Albufeira, Algarve

Olhos de Água

The beach where fresh water comes up through the sand at low tide

Written by Tiago, who grew up in Albufeira and drives a tuk tuk down to this cove most days.

Parking

A paid garage a short walk from the front, and free spaces further up the hill — which means a walk back up at the end of the day, carrying whatever you carried down. The free ones go early in summer.

Getting down to the sand

Down through the village on a normal street, not a cliff staircase. This is the easiest of any stop on the run to reach on foot, and the only one you could push a buggy to.

What's there

Restaurants and cafes along the seafront, toilets, sunbeds and parasols to hire in season, and lifeguards through the summer.

Swimming

Sheltered and shallow near the shore, and lifeguarded in season. Worth knowing that the spring water is properly cold where it comes up — children tend to find this hilarious and adults tend to swear.

Shade

Not much on the sand itself, but the village is right there, so a table under an awning is thirty seconds away rather than a drive. That makes it much easier to sit out the middle of the day here than at the coves.

With children

Probably the best of the lot. Flat access, shallow water, toilets and food on the front, and the springs are a genuinely interesting thing to show a child rather than another stretch of sand.

Without a car

The one stop on the run that is genuinely easy without a car. GIRO route 6 runs from Albufeira bus station roughly hourly and takes twelve to fifteen minutes. Take coins — it is cash on board unless you already have a pass.

When to go

Low tide, and it is not close. The springs are the whole reason to come and they are under water at high tide. Look up the tide table for the day before you decide when to go.

How long to stay

Half a day, and time it around the tide rather than the clock. An hour at high tide gets you a small crowded beach and none of the point of it.