At a glance
- Access
- Steep, narrow path down the cliff, no stairs; or along the shore at low tide
- Parking
- Informal parking near the Prainha resort, then dirt tracks on foot
- Facilities
- None
- Blue Flag
- No
- Best time
- Low tide
Our photos
Praia João de Arens is a wild, beautiful pair of coves between Praia do Vau and Praia da Prainha, but getting there is the hard part: no stairs, only a steep path down the cliff, or a walk along the shore at low tide. There are no facilities and no lifeguards. Go if you are sure-footed, and skip it with small children.
João de Arens sits below a headland a little over a kilometre long, Ponta de João de Arens, one of the last undeveloped stretches of cliff in Portimão. From the air, you can see why people make the effort: two sandy coves split by a rocky point, caves, arches, sinkholes in the rock above and sea stacks offshore.
Getting there and parking
There is no proper car park. Most people leave the car near the Prainha resort and follow dirt tracks through the pine trees on foot, past sinkholes in the ground, to the top of the cliff. Keep to the tracks and watch where you step.
Getting down to the sand
This is the reason the beach stays quiet. There are no stairs. The way down is a steep, narrow path through the vegetation on the cliff face. It calls for proper shoes, free hands and a head for heights. Locals warn of vertigo, and the path is no place for flip-flops or heavy bags.
The alternative is to come along the shore at low tide, from Barranco das Canas. Check the tide carefully so you are not cut off on the way back. The Varandas sobre o Mar trail along the cliff tops, about 5 km long, has wooden handrails in places and gives views down onto the beach.
What it is like
The sand is divided into two parts by a rocky point, which join up again at low tide. There is a grotto, an arch that leads through to the eastern side of the headland, and another natural arch near the tip. With no bars, umbrellas or lifeguards, it feels far wilder than its neighbours.
Safety
The cliffs here are unstable and the access is genuinely steep. In June 2025 a 40-year-old man fell from the cliff at João de Arens and had to be rescued by sea from an area that was hard to reach. Stay well back from the edges on the headland, do not climb on the rocks, and keep away from the base of the cliffs on the beach. See beach flags and cliff safety.
Facilities
None. It is not an official bathing beach, so there are no lifeguards. Bring water, food and shade, and take everything back up with you.
Questions people ask
How do you get down to Praia João de Arens?
There are no stairs. You walk down a steep, narrow path through the vegetation on the cliff, or reach it along the shore at low tide. You need good shoes and a head for heights.
Does Praia João de Arens have a lifeguard?
No. It is not an official bathing beach, and there are no facilities or lifeguards. Bring everything you need.
Is Praia João de Arens safe?
The access is steep and the cliffs are unstable. In June 2025 a man fell from the cliff here and had to be rescued by sea. Go only if you are confident on rough paths, stay away from the cliff edges and visit around low tide.