The best beach in the world has been crowned by Tripadvisor – and it’s under three hours away from London.

Praia da Falésia in the Algarve, Portugal has finished in first place at the Travellers’ Choice Awards 2024, ahead of stunning locations in the Caribbean, Australia and the Seychelles. 

In fact the top three are all in Europe, with Spiaggia dei Conigli in Sicily and La Concha Beach in Spain taking second and third respectively. The highest Caribbean entry was Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos which came in at number five.

Though the UK failed to make the top 10 overall, we did win an award for having the most sustainable beach in the world. Sandbanks Beach in Poole, Dorset, got a special mention from the judges for its commitments to sustainability, including eco-friendly transport options, waste disposal and water quality.

The popular travel guidance platform analysed ‘tens of millions’ of reviews submitted by travellers over the past 12 months, looking particularly at the quality and quantity of ratings for beach experiences. 

Portugal’s Praia da Falésia is known for its dramatic red, sandy cliffs and golden sand. Reviewers who have been lucky enough to visit loved walking along the soft, powdery sand while admiring the views of the Atlantic Ocean.  

There are thousands of gushing reviews for the beach. A Tripadvisor user known as Waddler said of the location: ‘It reminded me of some remote beaches I’d been to in Western Australia, but here it has resorts around so is much more easily accessed.’

Another visitor, @grillo84BS, wrote about the walk they enjoyed from the beach Praia Maria Luisa towards Vilamoura, with Praia da Falésia being located in between both. ‘The colours of the cliffs are spectacular and you almost don’t realise how many kilometres you have travelled,’ they said about the award winning beach. ‘Highly recommended for those who love these scenarios.’

Meanwhile, @GlobetrottingViking said: ‘The red-coloured cliffs were magnificent and it was amusing to see the playful birds, like Ruddy Turnstones, Yellow-legged Gulls and a solitary Kestrel along the beach.’ 

Although the beach is often showered with praise, one criticism from reviewers is that it isn’t the most accessible place for those with mobility issues. Tripadvisor user @Steve_of_N21 commented: ‘Both the entry points at the Albufeira Surf Adventure and the Algarve Gardens Sports Resort involve steps, especially at the surf adventure where the wooden staircase down to the beach is an impressive piece of mechanical engineering.

‘Also Praia da Falésia is not blessed with facilities, with the Strandbar Alfamar at the Garden Sports entrance being about it.’

How much do flights from England to Faro cost?

The nearest airport to Praia da Falésia is Faro, which is a 40-minute drive away by car. Comboios De Portugal runs a train service from Estação Ferroviária de Lisboa Oriente (a major public transport stop) between Albufeira and Ferreiras five times a day. Tickets are typically priced between £14-£20 and the journey takes two hours and 36 minutes according to Rome2Rio. 

You can currently book a plane ticket from London Luton Airport to Faro for £58 with Ryanair. 

Other airlines that fly direct to Faro include Jet2, easyJet and British Airways, with flights priced between £108-£151. The non-stop flights usually last for around two hours and 50-55 minutes.

What is the weather like in the Algarve and when should you visit?

The Algarve is a top choice among travellers seeking warmth and sun even during the winter months. The Olhos de Agua region, where you’ll find Praia da Falésia has a Mediterranean climate, with long hot summers and relatively short winters. 

For the most heat, the best time to visit is between June and August. The hottest month of the year is July, which has an average high of 30°C and an average low of 22°c°. 

February is the coldest month of the year, but you would still be able to wear a t-shirt outdoors. During the second month of the year, the average high is 16°C and an average low of 10°C.

What are the top things to do and where should you stay at Praia da Falésia?

The beach is also listed number one for things to do in the Olhos de Agua region on Tripadvisor, however that doesn’t mean you have to spend the entire trip sunbathing (even though that does sound ideal). 

For a shopping spree, visit Albufeira’s old town – Avenida Dr Francisco Sa Carneiro – for souvenirs and clothes. You can also find an open-air mall with the easy to remember name Algarve Shopping, where you can buy anything from pottery to a new outfit, as well as local bars and restaurants, like Planet Fusion, The Three Harps and Symbiosis.

For tapas and booze, you can head to Fabio’s RoadStop, Platinum and Metrópole.

But let’s face it, the beach is an attraction itself and visitors can actually walk or hike from Praia Maria Luisa towards Vilamoura and pass through Praia da Falésia. 

