Algar Seco

Algar Seco is the rock shelf immediately east of Carvoeiro, where the carbonate has been eaten into a landscape of pinnacles, hollows, arches and pits by rain from above and sea from below. Steps lead down from the clifftop onto the platform, and paths run among the formations - the best known is A Boneca, a small grotto with two window-like openings framing the sea, reached through a passage in the rock. There are blowholes that spout in heavy swell, pools in the rock, and a bar built into the cliff. A wooden boardwalk runs along the clifftop from Carvoeiro with viewpoints, which is the easy way to see it. The rock is sharp, uneven and slippery where wet, and the platform is at sea level, so it is exposed to waves in rough weather; people are caught out by this every year.

What you actually see

• The eroded platform - pinnacles, hollows and arches in weathered carbonate.
• A Boneca - a grotto with two window openings framing the sea.
• The blowholes - vents that spout in heavy swell.
• The boardwalk - a clifftop walkway from Carvoeiro with viewpoints.

When to go

Year-round; winter swell makes the blowholes work but also makes the platform dangerous. One to two hours. Sunset is the busiest time.

Honest expectations

The rock platform is sharp, uneven and slippery, and waves reach it in rough seas - people are swept and injured. Steep steps down. Very crowded at sunset in season. The bar on the cliff is expensive.

Nearby

Carvoeiro is a short walk west; the Seven Hanging Valleys trail runs east.