Praia de Benagil
Praia de Benagil
4.5
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
1,362 reviews
Excellent
803
Very good
331
Average
147
Poor
39
Terrible
42
Maria O
Bethesda, MD713 contributions
Sep 2022
Stunning beach! Wow! One of the prettiest in the world, with striking rock formations. Highly recommend André Matos Boat Trips to see the caves and beaches. Definitely go early in the morning. The earliest was 8:30 a.m., and I had a private kayak tour because no one else booked that trip! My guide was very skilled at navigating the waves that came from the larger cruise boats towards the end of our two hour excursion. This trip was one of the highlights of my Portugal experience.
Written September 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rick W
Sevenoaks, UK2,333 contributions
Sep 2022
The Benagil caves are spectacular and iconic appearing on almost every tourist brochure about the Algarve. But what a fuss! People hire paddle boards, boats or kayaks to see them. But far easier is simply to swim! From the left hand side of the beach it is about 100 yards to swim into the cave! Despite warnings of currents, I found it an easy swim at high tide that took about 7 minutes. If you can manage four lengths of your local pool you can manage the swim to the caves. Keep to the left so you don’t interfere with the kayaks and boats and ENJOY it! Incidentally, lots of free car parking above the beach which you access by driving down the road to the bottom of the valley and then back up a few yards. It is all clearly marked – but it does get busy!
Written September 30, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TimandAnnNYC
New York City, NY49 contributions
May 2022
The beach itself is not as impressive as other beaches in the area. It's crowded and has a hectic feeling to it. A taxi driver told me that during the busy season there are bad traffic jams to get to this beach.
My review is really to share my experience swimming to the cave. My daughter (age 10) and I did it around mid-May. She's a far better swimmer than me; having been on a swim team for 4 years. The water was definitely cold. Probably around 68 degrees. The adrenaline kept us from feeling the cold after we started the swim. The distance itself isn't so long, as other have mentioned. The biggest concern I had was whether waves would slam us against the cliff wall if we got too close. Fortunately, the water was relatively calm that day and the only waves were from occasional tour boats heading toward the cave. We kept a distance of maybe 10-15 feet from the wall the entire time. One thing I'd mention is, after turning the corner of the wall, as we approached the entrance of the cave, it felt like my breaststroke was not moving me forward as quickly as before. I think it may be due to the water converging into a smaller point which causes the water to push back out from the cave entrance. I switched to a freestyle stroke with head above water to make more forward progress. Also be prepared to feel the water get even colder once you're in the shadow of the cave. The cold made my muscles tire faster. When we reached the sand in the cave, we rested for maybe 3 minutes. Prior to starting the swim, I figured I could rest up and hang around the cave before swimming back. It didn't occur to me that being totally soaked my body was getting cold and my muscles stiffening. So after about 3 minutes, we decided to swim back. Not ideal but it seemed the lesser of two evils. The swim back felt easier. We did mostly freestyle it. One peace of mind I had was that if we needed help, we could always call out to the numerous kayaks and boats coming and going from the cave. Super happy to have this memory with my daughter. She loved the experience; probably wasn't worried at all like I was.
My review is really to share my experience swimming to the cave. My daughter (age 10) and I did it around mid-May. She's a far better swimmer than me; having been on a swim team for 4 years. The water was definitely cold. Probably around 68 degrees. The adrenaline kept us from feeling the cold after we started the swim. The distance itself isn't so long, as other have mentioned. The biggest concern I had was whether waves would slam us against the cliff wall if we got too close. Fortunately, the water was relatively calm that day and the only waves were from occasional tour boats heading toward the cave. We kept a distance of maybe 10-15 feet from the wall the entire time. One thing I'd mention is, after turning the corner of the wall, as we approached the entrance of the cave, it felt like my breaststroke was not moving me forward as quickly as before. I think it may be due to the water converging into a smaller point which causes the water to push back out from the cave entrance. I switched to a freestyle stroke with head above water to make more forward progress. Also be prepared to feel the water get even colder once you're in the shadow of the cave. The cold made my muscles tire faster. When we reached the sand in the cave, we rested for maybe 3 minutes. Prior to starting the swim, I figured I could rest up and hang around the cave before swimming back. It didn't occur to me that being totally soaked my body was getting cold and my muscles stiffening. So after about 3 minutes, we decided to swim back. Not ideal but it seemed the lesser of two evils. The swim back felt easier. We did mostly freestyle it. One peace of mind I had was that if we needed help, we could always call out to the numerous kayaks and boats coming and going from the cave. Super happy to have this memory with my daughter. She loved the experience; probably wasn't worried at all like I was.
Written May 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
grumpyoldfart
Gloucester, UK76 contributions
Mar 2020
Spent a day here with family, the younger did the kayaking and really enjoyed the experience. Bengali caves are well known and have been a pull for visitors for many years. The beach is very small compared to many others, there are a few shops that have refreshments etc. We advise that in the summer you get here early as parking is a nightmare.
Written March 6, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Joshua P
4 contributions
Oct 2022 • Couples
We had an absolute blast on a tour with André Matos.
André was enthusiastic, eager to help and really helped make this a great experience. Unlike the larger tour groups that run from the beach, André was able to take us into a couple of harder to reach locations because of the small size of the group. He helped us launch and land the kayak a few times in what might have been intimidating scenarios for people lacking experience. It was obvious that he cares as he also helped other people not part of his tour launch from the cave in waves that were a little larger than normal. At one point we were going to go through a small cave on the kayak, but André let us know that it wasn't safe to do that with the weather. It was awesome to see that he balanced fun and safety. André also called us when he arrived in the beach to help inform us where he was. It was nice that he was actively looking for people that booked with him.