The west side of the award-winning beach is where you’ll find the high red cliffs. This part is also referred to as Açoteias and a highly rated hotel in this era is the Epic Sana Algarve Beach Hotel.

The east side of Praia da Falésia, towards Vilamoura, is referred to as Alfamar because of the nearby Alfamar Beach & Sport Resort. The lower parts of the cliffs can be found here, along with shallow waters where activities like paragliding, diving and surfing take place. 

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The Algarve is loved by holidaymakers as the home of the best beach in the world and globally-renowned golf courses.

But a trip to the south of Portugal doesn’t just have to be about soaking up the sun or lounging around by the seafront, you can also get your daily steps in. 

Festivals and hiking might not immediately spring to mind for your next getaway, but nature lovers visiting Portugal this year are literally spoiled for choice with not one but four hiking festivals on offer.

The events are taking place between March and December 2024 as part of theAlgarve Walking Season, created with the goal of attracting thousands of hikers to the region.

What does a hiking festival involve, you ask? Walking isn’t the only thing on the agenda. There are more than 200 activities planned across the quad, including workshops, stargazing, food tastings and history lessons for the 3,000 visitors expected to stomp alongside each other.

The four locations chosen will also help with the ‘preservation of natural and cultural heritage,’ according to João Ministro, who is in charge of the walking project, which should hopefully attract tourists and locals longer term.

Where is the Algarve Walking Season 2024 taking place and what are the walking trails?

Alcoutim – March 15-17

Four separate festivals have come together as a network under the Algarve Walking Season brand. The first to festival will be the Alcoutim Sanlúcar Hiking Festival and its participants will take their first steps on March 15.

Activities teased by Alcoutim City Council’s Júlio Cardoso include experiences linked to goats, beekeeping, bread making, stargazing and ‘gastronomic heritage’, which translates to lots of delicious local food. Last year’s festival included walks ranging from 3K to 13K, so expect similar routes again or explore solo to truly tailor your trip.

Ameixial, Loulé – April 26-28

The multi-day festival in Ameixial, Loulé will be taking place in late April with walks ranging from 5K – 26K in distance. The website says it’s intended to bring people together and to raise awareness about the ‘values of the region’ and support the local economy.

Guests will be able to soak up the local music during their walks and walk away with knowledge about local archaeology. There will also be talks with experts about the region as well as workshops and food tasting.

Barão de São João, Lagos – November 1-3

There are no hiking activities planned as part of the walking festival during the summer months, which is the most popular time to visit the Algarve because of the scorching hot temperatures.

During the height of summer, temperatures reach 29 °C according to the Met Office.

Nature fanatics will have to wait until November for the Barão de São João in Lagos in Portugal. This festival will have a strong link to the arts, as well as hiking, with a whopping 48 different walks available to join starting at just 3K in distance. It’s often referred to as the Walk & Art Fest.

The walks involve geology and botany lessons, bird watching and drawing designed for the whole family.

Monchique – November 29-December 1

Last but not least, the Monchique Walking Festival will take place in the winter with routes spanning 3-15K.

Temperatures are still expected to be fairly warm as the average temperature in December is mild and pleasant, even though it’s considered winter, with the average daily temperature ranging from 8°C to 17°C and during the day, temperatures can reach up to 20°C in some areas. 

This festival has a focus on water-themed walks and will take hikers to areas where they can search for mushrooms and edible plants. How tasty!

You can find out more about the Algarve Walking Season here.

MORE: A 48-hour itinerary for experiencing the authentic Algarve – without a golf club in sight

MORE: City break and beach retreat: How to get the ‘best of both worlds’ in Portugal over a long weekend

MORE: European beach beats Hawaii and Caribbean to be crowned best in the world

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The best beach in the world has been crowned by Tripadvisor and it’s under three hours away from London.

Praia da Falésia in the Algarve, Portugal has finished in first place at the Travellers’ Choice Awards 2024, ahead of stunning locations in the Caribbean, Australia and the Seychelles. 

In fact the top three are all in Europe, with Spiaggia dei Conigli in Sicily and La Concha Beach in Spain taking second and third respectively. The highest Caribbean entry is Grace Bay Beach in Turks and Caicos.

