Praia Da Gale Beach, in the Algarve, is not like the rest of the coastline. There you have a long sandy beach and round rock formations. No high cliffs but a lot of fun and a great place for an easy stroll along the sea. Below is my guide to help you plan your visit.
Note: do not confuse it with Praia da Galé-Fontaínhas, located in the Atlantic coast, near Melides (with the red sandstone dune formations)
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Why visit Gale Beach in the Algarve? Video
Praia da Gale is not your typical Algarve beach but still one of the best beaches in Portugal. There are no high cliffs (like in Falesia beach) no pinacles, no arches (like at Marinha beach or Camilo beach).
Instead you find a long sandy area. At its Eastern tip, you can find yellow/orange rocks which are rounded. The erosion here has created a big playground for kids and adults to have fun.
As you can see below, the 5km long sandy beach (when it connects with the other nearby beaches at low tide) goes all the way to Armaçao da Pera. However, I do think the most interesting part is the Eastern side also known as Praia da Gale Leste.
Let's start with a short video to discover Praia da Gale Beach in Algarve:
PLANNING TIPS - Praia da Gale, Algarve, Portugal
How to get to Praia da Gale
- South of Portugal, on the Algarve coast
- Between Portimao and Albufeira, next to Armaçao de Pera
- Albufeira to Galé Beach = 20min drive
- Portimao to Galé Beach = 30min drive
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Visiting Gale Beach
- Great spot for sunset
- Busy in Summer but there is a large sand area
- Facilities and restaurant
- Be careful, the waves are big!
- Easy access from the carpark of Praia da Gale Leste
Accommodations
- You can stay in the nearby Galé town - check out the best rated accommodations
Or if you want to stay in a bigger city you can choose either
- Armaçao de Pera (at the end of the succession of beaches) - Check out the best rated accommodations
- Albufeira - Check out the best rated accommodations in Albufeira, or
- Portimao - See the best rated accommodations in Portimao.
Access & facilities
The beach is easy to access.
There is a large carpark right by the sand. Not high cliffs to walk down from.
The beach has all the facilities, including a couple of restaurants.
It is one of the best Algarve beaches for families if you don't mind big waves.
Plus, because it is a very long beach (all the way to Armaçao de Pera at low tide), there is enough space for everyone.
galé beach with Armaçao de Pera in the background
A beach with rocks & waves
The best part I think are the rocks on the Eastern side. There are only a few of them on the main beach but if you walk to the next coves you will find plenty more.
Kids and adults love climbing on them.
Below are pictures of the first ones:
The waves
This is a beach with big waves.
They are so beautiful to admire, and people seem to have a lot of fun with them!
The walk to Praia Da Gale Leste
My favorite part of the beach, is the walk along the beaches going towards the east.
You access the smaller coves with more rocks to admire and play with!
The cove right next to Gale beach is called Praia da Gale Leste.
Praia da Gale Leste.
I love the photo below: you can see the crazy work of erosion and it gets you wanting more. I must admit it was hard to stop at some point and walk back.
I think I would love walking the entire Algarve coastline. That would be amazing!
My parents, who were traveling with me on that trip, were waiting for me while admiring the sky and waves:
Another photographer's paradise:
And it goes on:
Praia da Gale Oeste Walk
However, if you walk West on the beach, it is mostly a sandy beach.
A good sunset spot
Certain time of the year, Galé beach is a great spot to enjoy sunset!
Want to see more of PORTUGAL?
Is it your kind of beach?
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