We were initially toying with the idea of renting our own kayaks but we are so very happy we booked with André to maximize the fun and adventure on this excursion!
André was enthusiastic, eager to help and really helped make this a great experience. Unlike the larger tour groups that run from the beach, André was able to take us into a couple of harder to reach locations because of the small size of the group. He helped us launch and land the kayak a few times in what might have been intimidating scenarios for people lacking experience. It was obvious that he cares as he also helped other people not part of his tour launch from the cave in waves that were a little larger than normal. At one point we were going to go through a small cave on the kayak, but André let us know that it wasn't safe to do that with the weather. It was awesome to see that he balanced fun and safety. André also called us when he arrived in the beach to help inform us where he was. It was nice that he was actively looking for people that booked with him.
We were initially toying with the idea of renting our own kayaks but we are so very happy we booked with André to maximize the fun and adventure on this excursion!
Written October 16, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jumana g
2 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Price not worth the experience. We paid 35 Euros per ticket for an hour or so speed boat which took us to a few caves. Boat speeded for a total of 10 mins in the entire journey. That’s it!
If they want to charge this rate then they should offer complimentary drinks, a waiting area in shade, an hour stop at cave beaches to have a dip. Instead we were brought back within an hour. We expected a much better and exclusive service for the price we paid
If they want to charge this rate then they should offer complimentary drinks, a waiting area in shade, an hour stop at cave beaches to have a dip. Instead we were brought back within an hour. We expected a much better and exclusive service for the price we paid
Written August 1, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jonfromcincinnati
Imperial Beach CA74 contributions
Jul 2022 • Couples
This beach is an absolute mob scene. Steep, active, yet manageable roadway going down to the wide, cliff-backed beach, where there are WCs, café, a single shower for the masses, and loads of young people (teens and 20s) booking water sports rentals. Not possible to see the iconic caves from the beach itself.
Written July 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Julia Shimizu
Munich, Germany40 contributions
Jul 2020 • Couples
Nothing special. Avoid spending time at the beach, as there are some skinky locals looking for trouble. Simply do your boat or kayak tour to the caves and spend time in other beaches, like Praia da Marinha.
Written July 24, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Anna
5 contributions
Aug 2020 • Family
Not worth to spend more then 15 min on the beach.
Cave tour is totally worth the time and money. In the summer time we even did cave swimming.
In the winter, of course you have less people, but it's not the swimming suits trip. Both times worth what you pay for. Carefully choose the company you go with, call ahead to make the reservation, so you don't need to wait in the line.
Cave tour is totally worth the time and money. In the summer time we even did cave swimming.
In the winter, of course you have less people, but it's not the swimming suits trip. Both times worth what you pay for. Carefully choose the company you go with, call ahead to make the reservation, so you don't need to wait in the line.
Written August 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jill
New Jersey762 contributions
Oct 2021
This is a small but beautiful beach alongside the Benagil Cave. The water is a bit rough, but my husband was able to swim out to the cave and back. Unfortunately, they were not renting kayaks that day due to the current. Total bummer!
Written November 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Hola
Queria saber si vale la pena pagar los 55 eu por la excursion
Written March 15, 2024
Hi I'm coming to Portugal in October staying at River hotel are there any nudist beaches with in easy access around this area never been to Portugal before ,thanks
Written February 16, 2022
Hi All! Our family will be in Portugal this summer with children aged 12, 10, 9 and 7. Do you think it possible to see the Benagil caves by kayak with kids? It seems a much nicer way to experience them but I'm not sure what the water is like for kayaking. All children are elite athletes so I was planning on putting the two oldest boys together and my husband and I each with the younger girls.
Written June 7, 2021
Qualcuno sa dirmi se a Benagil se si fa il trekking (3ore giusto?), una volta che si è arrivati sopra la grotta si riesce a scendere all'interno?
Written May 10, 2021
MAUREEN G
Worcester Park, United Kingdom
Can you hire sun beds/umbrellas on this beach?
Written September 8, 2020
Buongiorno qualcuno saprebbe indicarmi il costo del giro in barca alla grotta di benagil partendo proprio dalla sua spiaggia..... siamo una famiglia numerosa e si cerca di limitare i costi🤦♀️.... grazie
Written August 5, 2020
Ciao quando la marea è bassa si arriva alla grotta senza bisogno di nuotare?
Written September 24, 2019
Questo non lo so, io sono stato a maggio, ma puoi chiedere a una qualunque agenzia sul litorale, sicuramente te lo sapranno dire
Written September 24, 2019
Hello, i am planing on visiting the caves in October one morning however i'm just wondering what is the best plan as we want to arrive before the tourists would we have to swim there or is there any other way to get in? with avoiding the crowds. Thank you
Written August 19, 2019
Hello traveler. This place it’s a bit crowed it. However you shouldn’t worry about that. The place is big enough. I would go 2 pm since it might be hotter since the water is very cold. About 14 C.
It is fun. Take floaters to make it easy to swim. It is a short swim.
If you want a more reserved beach. You should rent a kayak the have some for rent as you go down the hill toward me the beach. Reserve with time. Then you can go some smaller and more private beaches. It is worth it.
Written August 20, 2019
Ciao , si può portare il cane in questa spiagge X vedere queste bellezze di grotte. Grazie x le risposte
Written August 12, 2019
Bom dia, se ouver placas de proibicao , sim. Na epoca balnear a multa pode chegar a 2.500 euros..
Written September 22, 2019
Hola, nosotros iremos con nuestro niño de 2 años, no he visto ninguna recomendación para ir con niños. Sería recomendable???? Gracias
Written August 7, 2019
Si, pero con una excursión con lancha; a nado,kayak o surf no te lo recomiendo
Written August 21, 2019
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