Ponta da Piedade is one of the most picturesque places to visit in Portugal’s Algarve region. The towering limestone cliffs butt up against the beautiful blue Mediterranean Sea which is dotted with towering sea stacks. Additionally, the region is filled with beautiful sandy beaches tucked into the limestone coves. In total, Ponta da Pedade makes a great place to spend a day!
You can visit Ponta da Piedade one of three ways: on foot, by kayak and by boat. All three ways provide an interesting perspective on the beautiful scenery. Keep reading to find out how to visit Ponta da Piedade and give it a visit. Or give it a visit three times – once each way.
What Is Ponta da Piedade?
Ponta da Piedade literally translates to Point of Piety. It technically refers to a small peninsula off the coast, just south of Lagos. However, for the purposes of us tourists, it refers to the scenic coastline between Lagos and the tip of this peninsula. It is a popular Portugal travel destination due to the scenic the sea stacks, sea caves, hidden beaches and grottos that the line the coastline. These formations have been created over centuries by the rock eroding. It is one of the most popular things to see in Lagos and the Algarve region.
Getting There and Around
However you choose to visit Ponta da Piedade, you’ll start in Lagos. Lagos is on the southern coast of Portugal and it is one of the largest cities in the Algarve region. To get to Lagos, the easiest and most economical way is to fly in to Lisbon and take a car to the southern coast. The drive is easy and under 4 hours. We really liked having a car in the Algarve so we could easily visit all of the beautiful coastal areas.
A visit to the Algarve is not a day trip from Lisbon. You should plan on spending 3-5 days in this southern region of Portugal.
By Car
There are several parking lots along the Ponta da Piedade boardwalk. Praia da Batata, Praia Dona Ana, Praia do Camilo and Ponta da Piedade Lighthouse all have public parking lots with access to the boardwalk. If you want to save your legs from extra work or if it’s too hot out to hike, stoping at each parking lot and exploring the nearby viewpoints and beaches is a good way to see the area.
However, from each parking lot you’ll still have to do a bit of walking to see the sights. Good news is it is all on boardwalks!
Make sure to do this early in the morning or late in the day if you are planning on hopping from one parking lot to another. These parking lots tend to be very full mid-day and you’ll likely have a hard time finding a parking spot.
By Foot
Hiking all of the Ponta da Piedade trail is our favorite option. You can both see the beautiful coastline and enjoy swimming on some of the best beaches in Portugal. Most of the hiking is on boardwalks now. These boardwalks are there to protect the environment on the cliff tops from the feet of us tourists. They’re also there to protect us tourists from stepping on unstable ground and falling into the sea. So stay on the boardwalks and other marked paths!
Hiking Stats
For the complete hike, we recommend starting in Lagos, walking along the coast all the way to the point of the peninsula. You can shorten it by parking at one of the beach parking lots and starting the hike there. However, we enjoyed spending the full day doing this hike and we have included the stats for the hike from Lagos below.
Distance: 7.8 km out-and-back | Elevation Gain: Minimal | Time: 4+ hours with stops | Difficulty: easy
The Complete Hike
We’ve outlined the complete hike below. However, this also applies to visiting via car as all of the locations listed have parking lots nearby. Locations are in order, so any location can be visited by walking from the nearest parking lot. Just remember that parking lots are generally full by 10 AM so you may waste lots of time finding parking spots.
All of this hike is over a really well maintained boardwalk, well marked trails or sidewalks. It’s less of a “hike” and more of a “walk”. Additionally, there are nice viewing platforms built in along with benches and beaches to rest on.
Lagos
We parked at the Lagos marina. There is a large free parking lot that is a great place to park without having to navigate the narrow streets of old town Lagos. From here, we walked along the marina/river outlet watching the boats come and go. You’ll also walk along the outside of the Castelo de Lagos which you can enjoy by wandering around the exterior areas.
Praia da Batata/Estudantes
Next, you’ll get to Students Beach. This was actually one of our favorites. Praia da Batata is connected via the beach to Praia da Estudantes. It’s super charming with lots of nooks and crannies to explore.
After this beach, you’ll need to veer inland and walk along the streets of Lagos to the Dona Ana beach parking area.
Praia de Dona Ana
This is a beautiful and HUGE beach. This is a great place to spend the day. There are beach chairs for rent here as well as restrooms and a snack shack nearby. It’s a good beach for people who like amenities.
From this point on, the walk is along a well maintained and easy to navigate along a boardwalk, complete with benches and viewing platforms.
Praia do Camilo
This is one of the best beaches in the Algarve. Praia do Camilo is a wide sandy beach tucked in between limestone cliffs. The waves here are muted because of the cliffs so it makes a great place to enjoy a day on the beach. There is also a restaurant at the top of the stairs to the beach with great views, great reviews – and prices to match.
Ponta da Piedade
This is the farthest point along the peninsula. Here, you’ll find a lighthouse on the top of the cliff and a beautiful large grotto along the shoreline. There are several viewing platforms on both sides of the lighthouse. Additionally, there are stairs that take you down to the sea line. This grotto is where a majority of kayak tours end as well so you’ll see lots of kayaks here. The views of the grotto are the best from the top of the stairs and about a third of the way down the stairs. You can go to the bottom, just know there is nothing to do at the bottom and you’ll have to climb all the way back up.
