Praia de Monte Clérigo

Monte Clérigo is the easiest family beach on this stretch of the west coast. It is a wide bay of golden sand backed by big dunes and cliffs, with a rocky platform at its southern end [1] and a small village beside it [4]. You park behind the beach and walk straight onto the sand [4], and the APA registry lists it as prepared for people with reduced mobility, with walkways and adapted access [5] — rare on this coast.

With kids. The draw is the rock pools that form among the rocks on the southern side at low tide, with crabs, starfish and small fish; AlgarveTips calls it one of the more family-friendly west-coast beaches and suggests water shoes and a bucket [4]. Lifeguards are on duty 1 June–30 September 2026 [2], and it holds a 2026 Blue Flag [3]. The sea itself can be rough, the water is cold, and because the sandbanks move, currents change often — swim where the lifeguards’ flags say [4].

Surf. It picks up more northern swell than Arrifana, so waves are generally bigger; surf is possible for all levels on the right day, with a school operating in the summer months, but on big days it is for experienced surfers only [4].

For nomads and workation. A quiet beach close to Aljezur that never gets really crowded, by AlgarveTips’ account [4] — an easy after-work swim if you base yourself in the Aljezur area.

Check before you go: low-tide times for the rock pools; which surf school operates this season.