Praia Da Gale in the Algarve, Portugal, 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 to Galé Beach, Algarve with map, tips and photos.
Before my tips + photos, here are my favorites for Portugal:
My favorite platform to rent a car in Portugal: DiscoverCars
The unmissable boat tour: Benagil sea cave from Portimao
My favorite excursion from Lisbon: Sintra Pena Palace and Cabo da Roca
My favorite places to stay:
- Lisbon: see best rated hotels – e.g. Santiago de Alfama boutique hotel
- Porto: see best rated hotels – e.g. Descobertas Boutique Hotel
- Lagos: see best rated hotels – e.g. Uma Cas A Beira Sol
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.
Video – Virtual visit
Let’s start with a short video to discover Praia da Gale Beach in Algarve:
More photos after the planning tips.
Note: do not confuse it with Praia da Galé-Fontaínhas, located in the Atlantic coast, near Melides (with the red sandstone dune formations)
Planning tips and Map – Praia da Gale, Algarve, Portugal
Where is Gale beach in the Algarve? Map
- 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
- Below is a map to help you get oriented:
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How to get to Praia da Gale
- Best option is to have a car
- Easy drive
- 2 carparks along the beach but will get full in Summer if you arrive later in the day
Need to rent a car in Portugal?
My tips:
- Compare prices on my favorite platform: Discovercars.com – one of the best rated comparison sites!
- Prefer a compact car for the narrow streets in villages
- Consider their full coverage option – it for peace of mind!
- Book early to have a large choice of vehicles!
Visit tips
- 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.
Where to stay in the Algarve?
My favorites:
- Lagos, for the charm : see best rated accommodations
- Portimao, central to explore – see best rated accommodations
- Albufeira without a car – see best rated accommodations
- Alvor with kids – see best rated accommodations
- Tavira, for the east side – see best rated accommodations
Access & facilities
The beach is easy to access.
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.
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But I also like other drinks and sweets!
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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.
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.
Need to rent a car in Portugal?
My tips:
- Compare prices on my favorite platform: Discovercars.com – one of the best rated comparison sites!
- Prefer a compact car for the narrow streets in villages
- Consider their full coverage option – it for peace of mind!
- Book early to have a large choice of vehicles!
A good sunset spot
Certain time of the year, Galé beach is a great spot to enjoy sunset!
Want to see more of the Algarve and Portugal?
- 30 Most beautiful landscapes in Portugal – read article
- Best things to do in Portugal – read article
- The best beaches in Portugal – read article
- The best things to do in the Algarve region – read article
- Benagil cave and Algarve boat tours – read article
- The magnificent Ponta da Piedade – read article
- The famous Marinha beach – read article
- The unique Tres Irmaos beach – read article
- The magnificent orange cliffs of Praia da Falesia – read article
Planning a trip to Portugal?
Check out my travel guide to help you plan:
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