How to visit Portugal's Ponte da Piedade
- ChasingBuffaloesandBeyond
- Oct 1, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 7, 2021
If you are visiting Portugal's Algarve coast, make sure and include a visit to Ponte da Piedade. Located just a few minutes south of Old Town Lagos on a windy, barren headland sits one of Portugal's most beautiful locations - the Ponte da Piedade. Ponte da Piedade is known for it's dramatic limestone cliffs, rock arches, grottoes and caves and is absolutely breathtaking! Over thousands of years, the wind and tides have eroded the sandstone cliff-side to create the beautiful area we now see today.
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PONTE DA PIEDADE BY LAND
From the cliff tops, enjoy the views out over the Atlantic Ocean or head down the 182 step staircase for an up close view of the seaside grottoes and rock formations. There is not an actual beach here at Ponte da Piedade but taking the stairs down to the bottom provides for some amazing views of this stunning area and at low tide you can scramble out over the exposed rocks for a closer view. These rock formations rise up 65 feet, jetting out over the Atlantic Ocean creating arches, grottoes, lagoons and caves that are absolutely breathtaking! As one of the most beautiful spots in the Algarve - this is a stop that should not be missed!
PONTE DA PIEDADE BY SEA
Another option is to spend some time enjoying the area from the water. There are endless tour companies to choose from that offer boat or kayak trips along the Algarve coastline with stops at Ponte da Piedade. We ended up choosing Bom Dia Boat Trips and absolutely loved it! We chose the 2 Hour Grotto Trip which leaves from Lagos and sails to Ponte da Piedade. Upon reaching Ponte da Piedade, you are able to hop onto a smaller boat and are taken around inside the caves and grottoes of Ponte da Piedade. Once on the smaller boats, the guides will point out some of the more famous formations that have been named by local fisherman over the years - including the elephant, camel head, the cathedral, the chimney and the kissing couple. In warm weather you can even spend a bit of time swimming while on this tour - for us though, we were visiting in April and it wasn't quite swimming weather yet. For the more adventurous crowd - renting a kayak or paddleboard is also another option and allows for access into the numerous caves and secluded beaches along this beautiful coastline.
Spending a few hours out on the sparkling blue/turquoise waters viewing the golden cliffs of the Algarve coastline was one the highlights of our time in Portugal. If you are planning on spending anytime in the Algarve - make sure and include a stop to view the spectacular Ponte da Piedade!
Interested in planning your own trip to Ponte da Piedade, Portugal? Below is our summarized itinerary for you to follow or adjust to your own preferences. ENJOY!
One Day at Ponte da Piedade: Spend some time viewing Ponte da Piedade from above, then walk down the stairs for a closer view of the below rock formations. Book at tour with Bom Dia Boat Tours and spend some time out on the water viewing Ponte da Piedade.
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