Praia de Luz is a popular and attractive beach resort in the western Algarve.
The town has a welcoming feel about it and there are lots of tourist facilities, restaurants and bars, as well as a wonderful beach.
Praia de Luz is much quieter than some of the bigger, more hectic Algarve coastal towns, and doesn’t attract rowdy drinking crowds.
It’s a relaxing and low-key traditional resort town that is popular with families. There’s also a significant English ex-pat community here.
The main tourist season is from June to September inclusive, with July and August being the hottest and busiest months.
Location
Set on the coast about 6 km west of Lagos, Praia de Luz is 93 km and an hour away by car from Faro airport.
Many tourists visiting here will arrive on the coach transfers from Faro airport organised as part of their holiday package deal.
The coach journeys tend to take much longer as they stop at many hotels along the way.
The beach
The beach here is one big long stretch of sand under the steep cliffs of Rocha Negra.
The beach goes all the way round the bay to the Fortaleza da Luz fort headland.
It has soft golden sands and calm, clean seawater. During the summer season, the beach has lifeguard supervision.
Around the headland, there is a quieter secondary beach, Praia Prahina.
The promenade
Next to the beach is a lovely promenade. There are lots of cafés on the promenade overlooking the beach, and as you stroll along you’ll find local artisans selling trinkets and holiday memorabilia.
Behind the promenade are the ruins of Roman baths, dating from the 3rd to the 5th century.
The headland
The unique massive granite cliffs of Rocha Negra are one of Luz’s outstanding natural features.
They provide steep and challenging hiking trails, but the climb is worth it as the views over the town are spectacular.
Eating out
There are many cafés, restaurants and bars in Luz, and many of the resort hotels offer all-inclusive packages.
There is food to suit all tastes and budgets, from international cuisine to local Portuguese dishes.
Day trips
Lagos is one of the Algarve’s most attractive towns and is well worth visiting for a day out. There’s a regular inexpensive bus service to Lagos.
Lagos has a pretty old town with whitewashed houses and cobbled streets and some sights of historical interest. The Ponta de Piedade rock formations are definitely worth visiting while you are here.
The best way to see them is by boat tour from Lagos.
Families looking for activities for the kids can visit the zoo in Lagos.
It’s a modest zoo, but offers a great alternative to the beach for younger children.
The fishing village town of Burgau is near to Luz. A great way to get there is by hiring bicycles in Luz and cycling along the coast path.
Sagres, to the west of Luz, is also worth a visit. It’s an isolated village with a dramatic coastline and a cliff-top fort. Sagres is a remote place with a rugged headland.
The wind-whipped seas here are popular with the surfing crowd.
Slide and Splash water park
The Slide and Splash water park is about a half hour drive away from Praia de Luz.
This seasonal water park has slides, pools and rides, as well as live falconry, reptile and tropical bird shows.