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Praia da Luz, Portugal - A

Tourism Guide to the Algarve

Praia da Luz is a small and personable

resort town situated on the stunning
western Algarve coastline.
Luz sits around a glorious sandy bay,
and combines a wonderful climate,
delicious food and a welcoming
ambience, to create the perfect
destination for a relaxing beach-based
holiday.

Praia da Luz was originally a fishing

village, being sheltered from the
Atlantic’s ferocity by the towering,
Rocha Negra basalt headland. Today,
tourism has replaced fishing, but
fortunately this transformation has not
lessened the charm of Luz. The
sprawling tourist developments that
extend up the hills are stylish and in-
keeping, while the restaurants remain
family owned and specialise in
delicious regional dishes.

For a holiday, Praia da Luz has a

welcoming and family friendly
atmosphere, and offers a surprisingly
wide section of restaurants, cafes and
beach bars.

Luz may be quiet and peaceful, but it

is only 5km to the major city of Lagos
with its extensive shopping, historic
centre and buzzing nightlife. This
guide will provide an introduction to
Praia da Luz.

Igreja da Luz de Lagos

Escuela De Surf Surfadictos - San Vicente de la

Barquera

Alquiler de material.
Clases de Iniciación al surf para niños y adultos.
Clases privadas. Travesías en paddle.

Cómo llegar Llamar

The beachfront of Praia da Luz

Why Visit Luz?

Luz is charming, unassuming and

conceals a wonderful beach. The town
has a homely and welcoming
ambience; where visitors and long-
term residents spend hot summer
days socialising in the beachside
cafes or relaxing on the beach.

Praia da Luz is a great destination for

families with young children, in part
due to the calm nature of the town
and safe beach, which is supervised
during the summer. Luz has a wide
choice of privately rented holiday
homes and apartments, in the modern
developments which extend up the
hills behind the town.

As part of a touring holiday, Luz can

be a calmer base from which to
explore the western side of the
Algarve. There are good public
transport links to the historic city of
Lagos, while there are sufficient bus
services to explore westwards,
towards Sagres. Luz has a popular
following with retirees or long stay
visitors, wishing to escape the gloom
of the winter months.

Luz is not designed for people wishing

a fast-paced, hectic or drink-fuelled
holiday. The town is a distance from
the main buzz of the Algarve; for
example, Slide and Splash (best water
park of the Algarve) is 30km from Luz.

Escuela De Surf Surfadictos - San Vicente de la

Barquera

Alquiler de material.
Clases de Iniciación al surf para niños y adultos.
Clases privadas. Travesías en paddle.

Cómo llegar Llamar

Luz has an unhurried and calm atmosphere that

is great for young families

When to Visit Luz and southern

Portugal?

The main tourist season of Luz is from

June until the end of August, with
August being the busiest month. The
weather is suitable for spending time
on the beach from May until late
September.

The spring or autumn months can be

a great time to visit, especially if the
focus of the holiday is exploring the
region. Luz closes for winter in
November, but as there is a large
expat community, many cafes and
restaurants will remain open. The
winter months in southern Portugal
are mild but have unpredictable
weather with an equal number of
bright days as wet days.

Luz Portugal for Families

Praia da Luz is a great destination for

families with young children. The town
is less hectic than many other central
Algarve holiday towns (Albufeira, Praia
da Rocha, Lagos) and the tourist
industry of Luz is focused towards
families. Children are welcomed in all
cafes and restaurants, and the town
does not suffer from rowdy groups
searching for cheap drinks.

The small Lagos zoo is a favourite for

younger children and is less than a
10minute drive from Luz. Families with
teenagers may prefer to be based
closer to the central Algarve region,
which is nearer to the theme and
water parks.

Praia da Luz for 2022

Praia da Luz is expecting a sell-out

summer season for 2021, as more
visitors seek holidays to safe and
established destinations within
Europe.

As with many other tourism

destinations, the Algarve was severely
hit by the events of 2020, but by the
time you visit the difficulties of 2020
will be a distant memory.
As Praia da Luz is expecting a sell-out
2022, we strongly advise you to get
your flights and accommodation as
soon possible before they increase
and sell out.

Alternatives to Praia da Luz

Luz is a fantastic holiday destination,

but Portugal has many similar towns
which you may not have considered
(or even heard of!). Here are our
suggestions for alternatives to Praia
da Luz (a medium sized tourists town,
which is close to a beautiful beach),
our recommendations are:
In the Algarve – Alvor, Carvoeiro,
Olhos de Agua and Monte Gordo
Around the rest of Portugal –
Sesimbra, Cascais, Nazaré, Ericeira,
Espinho
Yet to be fully discovered by foreign
tourists - Vila Nova de Milfontes,
Costa Nova (Aveiro), Vila do Conde
and São Martinho do Porto.
(links to destination guide and open a
new tabs)

Activities and sights of Luz

Does Praia da Luz have good

Beaches?

Luz has one large sandy beach that

nestles between the towering Rocha
Negra headland and the rocky
coastline close to the Fortaleza da
Luz. This beach has soft golden sands
and clean sea waters, while to the rear
of the beach is a selection of beach
cafes and restaurants.

