The wild and natural environment makes Praia da Bordeira one of the most beautiful beaches on the west coast of the Algarve. Surfers flock to this part of the island, attracted by the constant waves, to reach the fantastic beach of Amado do do Bordeiras.
The beach is the most secluded beach on the list of unofficial nude beaches in the Algarve. The beach is located on the West Coast of the Algarve and can be reached from Vila do Bispo by passing the small village of Carrapateira and heading toward the sea, where there is a sign that says “Praia”.
Enjoy the feeling of open nature and explore the surroundings on foot. If you love unspoilt and wild nature at its best, this is the western beach of the Algarve to do it with Aljezur and Carrapateira.
This beach can be discovered on a day trip from the fishing village of Carvoeiro in the Algarve. Bordeira beach is a popular beach for water sports such as surfing and kitesurfing. It is also nice to walk along the south cliff to Praia do Amado.
This means that you can surf in Praia da Bordeira any day of the year. In May, June and October you will find beach bars and lifeguards on Bordeiras beach.
While Praia da Bordeira receives few visitors, along the magnificent coastline there are many popular beaches that make it a surprising pleasure during the high season. The beach has a sandy bottom, with many peaks to choose from and a raging influence of the wind.
Praia da Bordeira is one of the most popular surfing beaches in the region and is highly appreciated by kitesurfers due to the strong and steady wind. The face of the beach gets impressive waves, so you need to plan your visit to match your skill level.
Carrapateira, Costa Vicentina and the Western Algarve are among the best surfing destinations in Europe. There are many other things to do here, but Carrapateira’s main claim to fame is the world-class surfing scene. Not only do one or two undeveloped beaches (Praia Amado and Praia da Bordeira) have exceptional waves, but you will certainly notice many surfers and more than a few permanent campers on the cliffs along the west coast of Portugal.
During our trip to Portugal’s Algarve last August, we visited a number of beautiful beaches along the country’s west and south coasts. Today we drive to Praia da Bordeira, a beach a million miles from the secluded cove described above.
Praia da Bordeira beach is situated on the West coast of the Algarve, in the Natural Park Costa do Vicentina, near the village of Carrapateira, Bordeiras. In fact, it is a million miles from the secluded little coves I have just described, and has three miles of wild, rugged sand, surrounded by rugged limestone peaks and emerald blue waves crashing against the coast. If you want to see the beauty of this beautiful beach, watch this short video.
If you want to surf in Praia da Bordeira, there are wooden huts on the beach where you can rent surf boards and other equipment. On the beaches of Bordeiras, the black slate gives way to limestone cliffs that radiate in warm colors.
Keen hikers can access the Fishermans Trail, a round day tour that starts from the small village of Carrapateira. After nine kilometres from Sagre you will find the village of Bordeira on your right. After another five kilometres you reach CarRapateira, a village with surf shops, tiny markets, cafes, bakeries and grocery stores.
Access is via Estrada Nacional 2682 and coming from the village of Carrapateira. The path is 5 km from the start to the finish, which makes it a reasonable walk.
The head of Praia da Bordeira marks the beginning of an extraordinary ride and coastal walk that ends in Praia do Amado. Climbing up the road to the castle, which is said to date back to the 10th century but dates back to Roman times, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the surrounding countryside. A short drive north of Aljezur lies Praia da Amoreira, at the mouth of the River Aljezur, near the Natural Park of the Vicentine Coast.
Access to the beach is annoying if you don’t have a car, so we rented one and drove an hour to get there. We had no idea where we were going at that time, but after about 15 minutes of driving we arrived in the small town of Vila Bispo. The town seemed quiet and we were not sure if there were restaurants, but as we walked along the beach we found a few seafood restaurants scattered along the coast.
Portugal is an easy destination to explore with a rental car. We jumped into the car and emerged without sat nav on the beach of Praia da Bordeira, and off we went to enjoy the spontaneity of a child-free trip. A newspaper clipping in a 4-page edition of the Sunday Times of the Western Algarve showed a picture of the beach and it looked too good to miss.
In 1837, the parish of Carrapateira do Bordeira was separated from the ecclesiastical and administrative department of the neighbouring municipality of Vila do Bispo. The civic community is distinguished by a small chapel, built in 1755 after an earthquake, decorated with gilded interiors and retables.
1 thought on “Praia da Bordeira”