Benagil Cave

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Want to visit the Benagil cave? Discover the best things to do on your trip to the Algarve. Top tours, travel tips and verified reviews!

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Have you ever been to Benagil Cave?

If you are planning to travel to the Algarve coast, you must visit the Benagil cave!

This natural wonder is breathtaking for anyone, and it will make you wonder how the Benagil cave managed to remain a secret for Algarvian fishermen for so many years.

The Benagil cave, also known by the locals as the Cathedral, is a small demonstration of the strength of the waves that regularly hit the rocky coast of southern Portugal. 

It is only accessible by water and has a lovely beach inside. In there there is also a smaller part of the cave, that locals call the Chapel.

Exploring the caves of Benagil
One of the best activities to do in the region is to explore the rock formations of the Algarve coast. Besides the Benagil cave, there are other amazing sea caves nearby. Our favorites are the Captain cave, the Love cave and the Thief cave.

To discover all of these secrets, the best choice is to join a local guide who can take you to them safely. It is very important to know the region, the weather and the waves before jumping on such adventures. 

Explore the Benagil cave with us! Check out all the experiences offered in the region and choose your favorite!

Frequently Asked Questions

Access by sea and to get there you can use a kayak, Stand-Up-Paddle or boat. Attention: it is not allowed to stop with the boat inside the cave, if you want to enter the cave, you must do it with kayak or SUP or similar. For your safety, it is not recommended to try to swim to the cave.

Yes, the Benagil cave is located in the southern region of Portugal, Algarve, about 2h40min drive from Lisbon. It is possible to go from Lisbon to the Algarve, visit the Benagil cave and return the same day, but it is a long journey.

The Benagil cave is one of several sea caves on the Algarve coast, located 30 minutes by car from Albufeira, next to a small village called Benagil. It was naturally excavated over the years due to the force of the waves against the rock formations of the coast.

The best time to visit the Benagil cave is in the early morning, until 9 am, to avoid the big crowds. After that the cave starts to fill up with travelers and is not as enjoyable. At the end of the day it is also empty but the sea starts to get dangerous, so consult a local guide for your safety.

Public transportation can be a challenge for travelers, and during the summer buses are rare and trains are your best options. To get to the Benagil cave by train, you must go to the train station of Estômbar. From there, the best choice is to call an Uber or Taxi to take you to the Benagil beach. This really is the cheapest option to get there.

The best way to visit the Benagil cave with children is on a boat tour. It’s safe, fun and informative, and does not require a lot of effort.

No, it is not permitted to anchor or stop any boat inside the Benagil cave. Boat tours can take you for sightseeing, but you cannot get off the boat of anchor it to have some fun inside the Benagil cave.

What People Are Saying

★★★★★
"We had a great time with our guide, Jay, and Randy. My husband had gone kayaking in the past, but it was the first time for me and our four kids. Jay was awesome. Very personable and friendly. We were able to get off of the kayaks in the caves for an amazing experience and he offered to take photos of our family for us. The only thing I would say needs to be fixed is that Experitour sent us a Google maps link to where we were supposed to meet, but it was wrong. It was a good thing that we arrived fifty minutes early. The coordinates were not correct as they had not been updated, according to our tour coordinator. We didn’t know we were supposed to meet them up at the parking lot. It was a good thing I had the phone number to call. The person who answered the phone was very nice, asked me what we were wearing and what our group members looked like so he could connect with our guide to tell him. He told me not to stress out and reassured me that our tour would happen. He contacted Randy and Jay and instead of us having to walk up the steep hill from the beach, they drove down in their ATV to meet us at the beach entrance. "
★★★★★
"Big challenge for me and my husband but overcome it with a fantastic experience. Besides the delay to start the tour, gay helped us with tips to manage the kayak and showing the best places. I truly recommend this tour"
★★★★★
"Excursión muy completa, se visita cuevas acuáticas inreriores , y el guía Eric muy atento en todo momento . Súper recomendable la visita guiada con ellos . "
★★★★★
"Had a great Kayak tour of the Benagil Caves on August 24, 2022. Eris was a great tour guide, treated everyone very well and took great photos for us. We recommend this tour. Thanks Eris!"
★★★★★
"Hele lieve gids, mooie tour!"
★★★★★
"This was a great experience, it was fun, it was informative, adventurous and entertaining. Our guide (João) was very experienced and knew the area, the local lore and was very funny and engaging. The tour we took was not the regular tour every other group takes. Our guide took us through the system of caves, giving information about the rocks, their creation and the actual state of the formations. But also we played a game throughout the tour of identifying the rock formations and the names the local fishermen gave them but at the same time telling us stories about them. We enjoyed this experience very much and would recommend you take an experienced guide like João (who spoke several languages) instead of just renting the kayak or paddle board and attempt this on yourself. You would miss a lot if you do so."

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