Car Hire Carvoeiro - Mini guide to Carvoeiro

Situated on the Algarve, Carvoeiro is known for the variety of small, attractive beaches in its proximity. A sleepy fishing village until the 1970s, it is now a bustling little town filled with shops, restaurants, expensive villas and comfortable holiday apartments.

Carvoeiro’s main beach is situated in the town centre, and offers a number of cafes, stalls and live entertainment in the evenings. Around Carvoeiro are numerous idyllic beaches, such as Centianes, Benagil, Carvalho and Marinha. Most of these are sheltered by high cliffs which have been eroded to create enticing caverns and fascinating rock formations. Algar Seco, a strangely shaped rock situated just out of town, is well worth a visit.

For sports enthusiasts there is the 36-hole golf course or the tennis centre in the west of the village. Those preferring to take a leisurely stroll can see traces of Moorish architecture in the chimneys, terraces and white-washed facades of quaint buildings scattered between more modern structures, or take a look at the shops and cafes pervading the town.

The Portuguese are passionate about their cuisine, and delicious regional dishes can be tasted at restaurants lining the roads to the left and right of the main square and town beach. The small village of Guia, just 18kms from Carvoeiro, specialises in the chicken piri piri, for which Portugal is famous. Also close to Carvoeiro are the unspoilt villages of Porches and Ferragudo. The historic city of Silves lies inland and houses an old castle with panoramic views. In fact, this entire coastline is ideal for exploring by car, with its picturesque cliffside vistas. Sagres, to the extreme west is particularly popular and the scenery dramatic.

Carvoeiro can be reached by car via the modern Lisbon-Albufeira-Castro Marim road (IP1) or by air, landing at Faro International Airport, a popular package destination from all over Europe. Trains and coaches run from other points in Europe to Carvoeiro.