Lust worthy landscapes in the Algarve.
At Camilo Beach in the Algarve (Praia do Camilo) the scenery is postcard worthy. Seriously! Very close to Lisbon, The triumphant pillars weathering the sands of time rising out of the ocean make an impression. Wrapped up in natural beauty, this area is humbling. From certain angles, the formations appear connected. And, it’s not until you start your descent down more than 200 wooden steps that you realize these rocks are pretty spread out.
Get to stepping at Camilo Beach!
Much has been made of these stairs online, and I agree that they could be problematic if you have bad knees or small children. However, if you don’t lug much to the beach, it’s not a big deal.
The golden sand and clear water have helped Camilo Beach achieve an iconic status in Portugal, because this area of the Algarve is always busy. Even the parking lot is crazy. I took a taxi to the beach, and my driver had to wait at least 10 minutes before he could turn around and drive back. I assumed this was because of the weekend, but he quickly corrected me, and said, “It’s always crowded here. Always.”
Grab lunch at O Camilo.
The restaurant at the top of the stairs is sleek and in high demand. If you want to eat here, you will be waiting for a while. This was one of my favorite meals in the Algarve, so click here if you would like to know a bit more about it.
The beach itself is stunning with hidden caves that connect to smaller beaches. But, space is limited, because Camilo is equally popular with tourists and locals. Don’t expect finding real estate for a towel to be an easy task.
Advice for solo travelers.
As a solo traveler, I found this area challenging, because I desperately wanted to go swimming. But, too many people were roaming around for me to leave my things unattended.
If you are staying anywhere in the Algarve, especially in Lisbon a daytrip to Camilo Beach is definitely worth your time. My advice is to start as early as possible, because the beach fills up quickly.
I LOVE the color of the water there! That blue/green has to be one of the best colors in the world. It looks a little bit busy though, did it feel busy when you visited?
I visited before the pandemic, and it was incredibly busy. The beaches are gorgeous, and, yes, they are quite full. The water is a stunning shade of blue/green. My advice is to go early in the morning.
What a beautiful beach! I love how golden the sand is and how blue the water is! It looks like a real slice of paradise. Thanks to lockdown, I’m waaaaay overdue a beach break! Thanks for the great guide!
My pleasure! This are of Portugal is certainly golden with incredibly beautiful rock formations.
We took a road trip past this area but didn’t head down to the beach, we stayed at the top for some photos. We’ll have to plan some time for the beach next time!
Looks very pretty! I love Portugal but not been to the Algarve yet – mainly because it’s so popular like your taxi driver pointed out, but it’s on my list!
It’s a great area, but it’s really crowded!
Such a beautiful area! I was here long ago and need to get back!!! Gorgeous photos!
That’s really good advice about getting there early, especially as a solo traveler. I’m not much of a swimmer so never really thought about what to do with things while you dip into the water if you’re traveling solo. It certainly looks like a beautiful place (whether you go in the water or not)
Yes, the water here is beautiful. And, arriving early is a good idea if you are solo. Happy travels!
I’ve definitely found beaches difficult as a solo traveler too and not wanting to leave things on busy beaches unattended. Hopefully you were able to at least test the waters!
Exactly! The beach is totally when you travel solo. I’m glad a kindred spirit understands 🙂 I didn’t stay long in these waters for that reason, but it was still a cool experience.
The beach looks lovely, but I am not much for crowded tourist spot. So that unfortunately would be quite a turn off for me. But I love the rock formations, would be great to go there really early in the morning to have it all to yourself (hopefully)
The water looks amazing! I want to go swimming so badly!!
Camilo Beach is stunning! I love all the photos you’ve included!
The beach looks amazing! I also appreciate that you put your honest experience for solo travelers to keep in mind.
My pleasure … sometimes the solo traveling experience is completely different from traveling with friends or loved ones. I do my best to communicate my experiences.
Algrave is really blessed with amazing nature. I loved the Camilo beach with azure green water and pillar type of rocks. It looks very photogenic.