Ferragudo Holidays 2024/2025
This charming village on the southwest coast of Portugal lies nestled between the Arade River and the Atlantic Ocean. With it’s picturesque white and terracotta houses and cobbled streets, it has a relaxed, easy atmosphere throughout. Its golden beaches and secluded coves are perfect for both sunbathing and watersports.
Ferragudo Holiday Deals
Golden sandy beaches and secluded coves
Ferragudo is a peaceful place to enjoy sunny beach days and relaxed walks on your holidays to Portugal. Its location on the edges of both the wide mouth of the Arade River and the Atlantic offers a fine selection of beaches and secluded coves to choose from, all within easy walking distance of each other.
Grande Beach is the main beach in the area. Here you’ll find a broad stretch of golden sand, a selection of watersports, beachside restaurants and a children’s park. Angrinha Beach is a great spot to get on a surf board and practice your windsurfing skills, while Molhe Beach offers plenty of space to spread out your beach towel and gaze across the river. If you’d like to spend the day undisturbed in a more secluded spot, you can also head to one of the sheltered coves at Pintadinho Beach.
Traditional village feel with cobbled streets
Originally a quiet fishing village, Ferragudo has retained a relaxed, untouched charm and has laid claim to the fact it’s the most photographed village in the Algarve. You can take a leisurely walk down to Grande Beach along old cobbled streets, flanked by traditional Portuguese white and pale blue painted houses. If you follow the shoreline along a bit to the fishing pier, you may also see some small fleets of working fishing boats unloading their daily catch.
You can get to just about everything you’ll need in the village on foot, with many of the restaurants, cafes and shops located around the main square in the centre. You’ll easily be able to combine your beach day activities with laid-back breaks for coffee and snacks, lazy lunches and long evening meals.
Things to see in the village
The local village church – the Church of Nossa Senhora da Conceicao – is perched high up on a hill, offering panoramic views of Ferragudo and the surrounding landscape. Outside is a monument commemorating Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the International Scout Movement.
The village has its own fortified castle, which was built during the 16th to 17th centuries and remains largely intact today. This was originally built to protect the village and access to the Arade River from marauding pirates and privateers.
There’s also a market which is held in the village square on the second Sunday of each month, excluding August. Here you can browse along with the locals for typical Portuguese foods, locally grown vegetables, clothing, bric-a-brac and souvenirs.
Ideal location for relaxed coastline walks
If you’re planning Algarve holidays with the intention of stretching your legs, there are plenty of paths you can follow directly from the village. These take you along scenic routes that follow the natural curves of the surrounding coastline. Take your time and pause as you walk across the clifftops to look out across the expanse of the Atlantic. From here you’ll also get magnificent views of the village, its fort and the surrounding countryside.
If you continue on, you can head past the local lighthouse towards the nearby resort of Carvoeiro, passing the beaches and tiny coves of Ferragudo below the cliffs on your way.
Perfect spot for sighting wild dolphins
This area is known to have pods of wild dolphins swimming around nearby, probably attracted by the rich pickings of local fishing activities. You can book excursions directly from Ferragudo to get out to sea for a closer look. You could even be lucky enough to get some great photos of them taking a joyful leap into the air.