DOG FRIENDLY BEACHES IN PORTUGAL 2024: THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE

En este post os enseñamos cuáles son las playas para perros en el Algarve, ya que, por desgracia, no podemos ir a todas las playas que nos gustaría con nuestro perro. Tenemos que decir que en Portugal, o por lo menos el Algarve, las playas son bastante amplias y no están muy masificadas, debido a su lejanía con los destinos convencionales o a su difícil acceso. A nuestro parecer, cualquier playa de esos tamaños podría ser perfectamente pet friendly, but there is still a long way to go to make society aware of this. To avoid problems, we recommend that you go to beaches where dogs are allowed, as we don't want anyone to make our trip more difficult. After an exhaustive search, we provide you with a list of the beaches where you can go without having problems of being noticed, or worse, fined.

• Meia Praia: This beach is located in Lagos, it is quite big and not very crowded. It is the most urban of all the beaches we are going to show you. It has a very good access and that is something very important to take into account, as there are many beaches and coves in the Algarve, but the access is usually a bit narrow. It must be taken into account that it is an area of many cliffs and therefore the access is not the most comfortable possible. There is a car park (for a fee) if you drive your own vehicle. Dogs are allowed, except in the areas that the hotels have concessions. Otherwise, you won't have any problems. We stayed at the Tivoli Lagoshotel, which has one of these areas for sun loungers, and we went there with Snow, since the reception gave us the OK. Although the guy in charge of charging for the sun loungers didn't give us the best of welcomes, in the end we managed to stay without any problem, and we stayed until we got tired, having previously paid for the sun lounger, of course.
• Praia Do Canavial: This beach is also located in Lagos, more specifically in the south. Access is not as easy as the previous one, as it is a natural beach with no services. It is a narrow sandy area wedged between cliffs, hence the difficulty of access. It is reached via a path that runs along the cliffs and down some steps.
• Praia do Valentim de CarvalhoIt is located in Portimao and can be accessed by walking along the cliffs or by sea. It is a small beach, so if you are planning to go, you'd better go early and claim your sandy spot. You will need to bring everything you need for the day as it is a beach where there is NOTHING, no toilets or facilities. It's easy to find free parking in a housing estate, or on the cliffs overlooking the beach.
• Praia da FigueiraA wide beach with a feeling of freedom. It is known as "the end of the world" and you can get an idea of what it is like. The problem with this type of beach is the access. Unlike the previous "Meia Praia" this one has a much narrower access. You will have to park the car and walk for about 20 minutes, the path is pleasant until the final area, which gets a bit more complicated. It is worth it, but of course, you will have to pay the price.
• Praia Joao de ArensI would call it a cove rather than a beach. As in the previous one, the problem with this beach is the access, which is quite difficult. It is a small beach protected by two walls, which prevent the wind from bothering our bathing. It is located about 6 km from the city of Portimao. As we have said, the access is complicated, but once you get there you will enjoy a quiet beach with no one to bother you. And if you like walking, you will enjoy wonderful views on the way there.
• Praia de Baleeira: Located in Albufeira, next to the Porto da Baleeira, in the heart of Vila de Sagres. It is a small, unsupervised beach in the shape of a shell. Dogs are allowed all year round. It is named after the history of whaling. If your destination is Albufeira, it is a good option to go with your pet.
• Praia da BarrinhaLocated in Faro, an unspoilt beach that you are sure to love. Like most of them, the access is not easy. You have to leave your car a bit far away and take a long walk. The advantage of this is that you will find a very quiet beach with no one to bother you. The beach is quite wide and extensive. If what you want is to be quiet with your pet without anyone bothering you, this is a great option.
• Praia do TrafalLocated in the south of the Algarve, between Faro and Quarteira. It is a 700 metre long sandy beach. It is a very quiet beach, with little influx of tourists, even in high season. To get there you will have to cross a country road with the car a bit complicated to the nearest car park. If you don't want to risk it, you can leave your car in the first car park and walk a little further. Another of those beaches to relax and disconnect, without the hustle and bustle of an urban beach.
• Praia de Barra da FusetaIt is located at the tip of the island of Armona, in Fuseta. To get there, you have to take a ferry from Fuseta. It has a small jetty and a beach bar. The peculiarity of this beach is that it is a sandy area with water on two sides, the estuary on one side and the sea on the other. The sand is fine and golden and does not stick to the skin. It is a very long beach, so there are no problems when it comes to laying your towel.
• Praia do Forte da BarraIt is located near the village of Cabanas de Tavira. In the westernmost part of the island of Cabanas. From the jetty in the village of Cabanas, you can take a "water taxi" that will take you across the estuary. Once there, cross the sandy beach by the footbridge, and you will be on the beach. It is another virgin beach, so don't expect any services, at most a small bar but not much more. It is a wide and extensive beach, so you won't have any problems with crowds.
• Praia de Adão e Eva: It is located near the village of Retur, in Vila Real de Santo António "Este". It is more than 10 km long, so there will be no space problems. It is often frequented by Spaniards due to its proximity to Huelva. It is one of the beaches with the warmest waters in Portugal, and we have already warned you that they are usually quite cold. On this beach we do find services such as beach bars, showers, sun lounger rental, changing rooms and everything we need for a day at the beach in the purest "Sunday" style. Obviously, this has a negative point and that is that in high season there may be too many people, but nothing that we are not used to in any beach in Spain.

Before visiting any city, and even more so now that we are travelling with Snow, we always look for information about it to choose what to see, where to sleep, where to eat, what excursions we are going to do and whether dogs are allowed. It is true that we found it difficult to find accommodation that was good value and pet friendly, but we think this is due to the fact that accommodation is in high demand and everything sells out quickly. The feeling we got is that everyone loves dogs there because Snow was treated great everywhere, and they were very considerate with him, offered him water and didn't make any complaints. But, on the other hand, most of the activities do not allow pets, so we are not sure about that.