Praia dos Tres Irmaos is one of the most famous beaches in Algarve, Portugal.
At the East end of the long sandy Praia do Alvor, it is home to pinnacles, coves and rock formations such as the double arch before Prainha Beach.
Below is my guide to help you plan your visit to Tres Irmaos beach 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 the beach Praia dos Tres Irmaos in the Algarve?
Tres Irmaos beach has all you could want:
- A long and large sandy part with waves crashing on pinnacles
- A series of coves to explore
- A “secret” beach called Prainha (meaning Little Beach) with an amazing double arch rock feature!
This is why it was #2 on my list of the Best Beaches in Portugal.
Video – virtual tour
Below is a short video to give you an idea of what your visit could look like:
About the name
The name means “Tres Irmaos” of the “Three Brothers”. It is because of the 3 sea stacks you can see below.
More photos after the planning tips.
Planning tips and Map – Praia dos Tres Irmaos, Algarve, Portugal
Where is Praia dos Tres Irmaos located? – Map
- In the Algarve region
- Near the fishing village of Alvor
- At the East end of Praia do Alvor, near Prainha
- West of Portimao and Praia da Rocha
- Below is a map to help you get oriented:
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How to get to Praia dos Tres Irmaos
- Better to have a car to reach Tres Irmaos beach
- Several carparks along Praia do Alvor, including one at the East end where Tres Irmaos is
- Portimao to Praia dos Tres Irmaos = 15min drive
- Lagos to Praia dos Tres Irmaos = 30min drive
- Albufeira to Praia dos Tres Irmaos = 40min drive
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!
Best time and tide
- Be really careful with timing
- To explore the the caves and cove, you need to be there between low and mid-tide and plan enough time to come back!
- However to see the waves crashing on the sea stacks, better mid to high tide
Visit tips
- Easy access to the beach
- Facilities
- Many restaurants
- Good swimming area
- Large sandy area or protected cove
- Facing South
Where to stay?
The main town close to Praia dos Tres Irmaos is Portimao. It is a good location to visit the Algarve.
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
Arriving at Tres Irmaos Beach
As you arrive at Praia dos 3 Irmaos you discover a long stretch of sand. There is actually no clear break with the neighboring beach: Praia do Alvor.
So, you can walk on the sand on Praia dos Tres Irmaos and Praia do Alvor for 7 km!
Head east. One part has boards, but then you have to walk on the sand.
Praia dos Tres Irmaos Alvor
The East end of this stretch of sand, compared to the rest, has beautiful yellow cliffs and pinnacles.
You can see the 3 small sea stacks which are the 3 brothers.
Even though they are not big, if you are visiting at the right time, you can see waves crashing on thel.
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But I also like other drinks and sweets!
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Reaching the coves
Now the best part of Tres Irmaos is to actually go explore the coves and Prainha Beach.
So, you walk towards the cliffs…
… and you access a small first cove with a restaurant…
…And then there is a narrow canyon to reach the little beach.
Don’t wear shoes past mid tide! The water gets high!
Prainha Beach at Tres Irmaos
After a few minutes you reach Prainha Beach. It really feels like another place. It is sheltered with high cliffs all around. Past mid Tide, the water gets quite high, so be careful!
Note: even though access is limited, Prainha has its own restaurant!
The famous Double Arch and caves
And if you walk all the way to the end of Prainha beach, you finally reach what you came for (if you are a photographer and not a swimmer…): The stunning double arch of Tres Irmaos Beach.
On the picture below, with the people going through to the next cove, you can see the size of the arches.
But erosion is continuing its work…
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!
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 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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- 120+ pre-selected locations
- GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
- Tips to make the most of your time
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