Algar Seco, Limestone cliffs in Carvoeiro, Portugal.
Algar Seco is a limestone cliff formation in Carvoeiro carved by Atlantic waves into caves, rock passages, and natural pools at varying water levels. A wooden boardwalk about 570 meters long guides visitors through observation points and down to these formations below.
Marine fossils found in the limestone date back about 24 million years, showing that this area once lay beneath the ocean. This geological past shaped the rock formations visible at the site today.
Local fishermen have used these cliffs as navigation landmarks for generations, developing specific routes based on the rock formations they encounter. This practical connection between people and the landscape continues to shape how the community relates to this place today.
Steps and pathways lead down to the caves and rock formations, though surfaces can be wet and slippery from ocean spray. It is best to visit on calmer days when water levels make the formations easier to explore safely.
A cave formation called A Boneca features two circular openings that frame the ocean like natural windows to the Atlantic. This distinctive rock formation has become a favorite spot for visitors seeking this particular view.
Location: Lagoa e Carvoeiro
Accessibility: Wheelchair inaccessible
Fee: No
Address: Estr. do Algar Sêco 16, 8400-510 Carvoeiro, Portugal
Opening Hours: 24/7
Phone: +351965041785
Website: http://carvoeirocaves.com
GPS coordinates: 37.09281,-8.46552
Latest update: December 6, 2025 16:04
Inland Algarve holds nature reserves, medieval castles, and Roman ruins that together form a wide picture of Portuguese history and nature. Monchique has thermal springs, Silves shows a castle built of red sandstone, and Faro contains a chapel lined with human bones. Natural parks like Ria Formosa provide habitat for many bird species, while historic villages, coastal fortresses, and lighthouses mark the landscape. Travelers through this region encounter places like Cabo de São Vicente, where land ends at the southwestern tip of Europe, the cliffs of Ponta da Piedade near Lagos, or the ruins of Paderne Castle. Caldas de Monchique invites bathing in warm spring water, the Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos follows the coast through cut valleys, and Igreja do Carmo in Faro holds another bone chapel. Between these are beaches like Praia da Marinha and Praia do Barril, Roman excavations such as Cerro da Vila in Quarteira, and Palácio de Estoi, a pink palace from the 19th century. The Algarve connects coast and interior, history and nature in a way best explored on foot.
Praia da Marinha
4.8 km
Benagil
3.6 km
Praia do Carvalho
3 km
Praia de Vale Centianes
880 m
Passadiço de Carvoeiro
217 m
Route of the Seven Hanging Valleys
2.8 km
Praia dos Caneiros
4.5 km
Alfanzina Lighthouse
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Igreja Matriz de Lagoa
4.9 km
Fort of Our Lady of the Incarnation
514 m
Convent of Nossa Senhora do Carmo
4.7 km
Convent of São José, Lagoa
5 km
Ponta do Altar Lighthouse
5 km
Pintadinho Beach
5 km
Praia de Carvoeiro
686 m
Molhe Beach
5.2 km
Praia do Vale Covo
504 m
Praia do Padre Vicente
1.6 km
A Boneca
4 m
Miradouro do Vale Suspenso
1.5 km
Praia da Corredoura
3.9 km
Praia da Malhada do Baraço
5.2 km
Praia Afurada Naturista
3.9 km
Praia da Cama da Vaca
2 km
Praia do Torrado
4.7 km
Praia do Vale Espinhaço
2.3 km
Algar de Benagil
3.8 km
Praia do Mato
3.8 kmReviews
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