We kicked off our morning with another wonderful breakfast at the hotel before catching an Uber down to the Albufeira Marina.
We had booked a 10:00 AM boat tour to see the dolphins and explore the stunning Benagil Cave, which is easily one of the most popular highlights in the region.
Read my previous two posts, Albufeira Day 1 and Sagres and Lagos Day 2 as well.
I cannot wait to share the full story of our morning out on the water, but first, let me give you a quick introduction to the famous Benagil Cave itself:
The map below shows the places we visited on that day:
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BENAGIL CAVE
This natural wonder is a spectacular, cathedral-like sea cave shaped by millions of years of wave erosion. It is famous worldwide for its massive dome and a distinct, circular hole in the ceiling.
This natural skylight floods the interior with golden sunlight, illuminating a secluded interior beach and crystalline turquoise waters.
Because it is only accessible from the ocean, arriving by boat gives you a breathtaking perspective as you glide through its soaring, amber-striped stone arches. It is truly one of Europe’s most magical coastal sights and an absolute must-see when exploring the Algarve.
THE DOLPHINS AND THE CAVE VISIT
Upon arriving at the marina, we headed straight to the meeting point to gather with our tour group, which looked to be about 20 people.
Once everyone was checked in and ready, the crew guided us down to our vessel. We quickly hopped on board, eager to kick off the adventure by searching for dolphins first.
After leaving the Marina, we headed out into the deep blue of the open ocean. It took quite a bit of sailing and some patient scanning of the horizon. The anticipation built with every passing minute as the crew used their tracking expertise to guide us further out.
Our persistence paid off beautifully. A magnificent pod of dolphins began swimming alongside our boat, gracefully slicing through the surface and putting on a spectacular natural show.
The experience became even more magical when the dolphins started jumping and leaping completely out of the water. They seemed incredibly playful, launching themselves into the air and splashing back down right next to the boat.
Watching them leap gracefully against the backdrop of the open sea was absolutely spectacular, and the entire boat erupted with excitement and camera clicks. It was an unforgettable display of pure energy that made the long ride out to the high seas completely worth it.
Watching them glide through the clear water just a few feet away from us was absolutely thrilling and unforgettable.
We spent a fantastic half-hour mesmerised by the dolphins as they jumped and leapt alongside us. Once the spectacular show wound down, our captain turned the boat around, and we continued on our way toward the famous Benagil Cave.
VISITING BENAGIL CAVE
Before arriving at Benagil Cave, our boat passed several other fascinating sea caves along the route. The rugged cliff coast of the Algarve is stunningly beautiful, offering an endless supply of incredible details, rock formations, and dramatic lighting to photograph.
On arrival at the cave, we had the brilliant sunshine working in our favour, filling the entire cave with incredible light.
Because we viewed the cave right from our boat, we got a fantastic vantage point looking straight up through the famous sunlit opening.
The bright weather made the amber rock walls glow and turned the water a brilliant shade of turquoise. It was the perfect spot for photos, and seeing the massive dome from the water really showed off its scale.
After a few memorable minutes admiring the magnificent cave and snapping photos of the sunlit interior, our captain turned the vessel around.
We cruised away from the towering stone arches and set a direct course back to the Albufeira Marina, enjoying the refreshing ocean breeze and one last look at the stunning golden cliffs.
From the thrill of watching the playful dolphin pod leap completely out of the open water to the awe-inspiring scale of the Benagil Cave, the morning had exceeded all of our expectations. Even though we stayed safely on board the entire time, viewing these natural wonders from the water offered a unique perspective we won’t soon forget.
This is the tour we booked and if you want to book the same tour book on this LINK.
For the more adventurous ones why not taking a “Hidden Beaches & Cliffs Kayak Cave tour”? Book this one HERE.
As the boat smoothly glided back into its slip at the bustling Albufeira Marina, our fantastic maritime adventure officially came to an end. We thanked the captain and crew for their excellent guiding and navigation, stepped back onto dry land, and immediately called an Uber to take us to a restaurant called “O Golfinho” (The Dolphin) for lunch.
PRAIA DO BARRANCO DAS BELHARUCAS
This restaurant was in “Praia do Barranco das Belharucas”, on the opposite side of the marina. It is located right at the beach, and getting to this hidden gem is an absolute Olympic sport. “Praia da Falésia” is the next beach, but we didn’t get there.
