Praia dos Careanos – the #1 guide
Praia dos Careanos is a small beach in the municipality of Portimão. It is a great place for sunbathing and to enjoy your summer holiday. From here you can walk to many other nearby beaches. You can recognize Praia dos Careanos by a unique rock formation on the east side of the beach, as well as by the presence of a wooden kiosk on the beach. Let’s explore this beach.
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Would you like to see more of Praia dos Careanos? Then check out the following video.
The beach
Praia dos Careanos is a small beach backed by colourful rock formations. If you explore the area, you will find caves and arches and plenty of fossils in the rocks.
The beach is clean and the water is great for swimming. Just watch out for some rock formations in the water on the east side of the beach (the left side when looking at the sea). They are not always visible during high tide. It is best to swim on the west side of this beach.
On the east side of the beach there is a unique rock formation, separated from the cliffs. You can see arches in this rock formation. This rock formation kind of looks like a fortress and is actually the most unique feature of Praia dos Careanos.
Near this rock formation you can see some separate rocks on the sand.
Praia dos Careanos is never very crowded and usually less crowded than the other nearby beaches. Outside the summer months, the beach is practically empty. It is more quiet here than on Praia do Vau or Praia dos Três Castelos. This basically has two reasons. First, the infrastructure on Praia dos Careanos is limited. There is only a small wooden kiosk where you can get drinks and snacks. Second, the access to the beach is via a long and steep staircase, which can be a bit difficult.
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Beach walks
Praia dos Careanos is part of the long stretch of sand in front of Portimão that also includes Praia dos Três Castelos, Praia do Vau and Praia do Alemão. Praia dos Careanos is east of Praia do Vau and west of Praia dos Três Castelos. If you are walking from Praia dos Três Castelos towards Praia do Vau, you almost wouldn’t notice that this is a separate beach. It is basically a continuation of Praia dos Três Castelos.
This makes Praia dos Careanos a great place for long beach walks. You can walk east all the way to Praia da Rocha or west, all the way towards the rock formations of João de Arens. It is best to do this beach walk during low tide.
On top of the cliffs is a walking trail, which is recommended. From here you have a great view over the coastline of Portimão.
How to get there
The easiest way to move around in the Algarve is by car. If you don’t have one, make sure to rent a car. When you are in Portimão, drive in the direction of Praia do Vau. You can park your car along the road Estrada do Vau or in one of the nearby parking areas. From here it is only a couples minutes of walking. Access to the beach is via a steep staircase on the western side of the beach.
Hotels
If you would like to stay in this area of Portimão, we recommend any of the following hotels:
- Jardim do Vau. This four star hotel is located right behind Praia do Vau, which is nearby. It offers luxurious apartments with a balcony, as well as several swimming pools and a pool bar. In addition, they have a free shuttle to the town of Portimão.
- Apartamentos Turisticos Coral do Vau. These tourist apartments behind the beach offer two swimming pools and a children’s pool. It is perfect for families. You can even use their bicycles, which is a nice way to explore the area.
- Hotel Alcaide. This comfortable hotel provides good value for a relatively cheap price. They have a nice outside terrace around a big swimming pool. Located in a green area, only a couple of minutes walking from the beach.
Another option is to quickly check the availability of nearby hotels. Below you can find a map with the location of hotels near this part of Portimão. By changing the date of your holiday, the map will show you the current prices.
Excursions
If you would like to see more of Portimão, you can enjoy one of several fabulous excursions. You can for example admire the coastline of the Algarve or explore the towns in the interior of the region. Below you can see our favourite excursions in the area.
Facilities
Praia dos Careanos has less facilities than the surrounding beaches, but it does have the most important ones. For example, there are lifeguards supervising the beach and you can rent sunbeds. There is a small wooden kiosk where you can get drinks and refreshments. Other than that, there is no other building or restaurant on the beach. If you would like to have a proper meal, you should go to Praia do Vau or Praia dos Três Castelos.
Facilities in Praia dos Careanos:
- Restaurant: no
- Bar/club: no
- Toilet: no
- Shower: no
- Water sports: no
- Sunbeds: yes
- Parking: yes
- Lifeguards: yes
- Blue Flag beach: no
