Carvoeiro is a small town nestled in a valley along the Algarve coast. Although it is primarily a tourist town, it isn’t overrun due to the small beach and limited areas to build. The cliffs to the east and west are stunning. We hiked both directions from town and took a small boat trip to tour the grottos. A couple interesting side trips we took were to the salt mines and Sand City. It was a peaceful and quiet town, with many great restaurants.
Exploring the Town
We took a walk around town with the beach nestled between the cliffs, and it didn’t take long.
There is a short hiking trail to the east of town with paths down the cliffs. These lead to interesting rock formations and spectacular views that enthralled us for hours.
Wonderful Hikes
The most popular trail in the area is called the Seven Hanging Valleys. It runs between Carvoeiro and Praia da Marinha. The views are amazing.
The other hike leaves west of Carvoeiro and leads to Praia do Molhe. This hike had very few people and we had a great swim at Praia do Pintadinho to cool down afterwards.
Boating to the Grottos
The best way to see the cliff and caves along the coast is on a small boat. We took a boat trip with a local company (that launches from Carvoeiro Beach) and they gave us a great tour.
Interesting Rock Salt Mine Tour
We also took a tour of an active local salt mine run by TechSalt. The shaky elevator took us down 700 feet to where they still mine salt today. The salt they produce is used for roads in winter and animal feed. It has too many minerals for humans to consume. It was a fascinating dive into the history, geology, technology, and people behind salt mining.
Amazing Sand City
Another interesting visit was Sand City. Every spring they invite artists from all over the world to create sand sculptures. In the late fall they tear it all down for the next year. There are hundreds of sculptures and the creativity is amazing.
The Journey Continues
Carvoeiro was another fun town for an extended stay. We really enjoyed the hikes and boat trip. We relaxed and swam at some beautiful beaches. As usual it went too fast and before we knew it we were onto our last stop in the Algarve region: Lagos