Discovering the Caves of the Algarve

Over the course of four years and five visits to Portugal’s southernmost coast, we never made time to visit the Algarve’s famous caves. I guess the sixth time’s the charm.

On our most recent visit south, we took a boat out of Portimão with Algarve Discoveries Tours to visit the coastline and many famous caves and rocks. I booked Algarve Discoveries because 1. I wanted to visit Portimão 2. It was competitively priced and well-reviewed and 3. It was billed as a small boat and thus a smaller group. We’d also learned in Capri that the larger boats cannot actually get into most of the caves, and I assumed the same here (it’s true).

Our skipper was Pedro and our guide was multilingual Gabriel. We visited the old Fort of Sao João (once built to protect Portimão from pirates, now a privately owned home) at the mouth of the river leading to the town.

Then we zipped out of port to check out the rock formations and caves. Our guide provided an excellent tour into Smuggler’s Cave, Lover’s Cave, Lighthouse Cave and (the reason most people book) the Benagil (Ben-a-jeel) Cave made famous by its appearance as one of the first Microsoft Windows wallpapers. We saw the pig’s face, man’s face and the gorilla rock formations. Most all of this is accessible and visible only by boat.

The two blue eyes of Lighthouse Cave and the Man’s face

Benagil is changing and the ability to visit it via sea kayak is ending. Only motorboat tours, like ours, will be allowed to visit it, as it has become overcrowded, and the Portuguese want to protect the cave and marine life and keep it preserved.

We visited the harbor of Carvoeira and several beaches along the way ending at Praia da Marinha and as we returned a small school of dolphins helped usher us back to port.

We were expertly guided both in the navigation and narration departments. We recommend Algarve Discoveries but if you get motion or seasick it’s not for you, even on a calm day. Plusses: smaller group, smaller boat, more personalized. Minuses: bumpier, especially in rougher waters, roofless boat and thus no shelter from the elements or sun and most of the seating is saddle style.