Praia de Porto de Mós – the complete guide
Praia de Porto de Mós is a beautiful golden beach, surrounded by impressive rock formations. Beloved for its beauty, tranquility and good waves, Praia de Porto de Mós is a favourite spot for surfers and locals. This is your go to beach if you are staying in the region of Lagos.
Watch it in HD
If you would like to discover the beauty of this beach, then watch the short video below. It gives you an overview of the beach and its surroundings.
The beach
Praia de Porto de Mós is surrounded by two high cliffs on both sides. This makes it a very scenic beach.
The sand here is fine and golden. It feels nice on the feet.
The water is clean, very clear and not too cold. Watch out for rocks in the water though. It can be easy to hurt yourself here. During low tide, the sea has small rocks on the floor. This can be a bit hard on the feet. It is best to swim here during high tide, as you will will be standing on sand, as opposed to standing on small rocks.
Praia de Porto de Mós is situated to the west of Ponda da Piedade, unlike most of the other beaches of Lagos. Ponte da Piedade acts as a natural defense against the waves from the southwest. This means that there are bigger waves on Praia de Porto de Mós than on the other beaches of Lagos. The sea can be quite rough, so be careful with children in the sea. Praia de Porto de Mós is the best beach in Lagos for surfing and other water sports. You will probably see several surfers in the water.
Praia de Porto de Mós is quite long: it stretches for over a kilometre. It is the second biggest beach near Lagos, after Meia Praia. This gives everybody enough space to find a spot easily.
There is no shade on the beach however, so make sure to bring your own parasol. If you don’t have one, there is the possibility to rent a sunbed. On this beach you can also rent kayaks and pedal boats, which you can use to go all the way to Ponte da Piedade. This is a fantastic experience.
A great escape from the crowd
In summer, the beach can get a bit crowded. However, because the beach is 4 kilometres from Lagos, it is less crowded than the other beaches of Lagos. This is the biggest advantage of the beach and makes Praia de Porto de Mós a great escape from the crowded city beaches of Lagos. Praia de Porto de Mós is mostly visited by locals and Portuguese families.
Sunset
The sunset from Praia de Porto de Mós is marvelous. Make sure to stay on the beach for the sunset.
Cliff views
Standing on the cliffs surrounding Praia de Porto de Mós, you will have a good view over the beach. From these cliffs you can walk to the east, all the way to the lighthouse at Ponta da Piedade. This walk is highly recommended, since it offers you great views of the Lagos coast. There is also a walking trail towards the west. Walking in this direction, you will find a nice viewpoint called Atalaia. From there you can see the village of Luz and the coastline, all the way up to Sagres.
Beach walk
The size of Praia de Porto de Mós makes it ideal for a walk along the sea. The beach is long enough to walk for at least 20 to 30 minutes. Praia de Porto de Mós is already peaceful, but you will find even more peace and quiet when you go for a beach walk. When walking on the beach, you might encounter some stone structures, looking like pyramids. Building them is a local tradition.
You can walk all the way to the east (on the left side). There is another small beach, which is separated from Porto de Mós by a cliff. During low tide, you can walk around the cliff and reach the other beach, called Praia do Canavial. It is not easy to enter Praia do Canavial, but the beach is very beautiful. The beach is also significantly quieter than Porto de Mós. Praia do Canavial is even classified as an official nude beach.
Beach restaurants
There are two restaurants right on the beach, one called Antonio and the other one called Campimar. Both serve lunch and dinner. Antonio gets mixed reviews. Our favourite is Campimar. The food at Campimar is tasty and the service is excellent. Prices are reasonable. The restaurant provides great views over the beach and the surrounding cliffs. Also it is a perfect place to watch the sunset from. You can sit either inside or outside. During high season it is best to make a reservation, to guarantee a spot when you are hungry.
How to get there
By car
When you are in Lagos, follow the Avenida dos Descobrimentos and turn left at the roundabout near the fire station. From then on, just continue straight and follow the signs. Otherwise, you can enter the following address in your GPS: Estrada Porto de Mos, 8600, Lagos, Portugal. There is plenty of space to park your car near the beach.
By taxi
A taxi from Lagos can take you to Porto de Mós beach in 10 minutes. A taxi costs around € 6.
By foot
The beach is about 30 minutes walking distance from the center of Lagos. The fastest route is not along the coast, so there are no beautiful panaramas on the way.
By bus
Praia de Porto de Mós can also be reached by bus. Take bus line number 2 from Lagos, which goes every hour and follows the beach route. A bus ticket costs around € 1,20.
Hotels
There are many hotels in the region of Lagos, and also near Praia de Porto de Mós. Our favourite hotels near this beach are:
- Belmar Spa & Beach Resort. This four star resort offers luxurious spa treatments, Turkish bath and has an indoor and outdoor swimming pool. It overlooks the beach of Porto de Mós.
- Villa Esmeralda. Located only 30 metres from the beach, this Villa has a tropical palm garden and balconies with sea view.
- Porto de Mos Golf & Beach B&B. This bed & breakfast provides excellent value for money, and is highly rated.
Excursions
There are many things to do in the Algarve, and in the area of Lagos in particular. What about exploring Ponte da Piedade by boat or seeing the coastline of the Algarve from the sea? There are countless excursions you can take, and some of them can already be booked online. Below you can find our favourite excursions in the area.
Praia de Porto de Mós – Facilities
There are good facilities around the beach. Water sport enthusiasts can have a lot of fun, since there is a good variety of water sports that can be experienced here. There are sunbeds available, costing € 13 for two beds for a full day. The beach is supervised by lifeguards during the summer. Praia de Porto de Mós is easily accessible, also by wheelchair.
Facilities in Praia de Porto de Mós:
• Restaurant: yes
• Bar/club: no
• Toilet: yes
• Shower: yes
• Water sports: yes
• Sunbeds: yes
• Parking: yes
• Lifeguards: yes
• Blue flag beach: yes