As the Praia da Luz is sheltered

between the two headlands the sea
waters are calm and safe, and suitable
for children to bath in. The seawaters
are calm but surprisingly cold, only
reaching 20C at the height of the
summer. In the summer there are
numerous water-based activities,
including banana boats, Ringos (€12
for 15min) or Kayaks (€10 per hour).

Escuela De Surf Surfadictos - San Vicente de la

Barquera

Alquiler de material.
Clases de Iniciación al surf para niños y adultos.
Clases privadas. Travesías en paddle.

Cómo llegar Llamar

Praia da Luz has a large beach

Prainha da Luz... much smaller!

There is a second smaller beach, the

Praia Prahina, to the west of the
Fortaleza da Luz and is generally
much quieter than the main beach of
Praia da Luz.

Praia da Luz is not known for its

surfing, with waves that are only
medium sized and inconsistent, for
better surfing waves head to the
popular Porto de Mós beach 3km to
east. Luz has a surf school and surf
rental shop (Luz Surf Village), more
information can be seen on their
website:
http://www.luzsurfvillage.com/

The Rocha Negra headland

The most distinctive natural feature of

Luz is the Rocha Negra headland. This
unique cliff were created 150million
years ago when super-heated volcanic
lava spilled through the reddish
sandstone bedrock of the Algarve, to
form a much more resilient bedrock.

After millennia the sandstone cliffs

were eroded leaving the much tougher
basalt seams, which has become the
locals beloved “black rock”. From the
top there are spectacular views and
there are challenging hiking trails to
reach the viewpoint.

Escuela De Surf Surfadictos - San Vicente de la

Barquera

Alquiler de material.
Clases de Iniciación al surf para niños y adultos.
Clases privadas. Travesías en paddle.

Cómo llegar Llamar

The distinctive Rocha Negra (Black Rock) on the

cliffs near Luz

Hiking around Luz

The Algarve contains many

outstanding coastal hiking routes, and
Luz is no exception. The two popular
routes head along the cliffs east
towards Lagos or west to Burgau. The
7km route to Lagos passes the Porto
de Mós beach and the stunning Ponta
da Piedade cliff formations. For
detailed footpath maps (which are
open source), please see
OpenStreetMap:
https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/2377143#map=17/37.08781/-8.71993

Water tours and activities

There is just a single water

sports/activity company in Luz but
luckily, they provide a wide selection
of activities. There are boat tours to
Sagres (€40, 2h), the Ponta da
Piedade (€25, 1h30) or dolphin
watching (€40, 1h30), along with
kayaks and inflatables. For more
information either see their hut on the
beach or website:
http://beachhutwatersports.com/en/
(link opens new tab)

What day trips are there?

From Luz there are two main day trips,

to Lagos and Sagres.

Lagos is a bustling and historic city

with a large marina and surrounded by
beautiful beaches. Lagos’ rich
seafaring heritage is reflected in the
numerous historic monuments, while
the pedestrianised centre is a joy to
wander. To the south of the city are
the highly weathered cliffs of the
Ponte de Piede, a series of sea
arches, grottos and caves that are
best explored by fishing boat.

The second recommended day trip is

to Sagres, a centre for experienced
surfers who come to ride the massive
Atlantic swells. Sagres is a great
destination if you appreciate nature’s
raw power and enjoy the outdoors
lifestyle; be that hiking, surfing or
cycling. Sights of Sagres include the
working fishing harbour, the unique
fort and the Cabo de São Vicente, the
bleak southwestern tip of mainland
Europe.

The small resort towns of Burgau and

Salema could be also combined as a
day trip, or visited as part of a bike
ride. With a rental car the Parque
Natural do Costa Vicentina coastline
could be explored, with its deserted
beaches and dramatic natural scenery.
Related articles: Lagos Introduction –
Sagres day trip

The Ponta da Piedade cliffs, near Lagos

Cabo de São Vicente the southwestern tip of

mainland Europe and is close to Sagres

Golf and Luz

There are two excellent golf courses

close to Luz. Boavista is an 18-hole
(par 71) championship course that
part way between Luz and Lagos. The
Golf Santo Antonio is another par 71,
18-hole course that is set within the
Parque da Floresta, it is slightly further
away on the main road to Vila do
Bispo. More information for both
course can be found on their
websites:
http://www.boavistaresort.pt/golf/golf-
course.html
https://www.saresorts.com/golf-
santo-antonio
(links open new tabs)

Tourist Facilities in Luz Portugal

Praia da Luz has a mixture of small

hotels, privately let apartments and
larger resort complexes, which are
thankfully in keeping with the
character of the tow. There is a range
of excellent eating establishments in
Luz, which cater for a variety of tastes
and cuisines. Nightlife tends to be
focused around late opening cafes,
restaurants or bars.

Which airport for Luz?

The nearest international airport for

Praia da Luz is Faro Airport, 85km to
the east. Lisbon airport is not a
sensible choice to reach Luz, as it is
much further away (230km). Faro
airport is modern and has numerous
flights covering the whole of Europe,
and this includes all of the low-cost
airlines.

Travelling from Faro airport to Luz is

either time consuming or expensive.
Public transport is very poor, needing
two buses and a train, and the entire
journey can take up to four hours. A
better choice is a private transfer from