Without the charm of many Algarve towns, but there’s plenty to do in Praia da Rocha, Algarve

Holidays in Praia da Rocha, Algarve

It was the first tourist resort in the Algarve and is nowadays the second biggest resort, the largest being Albufeira. As you might expect, with tourism comes hotel and apartment developments, and Praia da Rocha has plenty of both. Because of these high-rise buildings, which line the cliffs above the beach, it is not as pretty as many places along the Algarve coastline. But beauty and charm are not why holidaymakers flock here (and in the summer months they certainly do!).

Holidaymakers come here because of the fantastic beaches, cheap accommodation and plenty of bars and eateries. Here you’ll find everything from fast-food joints and cheap souvenir shops to more upmarket establishments. Whatever standard of accommodation or food you want, you’re sure to get here. It is particularly popular with British and Irish holidaymakers, and you won’t need to walk far before you find an Irish bar.

Despite its ‘holiday resort’ image, you can’t argue with its location. The town is located on a cliff-top with spectacular views over the River Arade estuary and Ferragudo on the other side. Praia da Rocha has one of the most beautiful beaches in the Algarve in front of the town at the bottom of the sandstone cliffs.

Along the cliff top runs a promenade lined with trees and flanked by hotels, shops and bars and restaurants. At the eastern end is the Catarina de Ribamar Fortress, with a viewing area and café, which provides splendid views of the beach and the entrance of the River Arade. You can also see the fort of St. John of Arade, on the other side of the estuary on the Ferragudo headland.

There is plenty of relatively cheap accommodation to be had in Praia da Rocha. Most of it is to be found in Hotels, Aparthotels and apartments. Click on the links to see a selection of holiday accommodation in Praia da Rocha, Algarve.

Portimão Marina - Praia da Rocha, Algarve

There are a number of activities based at the Marina. If you want to take a boat trip or try the Dolphin Seafari, then these start here. You can also learn to dive with the PADI registered diving school.

Nightlife – Praia da Rocha, Algarve

There are also many many bars to choose from, far too many to list here. A couple of worthy of mention are Daly's Irish Bar and the sports bar with plasma screens and Sky Sports, the Squash bar. Whether you’ll like them will depend on what you are looking for out of a bar.

Casino – Praia da Rocha, Algarve

Praia da Rocha means ‘Beach of Rocks’, which I suppose aptly describes it. There are some dramatic rocky outcrops and red and yellow sandstone rock stacks. It is a couple of kilometres long and the sand apparently shipped in from Portimão harbour when it was dredged. At the eastern end of the beach, on the cliff, is an old fort, the Santa Catarina de Ribamar, while at the western end, the cliffs are bigger and more dramatic as the concentration of hotels starts to peter out. Here there is a tunnel called which connects the beach with other smaller ones along the coast.

There are some great smaller beach coves to explore a long the coast and some dramatic cliff top walks, but be careful as there are some dangerous area yet to be cordoned off.

Other beaches worthy of note are at Vau, a small resort a mile or so to the east. Unlike Praia da Rocha there are hardly any steps to get down to the beach. If you’re looking for a quieter beach try the Tres Castelos beach, a little west of Praia da Rocha, around the cliffs.

Things to do in and around Praia da Rocha, Algarve

Golf Courses near Praia da Rocha, Algarve
This area of the Algarve is well served by golf courses. The nearest courses are Alto Golf, Morgado golf course and the Penina championship course, part of the 5-star Meridien Penina Golf and Resort. There are even more as you head west over the River Arade toward Carvoeiro. For a detailed look at all the golf courses in the Algarve, then visit our Algarve Golf Holidays page.

Boat Trips from Praia da Rocha, Algarve
Boat trips are a popular activity in this part of the world, and can be organised and taken from the Marina. One of these is Dreamfinder, an English registered and crewed cruising yacht used for sightseeing and fishing trips. You can explore the beautiful Algarve coastline on a half or full day cruise. They also offer half-day cruises to the caves at Lagos, which includes a light lunch. The half-day cruises are for about 4 hours and depart from the Marina at 10am. If you’re interested then give them a call on 00351 91 631 0490 or 00351 91 945 1132 or take a look at their website at http://www.dreamfindercruises.com/index.htm

A different type of boat trip is the Dolphin Seafari. If you hadn’t appreciated that there were dolphins in the waters of the Algarve, now is your opportunity to see them in their natural environment (rather than at Zoomarine). Boat trips, or Seafaris, are run multiple times a day from the Marina (and also from Lagos Marina and Alvor Harbour) using rigid inflatable boats (RIBs), the same as used for lifeboats. Apparently this means that you won’t get seasick, although they do travel pretty fast. They even give you a "no sea-sickness" ride, money back guarantee. Each safari lasts around 1 and a half hours and if you don’t get to see any dolphins, then the views of the Algarve coast are spectacular. For more information take a look at their website at http://www.dolphinseafaris.com/

Slide and Splash
You will find Slide and Splash water park well sign posted on the EN125. It is situated 5 minutes drive past Lagoa, about 20 minutes from Praia da Rocha. You can get the free shuttle bus to the park. Ask at the Tourist Office for more information. Click the link for more information on Slide and Splash

Zoomarine
One of the most popular theme parks in the Algarve, Zoomarine is located on the outskirts of Albufeira and is a mixture of a marine centre, zoo and amusement park. The main attractions of the park are the spectacular aquatic displays of dolphins and sea lions, and the fun fair for the kids. For an additional cost, you can spend time swimming with the dolphins too. Click the link for more information on Zoomarine

Lagos
Lagos is well worth a visit, with its beautiful natural harbour, friendly atmosphere and its great history, or if you’re in need of entertaining the kids, then you could try Lagos Zoo, near Bensafrim, a few kilometres north west of Lagos.

Useful Information – Praia da Rocha, Algarve

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