Europe, Portugal


The Algarve: Praia da Bordeira

Europe Portugal

Last summer, I had the fortunate opportunity to travel to Portugal, which has since become one of my favourite countries in the world. Anyone who follows me on Instagram can probably attest to my Portugal obsession! With its rich history, delicious food, and breathtaking beaches, Portugal is a country you should definitely add to your bucket list.

View of the beach from the parking lot

There is certainly no shortage of stunning beaches in Portugal, but there was one beach in particular that stood out. That beach is Praia da Bordeira. It has officially ruined me for all other beaches! Located on the beautifully rugged western coast of the Algarve region, Praia da Bordeira is a sandy paradise off the beaten path (Literally. If you don’t have a car, you would not even know this beach existed).

Our journey to Bordeira began with a recommendation from a colleague (thank you!!!). After seeing a photo of the beach, I was absolutely sold, and eagerly counting down the days until my Portugal trip.

At last, during our time in the Algarve, we drove about 45 minutes from our Airbnb in Lagos, and arrived at a beach so beautiful, that photos do not even do it justice. Well, apparently my subconscious knew that photos wouldn’t do it justice, because as soon as I pulled out my camera to take the perfect insta-worthy photo, I was hit with the harsh reality that my battery was dead! Epic fail. Good job, Bethany. After a brief and unnecessary meltdown, we continued down a winding path to the beach. Luckily my boyfriend brought his iPhone or I might have legitimately cried! Sigh, the things we do for the perfect Instagram photo.

Me having a camera meltdown

So, we made it to the unbelievably vast beach and set up our umbrellas and towels. The beach is so huge, that even during high season, you feel like you are the only one there. We had an incredible morning, relaxing and listening to the calming sounds of the ocean.


It was when we started to get hungry for lunch that epic fail #2 came to light: I had left our packed sandwich lunch at home! Keep in mind, this beach is extremely remote. There are no toilets on the beach, let alone restaurants. So, we had no choice but to feast on some popsicles from the miniscule snack bar on the beach and remain hungry for the rest of the day. Well done again, Bethany. Hey, at least I remembered the water bottles!

Delicious popsicle lunch

The rest of the afternoon on the beach was absolutely lovely. From body surfing in the huge waves to soaking up the sun, it was a perfect day. But when I got home, I realized I had perhaps soaked up too much sun, leading to epic fail #3. Apparently, SPF 30 sunscreen is no match for the blazing Portuguese sun. I learned this the hard way when my full body sunburn appeared later that day. At least my skin matched with my red dress…

If you are ever planning a trip to the Algarve in Portugal, be sure to spend a day at Praia da Bordeira. I’m sure that you too will be blown away by its beauty. You will likely need to rent a car to get there because of its remoteness, but it’s totally worth it. It was definitely the highlight of my Portugal holiday. But before you go, just make sure you’ve charged your camera, packed your lunch, and lathered up with some SPF 1,000,000. Then you’ll be all set for an unforgettable day at the beach!