Our Bairro

Arrifana is a magical place filled with the beautiful scents of ocean, eucalyptus, wild rosemary, and rock rose.

It is located in the protected reserves of Costa Vicentina. Here, you are connected to nature and protected from the typical crowds of the Algarve. The cliffs and beaches are just a few minutes walk from the home and entrance to miles of hiking trails are only steps away. Yet, you are still walking distance to surf schools, restaurants, and cafes. It is the perfect place for those who want to escape to nature, find peace, but still enjoy the conveniences of modern life and good food.

Arrifana is the place to go for surfers of all levels and a preferred beach by longboarders. The cliffs protect it from the predominant north winds in summer. The beach break has a sandy bottom without underwater surprises, making it safe for beginners as well. The waves start working as from 2ft and hold untill 4 ft.

Once the waves become bigger, the beach break closes out, This is the moment where the pro surfers hit the water to surf a challenging righthander, named kangaroos, which is dangerously close to the rocks. Spectacular to see, but think twice when you go for it.

The beach can get crowded in summer but the vibe in the water is generally chill and fun and with many peaks there is enough surf for everyone.

Close to Arrifana you have the authentic, salt-washed fishermans village Monte Clerigo with a beautiful beach and some good restaurants.
A bit further along the coast you ‘ll discover the beach of Amoreira, that forms off a lovely rivermouth that comes in all the way from Aljezur. Our kids like to play ‘lazy river’ on the rivermouth, but only when currents are not too strong or have fun sliding on the dunes of the river or building fortresses for the crabs.

1.5 km from the house you can find plenty of nice restaurants in what locals call: the Russian corner of Vale da Telha. You will need to go there to understand what the locals mean. No further comments😊

Arrifana is also a strategic location to get to know the other regions better:

Driving to the North, only 20 minutes away, you can discover the beautiful beaches and hills of the Alentejo coast with Odeceixe beach being one of the jewels to render a visit.
From Arrifana you can also make easy day trips to the South-West, to Lagos (only 35 minutes away) and the rest of the Algarve. Especially when weather in Arrifana is more rough, you can find the warmth of the Western Algarve for a day.

Then last but not least, you can drive to the South, via a gorgeous, curly road passing hills and pines, eucalyptus on clay soils, cork oaks, strawberry trees and farmland where cattle graze, passing the fishermans village of Carrapateira, the desolated Bordeira beach to reach the nice village of Vila de Bispo .
From there you can go all the way to Sagres, the point where South and West meet.

A car is highly recommended to travel throughout the Algarve. But once you are at the house, many restaurants and cafes are accessible by foot, as is the beach and are the best hiking trails.

One of our closest friends, Jerom, provides high quality rental bikes and offers guided mountain bike and road cycle tours. He can help you explore the highlights of the Algarve on 2 wheels to really enjoy the sights and scenery of Costa Vicentina’s Natural Park. For more info: Guided Cycling Tours | Portugal | Musette.bike