Note: You cannot enter the lighthouse at Ponta da Piedade but it’s still nice to look at from the outside.
Praia do Canavial – Optional
Praia do Carnavial is an extra stop about 20 minutes along the coast after Ponta da Piedade. It is a massive beach facing a completely different direction. This is good to know if the other beaches are too wavy. However, when we visited, this beach was the one with the massive waves and the beach was only good for surfing.
What to Pack
This is an easy walk that requires minimal preparation. However, being prepared and properly packed will give you a much more enjoyable experience. Here’s what we would recommend:
- Comfortable shoes with good traction
- Camera
- Cash – lots of small vendors along the walk don’t accept cards
- Sunscreen, sunglasses and hat – for sun protection any time of year
- Swimsuit and towel
- Water Bottles
- Snacks – food along the hike was overpriced by Portuguese standards
By Kayak
Kayak would be our second favorite choice for visiting Ponta da Piedade. Visiting in a kayak allows you to get up close and personal with the sea caves and grottos. Lots of kayak tours also have points in the tour where they allow swimming on a beach or in a grotto.
Most kayak tours leave from the Lagos marina and take about 2-3 hours. You do not need to be an expert kayaker to do a tour. Each tour gives a small safety briefing, including directions for operating the kayak. Don’t worry if you’re new, they go slow and they kayaking is generally pretty easy (bad weather would make this statement untrue).
If you choose to book a kayak tour, try to book it first thing in the morning. Seas are normally smoother in the morning, making the actual kayaking part easier. Also, the lighting on the limestone cliffs is beautiful in the morning. Plus, the boats normally don’t start running until the sun is all the way up. So if you go at sunrise, you’ll likely be able to do the kayak tour with little interruption from boats.
Lastly, be sure to book your kayak tour a few days in advance. In summer, the high season, kayak tours often sell out. Even outside of the high season, tours often fill up for the popular time slots.
By Boat
Boat is a great way to visit this area if you aren’t fit enough to kayak or have back or shoulder issues. Also, boating is a great way to visit Ponta da Piedade if you are traveling with a group of children. They’ll love the boat factor as they’ll just get to sit back and enjoy – maybe you’ll love that factor too. Another advantage to a boat tour is lots of them combine seeing the sights of the area with searching for dolphins. We saw dolphins from the shore so boat isn’t the only way to see dolphins but they definitely focus on them more than kayak tours. Boating is also a great option for people with less time.
Most boat tours leave from Lagos marina and take about 1 hour. However, there are several boat tours that pass this area on their way to/from Benagil Cave from Lagos and other port cities. These larger boats cannot fit into the grottos so you see the cliffs from farther away if you choose one of these larger boat tours.
Larger boat tours leave regularly and are easy to book last minute. However, the best small boat tours that enter the grottos do book up in advance so booking 1-3 days in advance is recommended.
There are also boat tours that leave from the bottom of Ponta da Piedade. Those tours are more expensive, take less time, and are very irregular. If you decide you want to do this, show up at the bottom of the steps (you’ll eventually have to climb back up) and wait by the sign (there should be a sign for boat tours). Someone in a boat will eventually show up and you’ll pay them in cash before hopping in the boat and exploring the nearby grottos.
When to Visit
Season
Spring and Fall are the best times to visit Ponta da Piedade. In the summer the temperatures get really unbearably hot. In spring and fall, temperatures are comfortable but still sunny and warm. If you visit any of the destinations by land, remember that there is no shade along the cliffs. You will be in direct sunlight all day long. Winter can be nice to visit but the boardwalks can get slippery with rain and ice so be aware of your conditions when walking.
Time of Day
When deciding what time of day to visit make sure to avoid peak sun times. There is ZERO shade on the hike. In Spring-Fall, this will make hiking very uncomfortable. The best times to visit are early in the morning (sunrise-noon) or late in the day (4PM-sunset). These times also get you the best golden lighting to see the beautiful limestone cliffs.
What To Budget For Ponta da Piedade
Hiking the Ponta da Piedade trail is completely free, as are the parking lots along the trail.
If you are planning on visiting with a kayak or boat tour, budget $20-40 USD/person for the tour.
Safety
The biggest threat to your safety when visiting Ponta da Piedade is the cliffs. That is why it is so important to stay on the boardwalks and marked trails. The cliffs can be unstable. After all, you don’t know if there are hundreds of feet of rock below you or only a few inches. Additionally, be careful of the stairs on the walk. The stairs are slippery from years of wear and any sand or water on them makes them even slipperier. Sturdy shoes with a great tread are important to your safety.
If you are visiting by sea or just jumping into the sea, travel in groups and be aware of the sea conditions. The weather and currents can be unpredictable.
Lastly, the sun is really strong here. It would be really easy to get sick from sunstroke. Make sure to bring plenty of water, wear reef safe sunscreen and wear clothes that protect you from the sun.
Is Ponta da Piedade Worth It?
Absolutely! This was one of the best things we did in Portugal. Lagos was our absolute favorite town we visited. And we wished we would have spent more time in town and on the beaches. We spent a half day exploring Ponta da Piedade and several hours exploring Lagos and I think we should have spent two days there instead.
Hopefully, this has helped you to plan your own visit to Ponta da Piedade. If you’re looking for more information on traveling in Portugal or the Algarve region, check out our Portugal page here.
