Compare Vilamoura holidays

Best beaches in Vilamoura

Praia da Falésia

Spanning over 6km (3.7 miles), Praia da Falésia is one of Portugal’s longest beaches. Its golden sands, clear warm waters and cliff-face backdrop stake its claim as the region’s most beautiful, too. If you only visit one beach in Vilamoura, make it this one.

Quarteira

For family-friendly facilities and a wide choice of bars and restaurants steps from the sand, head for the Blue Flag Quarteira Beach. Its rocky groynes keep the waves at bay in the shallows, while lifeguards are on hand for added peace of mind.

Praia do Almargem

For more unspoiled sands, pack a beach bag for Praia do Almargem. Away from the high-rise resorts but with Blue Flag facilities, it’s perfect for a quiet day spent dipping in and out of the ocean.

Praia de Vilamoura

Not far from the marina, Praia de Vilamoura is the place to be for fun in the sun. Take your pick of watersports, from jet-skiing, parasailing and paddleboarding to kayaking, wakeboarding and a whole lot more.

What to do in Vilamoura

An award-winning marina rammed with bars and restaurants, beautiful beaches, coastal walks and more golf courses than you can swing a sand wedge at… Vilamoura holidays have most bases covered. Whatever else you do here, be sure to take to the water for a leisurely cruise or a high-octane turn on a jet-ski.

Food and drink

It’s hard to beat a summer evening filled with fresh seafood, fine wine and a stunning sunset. In Vilamoura, you can enjoy this every day of the week.

Head to one of its many waterside terraces for the catch of the day, the speciality cataplana fish stew or perfectly cooked cuts of steak. O Marisco and Ostra D’Ouro are both big favourites with locals and visitors.

For more fine dining, head to Michelin-rated Willie’s and indulge in sauteed scallops, a roasted rack of lamb and award-winning wines.

Again, the marina is the place to be for Vilamoura’s best pubs, whether you want cocktails by the water or Guinness at the bar.

Nightlife

There’s a pub, club or bar in Vilamoura for almost every occasion. Whether you’re by the marina, on the beach or in the heart of the town, you’re never too far from the party.

For live music and lively conversation, pull up a stool in O’Neills or O’Shea’s. If you’d rather sip wine and cocktails with a marina view, Atlantic Piano Bar and The Argo are the places to be.

To dance long into the early hours, head for the BLISS nightclub on the edge of town. With inside and outside areas and three clubs in one, there’s usually a DJ here to suit most clubbing tastes. It’s only open in July and August.

Glorious golfing

Vilamoura is the jewel in the Algarve’s heavily decorated golfing crown. Its most legendary course, Dom Pedro Victoria, hosts the Portugal Masters on the European Tour. It’s perfect for testing your swing against water hazards, precariously placed bunkers and other professional-level terrain.

Vale do Lobo is another challenging one. If you think you’ve got the skills, book a round to take on its clifftop par 4s and the pretty beachfront par 3.

Book a stay in the luxurious resorts at either course or find a base elsewhere in the town to tick off several of the region’s best greens.

Get active

Golf is far from the only sporting activity on a Vilamoura holiday. Swap your clubs for a racket and head to the town’s Tennis & Padel Academy with family or friends. If the traditional game isn’t for everyone, you can play mini tennis here, too.

Elsewhere, you can saddle up with Vilamoura’s Lusitano horses for a gentle ride through scented pine and eucalyptus forests, before cantering along some of the Algarve’s most majestic beaches.

If you prefer to spectate, Vilamoura Equestrian Centre hosts summer showjumping events.

Hit the water

Vilamoura’s marina may be the star of the town’s show, but the water beyond is where the action’s really at.

The Vilamoura Watersports Centre offers almost every kind of seabound activity you can imagine, and probably a few more – think luxury boat charters, cave tours, fishing trips, jet-skiing, parasailing and wakeboarding.

You can get below the waves here, too. Grab a snorkel to spot octopus, eels and crabs, or book a scuba trip to explore sunken ships and World War II-era aircraft on the ocean floor.

Romance

Candle-lit dinners by the water, sunsets on the beach and bottle-popping boat trips mean there are plenty of ways to get romantic in Vilamoura.

If you’re a culture-loving couple, take a tour of the Roman ruins in Cerro da Vila. Or if nature’s more your thing, stroll hand in hand through the olive, almond and fig groves of Vilamoura Environmental Park.

For a luxury couples’ beach holiday, book into the five-star Tivoli Marina Vilamoura. Expect a choice of pools and restaurants, a full-service spa, wellness treatments and ocean-view rooms right on the beach.