Praia da Corredoura is a narrow cove wedged between Benagil and Marinha on the Lagoa cliff coast – golden limestone overhead, a short strip of pale sand below, and water clear enough to read the rocky bottom from fifty feet up. You’ll spot it from the Seven Hanging Valleys trail long before you can get down to it. That’s the whole thing with Corredoura: reaching the sand is the challenge. Most people who actually swim here come by kayak, SUP, or small boat from Carvoeiro or Benagil.
Who’ll love it (and who should skip it)
Confident swimmers and paddlers who want a cove that still feels genuinely empty in August. Anyone already booking a Benagil-area boat loop who wants one more stop that isn’t on every operator’s brochure. Photographers happy to shoot from the clifftop and call it a morning.
Skip it if you need a lifeguard, step-free access, or a wide beach where the kids can run. It’s not a towel-and-sunbed afternoon unless you arrive by sea.
What the cove is actually like
About fifty metres of sand at low tide, shrinking as the water rises. Tall cliffs on both sides, nothing in the way of facilities, and no lifeguard cover at any point in the season. Some boat tour operators pause here for a swim when conditions allow – worth asking before you book if a Corredoura stop matters to you.
From the clifftop you get the classic Lagoa cliff shot without committing to the paddle. If you’re stacking Marinha, Benagil, and Carvalho into one week, the where to stay in Lagoa guide or the Carvoeiro town page will help you pick a base. Nearest coves: Praia de Benagil to the west (with Benagil Cave just behind it) and Praia da Marinha to the east.
Practical tips
Book kayak or boat slots from Carvoeiro or Benagil ahead of time in peak season – don’t count on walk-up availability in August. If you’re only doing the cliff path, stay behind the safety fences. The descent to the sand is steep, unofficial, and slippery when wet.
Parking is on informal clifftop pull-offs along the coast road east of Carvoeiro. Arrive before 09:30 in summer or you’ll spend twenty minutes circling. And even on a calm-looking morning, Atlantic swells can push into the cove – swim within your ability.
Worth it?
Yes, if you treat it as a kayak or boat objective rather than a family beach. Pair it with Benagil or Marinha the same day and the sand feels like the reward you earned. Check the Algarve beaches guide to see how Corredoura stacks up against easier Lagoa coves before you finalise your days.