Carvoeiro is a picturesque town in Lagoa county with a pretty beach with cottages and houses on the surrounding slopes.
Although Carvoeiro is a small place with a local population of around 3000, it is home to many of nature’s world known beauties.
For more information about Carvoeiro you might also want to check out our article the Ultimate Guide to Carvoeiro.
During the winter it is pretty calm, with only its local population, couples and groups of retirees that escape the North European cold weather by spending long seasons there, due to its relaxing environment, safety and mild temperatures so close to the sea.
In the summer, the town welcomes families, couples, groups of friends, a lively mix of cultures that seek leisure activities and the nightlife.
And Carvoeiro has a lot to offer! Join us and let’s see what there is to do in Carvoeiro at night.
Watch the sunset at the best places
Watching a sunset is a very relaxing activity that you can enjoy every night in Carvoeiro, not only because it is nature’s free show, but because in Carvoeiro you can do in so many places.
You will not have a single duplicate picture because the orange colours in the sky change daily and you can reframe this spectacle daily.
Viewpoint Nossa Senhora da Encarnação Chapel
Located at the top of a steep rock, east to the beach and in front of the chapel, it offers a great view of the cliffs, the sand, the houses below, the turquoise sea with the sky as its background.
Algar Seco Caves and Rock Formations
Under the Cabo Carvoeiro you arrive at the seaside of Algar Seco, through a labyrinth of sea sculpted red rocks (134 steps). From above you can see several half submerged caves.
If you turn right, you will come through a short tunnel that has two natural openings from which you can see the cliffs to the west. But if you turn left, a path leads to a headland that allows you to look into the entrance of a deep undersea cave, and the sea in all its greatness.
If you go during sunset hours you will witness the greatest reward: the cliffs illuminated by the sun’s last rays.
Praia do Carvoeiro
Carvoeiro beach is nested in between two cliffs, on one side you have the sea and on the other houses and restaurants.
You can simply sit or lay on the beach and feel the warm breeze and wait for the sunset or if you fancy a snack or dinner while you wait, Algarve Fun leaves you with two restaurant suggestions, that face the event.
O Bote is a restaurant right by the sand with a terrace where you can eat, drink and relax.
Another restaurant that is completely enveloped by the sunset is O Barco on Carvoeiro beach. After sunset, there is often live music.
Boat tour
From Carvoeiro beach, you can get on boat and take a tour while the sun sets and toast under the last sun rays.
Bring your waterproof camera, it will be an unforgettable day.
Formidable dinner
You’ve spent the day at the beach, gave in to relaxing, swam or might have even taken a tour of the famous Benagil caves.
The sun has set and the breeze brings you the scents of Algarvian gastronomy, a mixture of grilled food with a drizzle of olive oil, salads and other typical dishes.
It whets your appetite, right?
In Carvoeiro, you have many restaurants to choose from. During the summer you’ll need a dash more patience as the food is made to order and there is a lot more work. We can’t expect it to be on the table in the blink of an eye.
Order a drink and a starter, try the bread, olives and pates, they are delicious!
Look out for Don Carvoeiro. It is a well located restaurant with a nice panoramic terrace. You’ll have good options for fish and meat but their strong suit is seafood.
If you are not in the mood for typical food but still appreciate local fresh tastes, try the Mirage Pizza & Pasta, a restaurant with beautiful interiors and exteriors and very good food.
Bars
What would be of the summer without a nice bar and a good time?
Carvoeiro has, in the town’s centre close to the beach, several small picturesque bars, many of them run by foreigners that came to visit Carvoeiro and never left.
Thus they love entertaining their fellow countrymen in the best way, making them feel at home in a Portuguese setting.
Make sure to visit the Round Up Saloon, that has cosy decor, live music and karaoke and no one is ever bored. Or Mungo’s where you can find international drinks. It is also a meeting point for a lot of visitors attracted by the place’s fame.
Shopping
If you still haven’t bought that souvenir then you can do it at night as the shops are open till late and you won’t have to waste precious Algarvian sun time and shop at night.
If you are looking to buy more specific items such as clothes or electronic devices, you are only 12 minutes away from Aqua Portimão Shopping Centre, where there is a worldly variety of shops, restaurants and even a playground.
Cinema
In Portimão, the closest city, there are three cinema options. At the Aqua shopping centre, at Cine Portimão or at Algar Cine. Algar Cine has only two theatres as opposed to the other two that have several theatres and schedules.
Take a trip to the lively Praia da Rocha
Praia da Rocha in Portimão is home to a tireless and diverse nightlife.
Get a taxi and visit the area with lots of bars, live music and fun people.
Wandering and relaxing
Perhaps one of the best things you can do in Carvoeiro is right by you: wander the boardwalk.
This boardwalk embraces the stunning coastal cliffs, it is free and it is open all day, it is illuminated at night and has no stairs.
And if you head towards Carvoeiro, you will see the view of the city which has lights perched over the hillside reflecting onto the sea, making visitors fall in love and come back every year.
Festivals in Carvoeiro
If you choose to visit Carvoeiro in summer, you will be able to attend several festivals that take place once a year. It’s the case of the Black and White Night, which takes place in June, near the 15th.
It’s an outdoor party that starts by the beach and goes to Estrada do Farol.
Come dressed in white and black to have fun among inhabitants of the village and so many other people who come to Carvoeiro for this event.
Carnival
Also an excellent time to go to Carvoeiro in February. Carnival officially begins on the Friday before Lent and only ends on Shrove Tuesday, with the whole region being caught up in the intense, colourful and contagious liveliness.
Carvoeiro town wakes up on Friday morning to the sound of carnival children parades bringing their good humour to the whole of the downtown area. From Friday night to Monday night, it’s time route through the city, and they concentrate on the Carvoeiro beach, where there is much singing and dancing in a magical atmosphere of music and merrymaking.
In the afternoons (Saturday, Sunday, Monday) irreverent merrymakers parade in front of the crowd. Everybody in turn infected by this atmosphere of playful caricature – it is time for the famous show. Throughout this period, the streets of Carvoeiro are decorated with patterns of lights and inundated with background music alluding to the Carnival period.
If you wonder what Carvoeiro will be like, take a peek on the live camera:
https://beachcam.meo.pt/livecams/carvoeiro/
Isn’t it beautiful?
