Praia do Zavial: the #1 guide
Praia do Zavial is a large beach in the municipality of Vila do Bispo, near the village of Raposeira. It is mainly known as a surf beach, because the conditions for surfing here are very good. In addition, Praia do Zavial is surrounded by beautiful green scenery. Let’s discover this beach.
Watch it in HD
Would you like to experience this beach? Then watch the video below to get a preview.
The beach
Praia do Zavial is a fairly large beach of about 400 metres, located in a big bay. The area around the beach is unspoiled and of great natural beauty. The only modern building near the beach is the restaurant. Behind the beach there is a small eucalyptus forest. Some people actually like to go camping in this forest.
Praia do Zavial is backed by high cliffs. The area near the entrance, on the west side, is quite wide. It is much wider near the entrance than on the eastern side.
Even though there are cliffs, it can be a bit windy sometimes on the beach. In addition, there is a rocky area on the western side of Praia do Zavial.
The beach is clean and has golden sand. Also, the water is clear and good for swimming, although it can be a bit cold. The sand here slopes gently into the water, which is nice. Furthermore, during low tide you can sometimes see a small lagoon near the entrance. Children love to play in this lagoon. During low tide you can also walk to a small cave on the eastern end of the beach.
On the other hand, some parts of Praia do Zavial get cut off during high tide. This makes the beach quite a bit smaller during high tide.
The beach is usually not crowded. Most of the visitors on this beach are surfers and people who love nature. The eastern side of the beach is less visited than the western side. In fact, the eastern side of the beach is sometimes visited by naturists.
Praia do Zavial is east of Praia da Ingrina and west of Praia das Furnas. If you like to explore the area, you can find the ruins of a fort called Bateria do Zavial just west of the beach. This was one of the fortifications that protected the coastline centuries ago. In addition, you can find some megalithic monuments in the area near the beach.
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Surfing
Praia do Zavial is a popular beach for surfing, but also for bodyboarding. You can find both beginners and more experienced surfers on this beach. You can find some surf schools in the area of Vila do Bispo and some of them visit this beach regularly. Praia do Zavial gets the medium and big swells from the west and north. If you don’t know this beach well, we recommend to visit with a surf school.
The western side of the beach (the right side when looking at the sea) is an intense barreling point break. This is great for more experienced surfers.
Watch the following video to see how it is to surf on Praia do Zavial.
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. Exit the N125 near Raposeira and follow the signs towards the beach. You can park your car in a parking area near the restaurant. You will then see that there is a wooden walkway that leads straight to the beach of Zavial.
Restaurante Zavial
There is one restaurant near the beach, situated just behind Praia do Zavial. The restaurant is called Restaurante Zavial. It specializes in Portuguese dishes, mainly fresh fish and chicken piri-piri. The food here is delicious and the service is good. Moreover, from the restaurant you have a fabulous view over Praia do Zavial. Beware that the restaurant is only open during high season.
Hotels
Praia do Zavial is relatively close to Praia da Ingrina. Thus we recommend the same hotels as you can find in the article about Praia da Ingrina.
Another option is to quickly check the availability of nearby hotels. Below you can find a map with the location of hotels near Vila do Bispo. By changing the date of your holiday, the map will show you the current prices.
Excursions
We recommend to explore the region around Sagres and Lagos with a guide. A guide can tell you more about the background of this beautiful region and take you to places you wouldn’t visit otherwise. An excursion is a great way to enhance your holiday experience. Below you can find our favourite excursions in the area.
Facilities
You can find the most important facilities on Praia do Zavial. Most of the facilities are located around the restaurant, which is also the only building in the vicinity of the beach. In addition, there are lifeguards overlooking the beach during summer. Furthermore, Praia do Zavial is a Blue Flag beach.
Facilities in Praia do Zavial:
- Restaurant: yes
- Bar/club: no
- Toilet: yes
- Shower: no
- Water sports: yes
- Sunbeds: yes
- Parking: yes
- Lifeguards: yes
- Blue Flag beach: yes
