Travel guides for couples; romantic escapes, city breaks + worldwide adventures

Praia das Cabanas⎮Algarve’s Hidden Island Beach and Birdwatching Paradise⎮No Car Needed Algarve Series-Episode 5. [Video]

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A row of five tickets, four in gold with 'my return ticket' text and one in silver.
VERDICT: We gave 4 out of 5 tickets and here’s why!

This guide forms part of our complete Portugal Travel Guide, featuring destination ideas, scenic road trips, practical travel advice and honest first-hand reviews from across the country.

This article is part of our No Car Needed, Algarve Travel Series with accompanying video footage. If you are looking for more adventures see our Ultimate Algarve 9-Day Road Trip series with accompanying video footage

No Car Needed Algarve Travel Series

3 Minute Boat Ride to Paradise

Today’s trip might be one of the easiest and most rewarding in the Algarve.

From Cabanas de Tavira, it takes just a 5-minute boat ride to reach a hidden island with miles of sandy beach, Atlantic waves, and some of the best birdwatching in Portugal. Today’s trip couldn’t be simpler. This is part of our No Car Needed Algarve series.

No Car, No Crowds

We’ve spent the last two weeks in beautiful Cabanas de Tavira, just a short train or taxi ride from Tavira itself. It’s a quiet community going about its daily rhythm, and despite a couple of rainy days, it’s been absolutely gorgeous.

Not to mention, we’ve loved our accommodations that we rented through VRBO. Not only is the area perfect but the apartment is a great size with all the things we need for a long stay plus it has an incredible patio with an awesome view of the ocean. There’s little markets to get groceries & a pharmacy nearby. The building also has a large pool with a cafe right next to it.

Walking by whitewashed buildings, many finished with the famous Portuguese tiles, we make our way down to the waterfront. Here you’ll find small shops, a bank, adventure tour operators, a car rental agency, cafés, and a great selection of restaurants.

If you’re looking for nightlife, you’re in the wrong place. But if you’re looking to slow things down, this is exactly where you want to be.

A serene waterfront scene featuring a calm body of water with several boats moored, a wooden dock, and people walking along the shore under a cloudy sky.
A serene coastal scene featuring two small boats moored in calm waters, surrounded by rocky shoreline and lush vegetation. The clear blue sky reflects on the tranquil water, with seagulls visible in the distance near a dock.
A serene view of several boats docked at a pier, reflected on calm water under a clear blue sky.
A black fishing boat with a flag moored at a sandy beach, alongside smaller boats and calm water reflecting sunlight.
A nest made of mud attached to a wall featuring decorative blue and white tiles. Black wires are visible near the nest.
A brightly painted house exterior featuring a wooden door, ornate yellow and blue detailing, and cobblestone pathway.
A beach shack with a thatched roof, surrounded by sandy terrain and under a clear blue sky.
Calm waters reflecting a clear blue sky with several boats anchored in the harbor.
A wide view of a sandy beach with clear blue skies and calm ocean waters in the background.
A woman wearing sunglasses and a beige cap, holding a microphone, standing under a wooden structure at the beach with waves in the background.
A white heron standing alone in shallow blue water.
Signboard displaying information about Praia de Cabanas beach, including a map and details about services, safety programs, and environmental initiatives for the year 2025.
A fishing boat navigating on a sparkling blue sea under a clear sky.
A small boat speeds across a calm body of water near a sandy shore on a sunny day, with another boat anchored in the background.

We stroll along the promenade, something that’s quickly become part of our daily routine, heading toward the dock where boats cross to the island. All around us, you can hear birdlife throughout the day; calm, constant, and incredibly relaxing.

From our apartment, it’s just a 10-minute walk to the harbour, where small motorboats run continuously across the lagoon. For just €1.50 return per person, we hop aboard. Yes, you read that right – €1.50 return! Our skipper is a cheerful guy with a big smile, clearly enjoying his job, though he makes one thing very clear: no boats between 1pm and 2pm… lunchtime is non-negotiable.

We cruise across under blue skies, soaking in the sunshine, and before long… we’ve arrived. From the dock, it’s a short three-minute walk along a wooden boardwalk… And then… there’s the never-ending beach, as far as the eye can see.

Praia das Cabanas – also known as Praia de Tavira is part of a long barrier island that stretches for kilometres along the Algarve coast, protecting the lagoons of the Ria Formosa Natural Park.

In front of us is a wide, open beach with barely a dozen people in sight — the sand stretching endlessly in both directions. The sand is soft and deep underfoot, with thousands of seashells and along the shoreline are a couple of traditional cabana-style shelters, offering just enough shade to relax out of the sun. There seems to be a nice open-air cafe along the boardwalk but it wasn’t open for the season yet.

The Atlantic waves roll in steadily, and even in winter, temperatures sit around 20 to 21 degrees, warm enough to enjoy, though still a little cool for swimming. We did venture into the waves up to our ankles, it was really refreshing!

Behind us, the calm lagoon is alive with birdlife. This is one of the best birdwatching regions in Portugal. In March, migratory birds pass through, and you’ll often spot species like flamingos, herons, and spoonbills in the surrounding waters. We saw a few (Little Egrets, flamingos, White Storks, Sanderlings & Whimbrels) but with the sun warming up quickly, it’s clear that early morning is the best time if birdwatching is your goal.

After a few hours on the beach, we head back toward the dock still hoping to tick off a few more birds. Clearly, we’ve got some work to do if we’re going to become serious birdwatchers… starting with getting out a lot earlier.

Our friendly skipper returns, and for a moment we wonder just how many people can fit into this small motorboat. With a bit of balance and a slight wobble or two, everyone makes it aboard. And just like that, within minutes, we’re back in Cabanas de Tavira. Sun, sea, sand, a gentle breeze… and the kind of day that reminds you just how easy travel can be.

This video is part of our “No Car Needed” Algarve travel series from Cabanas de Tavira, where we explore amazing day trips using only trains, ferries and local buses.

Cabanas de Tavira. Boat Ferry. A small motorboat speeds across a calm waterway with a sandy shore on one side and a second boat anchored nearby, under a clear blue sky.

Reasons to book a Return Ticket!

  • And the best part? You don’t need a car.
  • One of the easiest island beach access points in the Algarve
  • Located within Ria Formosa Natural Park (est. 1987)
  • Excellent birdwatching, especially in March
  • Wide, uncrowded Atlantic-facing beach
  • Unique contrast between calm lagoon + powerful ocean
  • Perfect for walking, relaxing, and nature photography
  • Ideal for a short, stress-free day trip

Continue Exploring the Algarve

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With every trip, we offer feedback to travel companies along with honest views for you, the reader. We rate adventures on a scale of one to five tickets, judged on quality, service, memorability, and price. A perfect ‘Ticket Rating’ of a five-ticket score means the experience was flawless and we’d eagerly return. Your desire to go back is the ultimate measure of a trip’s worth. Exclusive to My Return Ticket.

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