Though the UK failed to make the top 10 overall, we did win an award for having the most sustainable beach in the world. Sandbanks Beach in Poole, Dorset, got a special mention from the judges for its commitments to sustainability, including sustainable transport options, waste disposal and water quality.

The popular travel guidance platform analysed ‘tens of millions’ of reviews submitted by travellers over the past 12 months, looking particularly at the quality and quantity of ratings for beach experiences. 

Portugal’s Praia da Falésia is known for its dramatic red, sandy cliffs and golden sand. Reviewers who have been lucky enough to visit loved walking along the soft, powdery sand while admiring the views of the Atlantic Ocean.  

There are thousands of gushing reviews for the beach. A Tripadvisor user known only as Waddler called the location: ‘It reminded me of some remote beaches I’d been to in Western Australia, but here it has resorts around so is much more easily accessed.’

Another visitor, known as @grillo84BS on the site, wrote about the walk they enjoyed from the beach Praia Maria Luisa towards Vilamoura, with Praia da Falésia being located in between both. ‘The colours of the cliffs are spectacular and you almost don’t realise how many kilometres you have travelled,’ they shared about the award winning beach. ‘Highly recommended for those who love these scenarios.’

And a Tripadvisor account holder called @GlobetrottingViking said they visited the beach in mid-November when it wasn’t very busy. ‘The red-coloured cliffs were magnificent and it was amusing to see the playful birds, like Ruddy Turnstones, Yellow-legged Gulls and a solitary Kestrel along the beach.’ 

Although the beach is often showered with praise, one criticism from reviewers is that it isn’t the most accessible place for those with mobility issues. Tripadvisor reviewer @Steve_of_N21 shared: ‘Both the entry points at the Albufeira Surf Adventure and the Algarve Gardens Sports Resort involve steps, especially at the surf adventure where the wooden staircase down to the beach is an impressive piece of mechanical engineering.

‘Also Praia da Falésia is not blessed with facilities, with the Strandbar Alfamar at the Garden Sports entrance being about it.’

How much do flights from England to Faro cost?

The nearest airport is Faro, which is a 40-minute drive away by car. Comboios De Portugal runs a train service from Estação Ferroviária de Lisboa Oriente (a major public transport stop) between Albufeira and Ferreiras five times a day. Tickets are typically priced between £14-£20 and the journey takes two hours and 36 minutes according to Rome2Rio. 

You can currently book a plane ticket from London Luton Airport to Faro for £58 with Ryanair. 

Other airlines that fly direct to Faro include Jet2, easyJet and British Airways, with flights priced between £108-£151. The non-stop flights usually last for around two hours and 50-55 minutes.

What is the weather like in the Algarve and when should you visit?

The Algarve is a top choice among travellers seeking warmth and sun even during the winter months. The Olhos de Agua region, where you’ll find Praia da Falésia has a Mediterranean climate, with long hot summers and relatively short winters. 

For the most heat, the best time to visit is between June and August. The hottest month of the year is July, which has an average high of 30°C and an average low of 22°c°. 

February is the coldest month of the year, but you would still be able to wear a t-shirt outdoors. During the second month of the year, the average high is 16°C and an average low of 10°C.

What are the top things to do and where should you stay at Praia da Falésia?

The beach is also listed number one for things to do in the Olhos de Agua region on Tripadvisor, however that doesn’t mean you have to spend the entire trip sunbathing (even though that does sound ideal). 

For a shopping spree, visit Albufeira’s old town – Avenida Dr Francisco Sa Carneiro – for souvenirs and clothes. You can also find an open-air mall with the easy to remember name Algarve Shopping, where you can buy anything from pottery to a new outfit, as well as local bars and restaurants, like Planet Fusion, The Three Harps and Symbiosis.

For tapas and booze, you can head to Fabio’s RoadStop, Platinum and Metrópole.

But let’s face it, the beach is an attraction itself and visitors can actually walk or hike from Praia Maria Luisa towards Vilamoura and pass through Praia da Falésia. 

The west side of the award-winning beach is where you’ll find the high red cliffs. This part is also referred to as Açoteias and a highly rated hotel in this era is the Epic Sana Algarve Beach Hotel.

The east side of Praia da Falésia, towards Vilamoura, is referred to as Alfamar because of the nearby Alfamar Beach & Sport Resort. The lower parts of the cliffs can be found here, along with shallow waters where activities like paragliding, diving and surfing take place. 

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