Local Uber drivers treat this beach spot like a top-secret military base. They look at the map, shake their heads, and flat-out cancel your booking. When we finally found a brave driver to take us, he dropped us off so far away we had to hike across a sandy desert like lost explorers.
But oh man, did that accidental cardio pay off!
This place served up the absolute best lunch of our entire trip, easily going toe-to-toe with our reigning champion, “O Franguinho de Albufeira.”
They literally bring the raw fish to your table first, just so you can inspect the catch and make eye contact with your future lunch before it hits the grill.
Mum and I shared a massive whole fish grilled to perfection alongside a salad and crushed potatoes, while my daughter absolutely devoured a plate of giant king prawns and crispy fries.
The food was so divine, my mouth is watering just typing these words. If you can get there despite the difficult journey, you must eat here! Simple food at its best!
After wrapping up lunch, we strolled down the beach for a quick photoshoot before bracing ourselves for Round Two of “Can We Actually Book an Uber?”
Luckily, the rideshare gods smiled on us this time. A car actually drove all the way down to the restaurant to rescue us, no cancellations required!
We celebrated by heading straight to Albufeira’s Old Town to explore the shops and crush some well-deserved ice cream before heading back to the hotel to recharge.
You can have a surf lesson at Belharucas Beach which will take 2 hours and after the lesson you can have lunch at the lovely “O Golfinho” (Lunch not included). Book the lesson HERE.
For our final evening, we decided to trust our driver’s recommendation and checked out “Restaurante Prazeres” on Rua Alves Correia.
Talk about a dinner of mixed reviews! Mum and I shared a Seafood Cataplana that was absolutely brilliant. My daughter, however, went with the Portuguese-style fillet steak and… let’s just say it didn’t quite hit the mark. It stayed entirely on the plate, and after a quick taste test, I completely backed her up. You win some, you lose some!
It was our final dinner in Albufeira before flying back to the UK the next day. Even though it was a whirlwind trip, it was a fantastic getaway, and we are already plotting our return to the area!
I hope this post will give you some idea of what can be done in a day in Albufeira and will help you plan your own visit there.
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR VISIT TO ALBUFEIRA
Below you will find a list of what to visit, where to stay and where to eat in Albufeira. I classified each place as follows:
BOLD – Visited, tried and recommended
NOT BOLD – Not visited or tried, but planning to visit or try and heard very good reviews
RED – Visited and tried but do not recommend, avoid or be cautious
*** – Excellent
** – Good
* – OK
£££ – Expensive
££ – Fair and affordable
PLEASE NOTE: Every hotel, restaurants and attractions I mention on my blogs are not sponsored reviews and we always paid the full price when visiting. We give our own opinion of the place and detail our experience, good or bad.
THINGS TO DO IN ALBUFEIRA
ATTRACTIONS
1 – Tour to watch the Dolphins and Banagil Cave – ***
2 – Praia fa Fafésia – ***
3 – Old Town – ***
WHERE TO STAY IN ALBUFEIRA
ACCOMMODATION
1 – Casa Velha Apartments – 4* – ££
2 – Hotel Sol e Mar Albufeira – 4* – ££
3 – Grande Real Santa Eulalia Resort & Hotel Spa – 5* – £££
4 – Vila Balaia Luxury Villas – 5* – £££
5 – Vila Joya – 5* – £££
6 – Hotel Baltum – 3* – ££
If you prefer to look for your own accommodation, search and book via the below widget:
I use affiliate links such as the links above for Booking.com, Get your Guide, Viator and others. It means that if you use any of my links to make a booking, I will get a small commission from the partners I’m affiliated with without any additional cost to you. Please, use the links provided when making a booking, this is a way of supporting blogs like this so we can continue writing informative and interesting posts. I’m very thankful for that.
BEST PLACES TO EAT IN ALBUFEIRA
RESTAURANTS
1 – Restaurante O Golfinho – *** – ££ – (We ate here)
2 – Restaurante Prazeres – ** – £ – (We ate here)
3 – O Marinheiro – ££
4 – Vila Joya Restaurant – *** – £££ – (We ate here in a previous trip)
5 – Lemon Drops – ££
6 – Al Quimia – £££
We only tried the ones in bold , the others are the result of my researches and ones that I would like to try. If you tried any of my recommendations above, please send me a message and tell me about your experience good or bad, so I can update the list accordingly. Thanks!
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