Praia do Camilo, Lagos
The verdict
- Best for: Visitors who will trade space for scenery and arrive early to enjoy two small, stunning coves before the midday crowds fill them.
- Best spot: The second cove, reached through the short rock tunnel under the cliff, which is quieter than the first and just as pretty.
- Know this: There are around two hundred wooden steps down and back up, and the sand is small, so it packs out fast in summer.
Published 13 January 2026. Last reviewed 30 May 2026
Praia do Camilo is one of the most photographed coves in the Algarve, and for once the pictures do not oversell it. A long wooden stairway zigzags down the cliff to two small pockets of golden sand, separated by a fin of rock and joined by a short tunnel cut through the stone. The water is clear and usually calm, the cliffs glow ochre in low light, and Ponta da Piedade with its famous rock stacks sits just around the headland.
The honest catch is the size. Camilo is tiny, and in July and August it fills to the edges by late morning, with towels overlapping and the tunnel between the two coves turning into a slow queue. The stairway is the other thing to weigh, roughly two hundred steps down and the same back up, which is fine for most but not the place for a heavy cool box or anyone who struggles with stairs.
Treat Camilo as a morning beach. Come soon after the steps open, claim a spot on the quieter second cove through the tunnel, swim and snorkel while the water is glassy, then move on before the midday rush. If you want room to spread out and a longer day, nearby Porto de Mos has far more sand. Camilo is about the view and the swim, not a lazy all day base.
Clubs on this beach
Camilo is a small natural cove with no beach club, just a clifftop restaurant and seasonal sunbed hire. For full service sunbeds and beach bars, see our Algarve beach clubs directory.
No club on the sand
Praia do Camilo is a protected natural cove with no beach club on the sand, only seasonal sunbed and umbrella hire and a restaurant at the top of the stairway. For loungers and a bar nearby, the larger Lagos beaches are a short drive. Details are to be confirmed before you visit.
Restaurante O Camilo
A restaurant sits at the top of the cliff steps with views over the cove and a terrace for lunch or a drink after a swim. It is a sit down restaurant rather than a beach club, and opening and booking are to be confirmed.
Praia do Camilo sits on the cliffs about three kilometres south of central Lagos, close to Ponta da Piedade. From Lagos it is a short drive or taxi, or a pleasant walk along the clifftop path with sea views the whole way.
The small car park by the steps fills early in summer, so arrive soon after sunrise or come on foot from town. Bring water, sun cream and a hat, as shade on the sand disappears once the cove fills, and remember the climb back up the stairway at the end of the day.
Reserve a day at Praia do Camilo
Camilo itself has no beach club, but tell us your date and party and we will point you to sunbeds and clubs nearby in Lagos and the wider Algarve. No charge to enquire.
Common questions
How many steps are there at Praia do Camilo?
There are roughly two hundred wooden steps from the clifftop down to the sand, with a viewing platform on the way. The climb back up is steady rather than steep, but pack light and allow time, especially in the midday heat.
Is Praia do Camilo worth visiting?
Yes, it is one of the prettiest coves near Lagos, with two small golden beaches, clear water and a rock tunnel between them. The catch is the size, so come early before it fills and treat it as a morning swim rather than an all day base.
Can you park at Praia do Camilo?
There is a small car park by the top of the steps, but it fills very early in summer. Arrive soon after sunrise, walk in along the clifftop from Lagos, or use a taxi, as roadside space nearby is scarce in peak season.
Where is the tunnel at Praia do Camilo?
A short tunnel is cut through the rock spur that divides the two coves, near the foot of the stairway. Walk through it to reach the second, usually quieter beach, which is just as scenic as the first cove.
When is the best time to visit Praia do Camilo?
June, September and October bring warm, settled water and lighter crowds than August. Early morning is best for space, calm water and soft light on the cliffs, before day trippers arrive from Lagos.
