Praia Verdelago

Altura

Altura is a beach town on the flat eastern edge of the Algarve, between Manta Rota and Monte Gordo in the municipality of Castro Marim. There are no cliffs or coves out here: the coast runs in one long line of golden sand backed by low dunes, and the sea is among the warmest and calmest in Portugal, which is exactly why families keep coming back. The beach, Praia de Altura, also known as Praia da Alagoa, is the whole point of the place: wide, gently shelving, with restaurants set just behind the dunes serving grilled fish and long lunches through the season. The town grew from a small fishing settlement and keeps a modest, low-rise feel, busiest in July and August when Portuguese and Spanish families arrive, and quiet through the winter. Spain is barely fifteen minutes away across the Guadiana, and several golf courses sit a short drive inland. Days here follow a simple pattern: beach in the morning, a slow lunch, beach again, then dinner somewhere with the sand still on your feet. Altura suits families who want warm, calm water and an unfussy beach week without a resort strip attached.