37.08° N · 8.67° W · Lagos
Three kilometres from the centre of Lagos, wooden boardwalks run along the cliff edge from the Ponta da Piedade lighthouse to Canavial beach. If you start at Praia do Camilo and finish at Porto de Mós it is about 4 km one way, with views of the arches and the rock columns. It is free.
Part of Lagos
Step by step
Go down and up the wooden staircase of about 200 steps if you want to set foot on the beach; if not, look from above and continue south.
The path follows the edge to the Ponta da Piedade lighthouse. From the viewpoint you see the rock columns and the boats going into the caves.
About 2.5 km of wooden boardwalk heading west, always on the cliff edge. The descent to Canavial beach is optional and is the steepest part.
The route ends at Porto de Mós beach, with long sand and bars. Go back the same way or take a taxi to Lagos.
It is the walk that explains why Ponta da Piedade appears in every photo of the Algarve. The boardwalk avoids the loose earth at the edge and lets you see the arches from above, with green water below.
Ponta da Piedade is the headland that closes the bay of Lagos to the south. Its golden rock has been carved by the sea into columns, arches and caves, and the lighthouse marks the tip. So that people do not step on the edge, which is crumbling, there are wooden walkways that follow the cliff from the lighthouse westwards, as far as Canavial beach. If you start a little earlier, at Praia do Camilo, and finish a little later, at Porto de Mós, you have a walk of about 4 km with the sea always on one side.
It is free, needs no booking and can be done at any time of day. Unlike the kayak or the boat, it does not depend on the state of the sea: with a swell, in fact, you can see it breaking against the stacks.
For everyone. The boardwalk is wide and almost flat; the only demanding parts are the stairs down to the beaches, which are optional: about 200 steps at Camilo and a steep descent to Canavial. With children it works very well, always holding hands at the viewpoints. Dogs can come with you, on a lead.
The lighthouse is about 3 km from the centre of Lagos. You can walk along the Ponta da Piedade road or along the cliff edge past the beaches of Batata, Pinhão and Dona Ana to Camilo. If you go by car, go early: in summer parking near the coves is difficult. At the end, at Porto de Mós, you can return the same way or take a taxi to Lagos.
All year. In summer, first thing or at dusk: there is no shade along the whole route and at midday the lighthouse is crowded. In spring and autumn the walk is more pleasant at any hour. In the low light of the afternoon the rock turns orange, and from the walkways that face west you see the sun set over the sea.
Nothing. The boardwalks, the lighthouse viewpoint and the beaches are free to enter. You only pay, if you want to, for a coffee at Porto de Mós or the taxi back.
In rain the wood is slippery and the edge more dangerous: shorten the walk and stay on the boardwalk. In strong wind, avoid the most exposed viewpoints. A bad day is a good day for Lagos's walled old town and the slave market, which is in the centre.
Who it's for
You want to see Ponta da Piedade without paying or depending on the sea, you are with children or a dog, or you are looking for a short walk with sunset views.
You are looking for a demanding mountain route, or you have a strong fear of heights: some viewpoints look out over a sheer drop.
What to bring
Map
What you have around the starting point.
More to do
Itineraries
Tips
At midday it is hot and the lighthouse is crowded. In low light the rock turns orange.
The edge is crumbling. There is a risk of rockfalls also on the north side of Praia do Camilo.
In the morning you see the arches from the water and in the afternoon from above.
In summer the stairs and the beach fill up by mid-morning.
Questions
From Praia do Camilo to Porto de Mós, an hour and a half walking at an easy pace. There and back with stops, about three hours.
Yes. The lighthouse is about 3 km from the centre, along the Ponta da Piedade road or via the beaches of Dona Ana and Camilo.
No. The boardwalks and the lighthouse viewpoint are free to enter.
Yes, the boardwalk is wide and almost flat. Hold their hands at the viewpoints and don't let them go near the edge away from it.
Yes, on a lead. Bring water for them: there is no shade along the whole route.
About 200 wooden steps. It is optional: you can see it from above.
Sunset, for the light on the rock, or first thing in the morning, with fewer people and less heat.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/algarve/lagos/things-to-do/ponta-da-piedade-boardwalk
