Just 1km from the Monte Santo Resort is the lovely village of Carvoeiro. It is a beautiful travel destination for anyone looking for a calm and relaxed holiday, within a characterful and charming town. Besides numerous restaurants and cafes, one of the things to do in Carvoeiro, is to enjoy the stunning Algar Seco Cliff Walk and there are actually many other hiking routes if you’d like to discover the coast even further on foot. The Carvoeiro boardwalk is a picturesque cliff top walk that leads from the Nossa Senhora da Encarnação fort to the Algar Seco rock formation. You’ll be walking along the elevated wooden walkway, which lies on the top of the cliffs and offers breathtaking views over the stunning coastline. There’s also a very cool cave called “A Boneca” meaning the doll, that has a tiny passage to a small chamber and this one is probably one of the most famous viewpoint of Carvoeiro - two eroded arches with views out over the deep blues of the ocean. The “A Boneca” cave name comes from the seaside exterior, which resembles a doll, with the two cave arches forming the eyes of the doll. It’s worth going on a boat trip to see the coast from the other side and when you’re in Carvoeiro you must visit the Benagil Caves anyway - and the best way to admire them is from the boat. (Read about the boat tour here!) We took the car to Benagil that is just 7km away to view the Benagil Caves also from above and the views are really striking! Enjoy the video of the boat tour we took to see the Benagil Caves as well as a bit of Algar Seco and Benagil beach!
The Forte de Nossa Senhora de Encarnação is a minor fortification that once guarded the Carvoeiro coastline, originating back to1670, but only a small section of the wall remains, as most of the fort was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake. The present whitewashed building is the reconstructed fort, which has been since converted into a nursery.
Benagil Cave
