Praia do Vau

Vau sits in a gentle dip in the cliffs west of Praia da Rocha. The red and ochre cliffs are lower in the middle of the beach, which is why getting onto the sand here is so easy. In front of the beach, a large rock stands on its own in the surf, with smaller rocks around it.

Getting there and parking

There is free parking right behind the beach. In summer it fills early, so come in the morning or later in the afternoon.

Getting onto the sand

There is no steep descent: the cliffs drop to their lowest point in the centre of the beach, and you walk straight down onto the sand. That makes Vau one of the easier beaches in Portimão for families and people with limited mobility.

What it is like

A medium-sized sandy beach framed by ochre cliffs, with a big standalone rock in the water. At low tide, small coves and rock pools appear at the edges. It is busy in summer but calmer than Praia da Rocha.

Awards and facilities

• Blue Flag in 2026.
• Accessible beach in 2026, with an amphibious wheelchair and shade in July to September.
• Lifeguards from 1 June to 30 September 2026, and a first-aid post in July and August.
• Beach bar, toilets, showers and sunshades.

Walks along the shore

• East: at low tide, walk along the shore past Praia dos Careanos and Praia dos Três Castelos to Praia da Rocha.
• West: walk to Praia do Alemão, then follow the cliff path towards Praia da Prainha and Praia dos Três Irmãos.

Check the tide before you set out, so you are not cut off on the way back. See how tides change Algarve beaches.

Sand works

Vau is one of the beaches between Rocha and Três Castelos that received sand in a project started by the environment agency in November 2025. Work was paused for the summer of 2026 and was due to resume afterwards, so parts of the beach may be fenced off for a while.