Only 10-minutes drive from the Benagil Cave is one of the top 100 beaches in the world. With diamond-blue water, Praia da Marinha is the jewel of the Algarve for a reason. But getting around in the Algarve region can be a disaster with the wrong transport choice.
That’s why we put together this ultra useful guide for you. Read on for Algarve Beauties’ cheat sheet on how to get from Faro to the Marinha Beach.
Long before it was officially voted as Europe’s top beach destination, Marinha Beach was an unsung favourite of the Portuguese people and their confetti-coloured sun umbrellas.
For good reason, one glimpse is enough to make you dig out your passport and fly to the Algarve tomorrow.
So it’s no wonder that Marinha Beach became the poster beach for all promotional material on the Algarve once Portugal’s tourism boom began.
It went from being secret to sensational in a matter of years.
Only a 10-minute drive from the Benagil Cave, you get to experience not one, but two ridiculously beautiful beaches on your Benagil Cave tour with Algarve Beauties.
Though in the stunning Lagoa municipality of Caramujeira, Marinha Beach is best reached from the buzzing capital of Faro.
Choosing your travel route to the Algarve coast is like choosing from a 5-page menu. There’s too much choice!
So let’s break it down and explore your options together.
Hiring a car for your summer holiday is convenient but you can lose money from undersold fees and taxes. Not to mention you’ll need to settle your car hire deposit.
A glance online tells you that one economy car rental – roomy enough for two – from Faro airport starts at 48 euros, whilst cars collected from Faro Marina are unavailable, due to high demand.
But how long will it take to organise?
The turnaround time varies per company and depends on the waiting queue. Peak summer season drives up the daily demand, costs and crowds. So you can expect to pay anything from 48 to 200-plus euros for one day’s drive.
Though hire options exist outside the airport, it’s not always in walking distance from the arrivals area.
If you’re seriously thinking of renting a car for your Algarve coast holiday, you might have to spend extra on tolls.
The A22 connecting Faro and Portimão is one such toll road that charges drivers 48-hours after travel. But instead of paying at a booth, you’ll get a bill after your journey is complete. You can pay your fee in a Payshop or online.
Our tip?
If you hire a car for your day trip, request a dashboard device – a transponder. It keeps track of all your payments on the move. And always keep a stash of spare change: just in case in-person toll booths creep up on you.
Though it comes with a credit limit, keep in mind that you’ll need to pay a fee to use the transponder.
Fuel costs in Portugal is a heated topic due to its ridiculous influx in recent years.
Since 13th June 2022, you can expect to pay maximum of 2.17 euros per litre for gasoline.
But on your Marinha beach day trip, you could be paying less or more. So avoid a fuel nightmare by knowing what’s changed.
Arriving at a full-to-burst car park minutes from one of the most photographed beaches is a real pain.
Though parking is free, unless you come bright and early in the morning, finding a spot is a lucky shot.
You might spend 30 minutes trawling for parking instead. Because of its wild popularity, the road towards Marinha Beach suffers police road closures, creating extra effort for you.
The best solution? Leave the driving to someone else.
As you might now be seeking an alternative for your Atlantic coast adventure. Let’s peek at getting there by bus from Faro.
For starters, unlike the cosmopolitan coast up north, the Algarve’s buses are unreliable. Even when you’re on time, your bus might not be.
From Faro bus station, you can take the number 56 (in the direction of Lagos) to Lagoa bus station. The journey from Faro alone takes 1 hour and 25 minutes. From Lagoa, you can take a taxi or brave the 55-minute journey to Praia de Marinha via the 13 (towards Albufeira) and 52 (towards Alvor) buses.
So, travel by bus isn’t exactly ideal when you’ve tallied up 2 hours and 20 minutes for a one-way journey. You’d be halfway to Lisbon in that time, just saying!
Your next option to get to the famous beach is by train.
An advantage of being based in Faro is its excellent connections to the rest of Portugal by rail travel.
From Faro train station, travelers can take one of the tinny-blue trains towards Lagos and get off at Estombar Lagoa. It takes 1 hour, with simply stunning views of the Algarve countryside.
The regional train (R) costs 5,75 euros. Watch out for the costlier Intercidades line (IC|R) to avoid a sluggish journey.
Once you reach Estombar Lagoa, expect an hour-long mission to Marinha Beach. You’ll need to wait for the 13 (towards Albufeira), then switch to the 52 (towards Alvor) bus at Porches Gasolineira.
After the slog by bus and train, you’d think that a taxi trip would solve your problems. But because Lagoa’s coast is so popular with foreign and domestic tourists, taxis are way overpriced.
From Faro Marina to Marinha Beach, you’ll pay a one-way journey of 50-66 euros with an Uber X and 95-100 euros with an Uber XL.
Not to mention, taxi drivers can cancel on you as and when they please if they find a better sale–a brutal truth of using Uber and Bolt in the Algarve.
So, what choice do you have left?
An Algarve Beauties tour prides itself on being value for money from Faro Marina to Marinha beach and back again.
Why?
Because you pay 55 euros for the whole tour.
Everything? I hear you ask. Yes!
Not only does your booking include the two-way journey, specialist bodyboarding equipment for your Benagil Cave tour, expert guidance, and photography from a bodyboarding tour guide.
You’ll get a bonus trip to Marinha Beach with free-to-use sun umbrellas–so you can do like the locals.
What could be better than wriggling your toes into soft sand dunes, knowing that you don’t have work tomorrow; that you’ll answer to no one today except the sun. And absolutely confident you can enjoy a cold one. You can’t believe your eyes either–Marinha Beach is more beautiful in person.
Are you ready for the finale of your best day out from Faro? Let’s go!
The soft limestone is no match for the fierce Atlantic waves that meet the Algarve’s cliffs with each high tide.
Left behind is a rock formation that can be climbed over or swum through depending on the time of day. And tucked between jutting rock and secret grottoes, is a famous resident of Marinha Beach. None other than the largest land mammal, ‘Elephant Rock’ could be a fossil from a different time when seen from boat-level.
Yet from above, you can glimpse its other form, the heart-shaped ‘M rock’.
As you can imagine, it’s a very popular spot for photographers. How will you make it your own?
As well as being famous for its beautiful beaches, the Algarve coastline is the ultimate place for blissful cool and ultra-blue seawater. So on a blazing hot day, you can cool off whenever you feel like it.
Praia da Marinha is one of 431 beaches in Portugal crowned a ‘Blue Flag beach’. Because of its marine protection, you can wade into salty water that is as diluted as a swimming pool. Yet your lengths are unlimited, and you might even see marine life, like sea stars! As ocean swims go, yours has the stamp of royal approval.
A six-kilometre dash brings you to a sea cave like no other–the Benagil Cave. With a millions-year-old beauty spot, Benagil is a marvel to those who hike, swim, or go by boat tour. But with our awesome bodyboarding tour from Benagil beach, you’ll see it all.
A winding staircase takes you to Boneca’s Caves–a must-visit assortment of dry grottoes–easily explored on foot.
Complete with a wooden walkway between the blue Atlantic ocean and limestone cliffs, it’s only a 13-minute drive from Marinha Beach. And the icing on the cake to a stunning cut of coastline in southern Portugal.
On untamed windy days, you’ll experience Algar Seco’s magic for yourself with Algarve Beauties.
Can you believe it?
Algarve Beauties gets you to Marinha Beach from Faro AND the Benagil Cave – two of the most beautiful spots on the Lagoa coastline.
So you don’t need to worry about missing the bus, losing your cab, or wasting time with parking.
A dazzling day out – all for 55 euros – now that’s what we call your money’s worth.
Ready? Book your trip now.
