in hotel receptions, from travel agents and some supermarkets.

Children love playing about in the water, so its handy there are two water parks close by. These are Slide and Splash and Aqualand. They both offer the same kind of thing, but Slide and Splash is nearer, only a few minutes drive from Algoa and just off the EN 125. Aqualand is near Alcantarilha in between Albufeira and Armação de Pera on the EN 125. Slide and Splash probably has more to offer younger children.

ZooMarine is just outside of Albufeira. It is a mix of a marine centre, amusement park and zoo. It has daily shows with the dolphins and sea lions. There is a swimming pool to cool off and with a fun fair for the kids it is a great day out for all the family.

Near Algoz, north of Albufeira is Krazy World which is a children’s theme park and zoo rolled into one. It also has a fairground, mini-golf, a petting farm and pony rides for the kids. It houses the Algarve Zoo, whose focus is on reptiles, snakes and the like. Enough here to keep the kids entertained for the day.

Carvoeiro Boat Trips
Caves along the Carvoeiro coastline in the Algarve

Caves along the Carvoeiro coastline in the Algarve

As there are a number of hidden coves, caves and grottos in the area to explore, you can book a trip to explore these. This can be done via your hotel or down at the main beach the local fishermen advertise these trips.

Carvoeiro holidays – Sporting Activities

Carvoeiro Golf
The Algarve is very popular with golfers, and Carvoeiro is a golfers’ paradise, with 3 golf courses very nearby. On the Pestana complex there are 2 courses, the Quinta do Gramacho and the Vale de Pinta championship course. While only a nine-hole course, Vale do Milho is a pretty course about 1 km away.

Carvoeiro Tennis
If you like your tennis in the Algarve, you’ll find the Carvoeiro Tennis Club (Carvoeiro Clube de Ténis) here. It is part of the Carvoeiro Clube resort, but you don’t have to stay there to use the facilities. They have 12 courts and practice facilities and run a tennis academy should you have come here specifically to improve your tennis. They have other facilities, such as a swimming pool, gym and aerobics classes, children’s playground and crazy golf.
For more information on the Carvoeiro Tennis Club link.

There are also tennis courts (with a pro) and a fitness centre at Rocha Brava. They also have a gym and fitness centre. Contact Tel: 282 358 856

Algarve Clube Atlantico has 2 tennis courts and the Palm Gardens resort has an all-weather tennis court on site.

Carvoeiro Horse Riding
Horse riding is catered for at the Quinta da Gill Riding Centre nearby. This is located at Lombos near Lagoa. Gill, who runs it, caters for all abilities from novice to expert and lessons are available with qualified instructors. If you just fancy a hack across the orange groves above Praia da Marina, then this can also be arranged.
Quinta da Gill Riding Centre contact tel: 966 619 136

Carvoeiro Scuba Diving Schools
In Carvoeiro there is the Tivoli Diving School. This is located at the Tivoli Almansor Hotel, is built the cliffs overlooking the Vale do Covo beach. The dive school uses the Hotel pool for training and also the bay in front of the hotel.
Tivoli Diving School contact tel: 282 351 194.

A little further down the coast to the east, just outside Armacao de Pera is another diving school called Scubatour. It is actually based on the resort of Vila Senhora da Rocha, which is perched on the cliffs above the beach. For beginners they use the resorts 25m swimming pool (and a heated pool in the winter)
Scubatour Diving School contact tel: 282 353 263

Also available at the Quinta do Paraiso resort is a diving school called Divers Cove, PADI registered and offering lessons and various dives.
Divers Cove contact tel: 282 356594

Carvoeiro Nightlife

There are a lot of bars in Carvoeiro, some of have live entertainment and a couple which open til the early hours of the morning. If you’re looking for nightclubs, then this is probably not the place for you. There is one disco, on the beach, called O Bote. You are better off staying in Albufeira if clubbing is important to your holiday.
O Bote Disco contact tel: 282 357 285

Carvoeiro Holidays - Accommodation

Much of the accommodation is in villas to rent and apartments to rent in complexes dotted around the town, with many of these enjoying magnificent cliff-top locations and superb views of the Atlantic Ocean. The surrounding area is quite hilly, so getting back to your accommodation on foot, will probably involve a climb up a steep hill. Not much fun in the 30-degree temperatures of summer.

If you prefer to stay in a hotel, then there are a number worth considering for your Carvoeiro holiday. Click here for Carvoeiro Hotels (opens in a new window).

Carvoeiro Holidays – Buses from Faro to Carvoeiro

If you want to get here by bus from Faro airport, you’ll first have to take the bus from Faro Airport to the bus terminal in Faro. From there you need to catch the bus to Lagoa. If you are travelling during the week you may be able to get the Transrapido bus which goes directly there. If you are travelling at the weekend then you’ll have to get the interurban bus, which means you’ll have to change at Albufeira bus station.

From Lagoa you can get a taxi or another bus from the terminal there to Carvoeiro. For times take a look at the EVA bus timetable from the EVA-bus website (opens in a new window).

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