Praia do Pintadinho

• In the town ofFerragudoA postcard-perfect fishing village sitting across the river from Portimão. Known for its tumbledown hillside houses, cobbled streets, and preserved traditional charm.

Praia do Pintadinho, near Ferragudo, looks across the mouth of the Arade to Praia da Rocha, with the Ponta do Altar lighthouse a short walk away. Facing west over the river entrance gives it two things most Algarve coves lack: a front-row view of boats entering and leaving Portimão, and light late into the evening. Cliffs and small caves frame the sand, and the water is generally calm in the shelter of the river mouth. The clifftop path leads out to the lighthouse at Ponta do Altar. It suits families, evening swimmers catching the last of the sun, and anyone who likes watching the traffic of a working river.