Praia das Furnas: the #1 guide
Praia das Furnas is a small beach in the municipality of Vila do Bispo. It is mostly known as a nude beach and visited by both nudists and nature lovers. On this beach you are surrounded by beautiful nature. Moreover, you can explore several caves and grottoes on Praia das Furnas. Let’s explore this beach.
Watch it in HD
Check out the video below to get a preview of this beach.
The beach
Praia das Furnas is a relatively small beach: it is about 180 metres in length and 50 metres wide. The name Praia das Furnas refers to various caves in the cliffs here, which are also called furnas. These cliffs are created by erosion and can be found on the eastern side of the beach. These caves are the only place where you have natural shade on the beach. In general, the beach lies in a valley between two impressive cliffs.
There is a small stream near the beach that is often dry. Around it you can find some rocks and pebbles.
In general, there are quite a few rocks near the beach, especially on the western side.
Praia das Furnas is clean and unspoiled, since there is no infrastructure in sight. This also means that there are no facilities on the beach, so make sure to take some refreshments with you. The valley around Praia das Furnas is very green and quiet. It is pure nature in the Algarve.
Praia das Furnas is relatively unknown and quite hard to reach, which means that the beach is rarely visited. The beach is very peaceful and quiet. It is a secret paradise. Even in the height of summer, there are (at most) only a handful of people on the beach. Praia das Furnas is mostly visited by nudists and people who love deserted beaches. If you love nature, we think that you will love this beach. Also make sure to stay for the sunset, which is beautiful.
During low tide you can walk to some nearby beach towards the east. That beach is so small and inaccessible that it is not covered in any travel guide. It is a nice activity.
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Nude beach
Praia das Furnas is an unofficial nude beach. You can frequently see naturists on the beach. They usually love to stay on the eastern side, near the natural caves.
Cliff walk
Praia das Furnas is west of Praia da Figueira and east of Praia do Zavial. If you wanted to, you could walk west all the way towards Praia da Ingrina, which is even further than Praia do Zavial. This cliff walk is beautiful, but takes more than 2 hours.
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. However, the beach is hard to reach since it is not clearly signposted. The best way to reach Praia das Furnas is to exit the N125 at Figueira and continue south. The beach is at the end of a road that can be easily recognized by an old house in ruins. The way towards the beach is beautiful: you can see fig and olive trees along the way. However, make sure to drive slowly, since the road is bad and many cars are not built for it. Follow the dirt road until the end and you will end up at the beach. There is a car park area, which has space for about 100 cars. From the car park you can see the beach.
Hotels
Although there are no hotels close to the beach, there are several hotels in Vila do Bispo. Below you can find a map with the location of hotels near Vila do Bispo, so you can quickly check availability and prices. By changing the date of your holiday, the map will show you the current prices.
Excursions
When you go to this area in the Algarve, we recommend to also visit Sagres. To get the most out of your visit, we recommend to go with a guide. For example, most guides in the area have a lot of knowledge about the history of Sagres and can tell you much more about the lighthouse and the fort. You can book some of these excursions already online. Below you can find our favourite excursions in the area.
Facilities
There is no infrastructure on Praia das Furnas, and there are no facilities. For example, there are no toilets and no lifeguards. Due to the lack of a restaurant, it is highly recommended to bring your own food and drinks to the beach.
Facilities in Praia das Furnas:
- Restaurant: no
- Bar/club: no
- Toilet: no
- Shower: no
- Water sports: no
- Sunbeds: no
- Parking: yes
- Lifeguards: no
- Blue Flag beach: no
