Praia da Arrifana

Arrifana is a deep bay on the western Algarve coast, enclosed by dark schist cliffs with a rock pinnacle standing in the water at its northern end, and it works as both a swimming beach in summer and one of the more consistent surf spots on this coast the rest of the year, with a right-hand point break at the north end that holds size. A steep road drops from the clifftop settlement to a small harbour and some five hundred metres of sand. Above, on the headland, are the remains of a ribat - a fortified Islamic religious community from the twelfth century, excavated in the 2000s, one of the few identified in the Iberian peninsula - and separately a small ruined fort from the seventeenth century. The whole coast here is inside the Vicentine natural park, so the cliffs are undeveloped, and the wind and Atlantic cold are as usual.

The landscape

• The bay - a horseshoe of sand under dark schist cliffs with a rock pinnacle offshore.
• The point break - a right-hander at the northern end, consistent in autumn and winter.
• The ribat - twelfth-century Islamic fortified religious remains on the headland.
• The fort - a small seventeenth-century ruin above the beach.

When to go

May to September for swimming; autumn and winter for surf. Half a day. The clifftop viewpoints are worth as much as the beach.

Practical notes

Cold Atlantic water and strong currents; the rip at the northern end is serious. The access road is steep and narrow with limited parking. Strong afternoon wind. Surf here suits confident surfers rather than beginners.

Nearby

Aljezur is inland; Monte Clérigo and Bordeira are along the coast.

Key facts