We are blessed in the Algarve with months and months of glorious sun-kissed days and warm nights, and more often than not, we like to spend them sipping a beverage, snacking on a crab salad and relaxing on a comfortable lounge with chill-out music playing in the background.
Here’s our selection of the best beach clubs and pool lounges to see-and-be-seen across southern Portugal.
Purobeach Vilamoura | Poolside and Beachside
Vilamoura
A few strides in from the main Marina road, you’ll find the private day clubs of Purobeach, with two chic and distinctive zones. The first is nestled inside a secret garden with the pool (pictured above); and just a little further on, there’s the golden sandy beach club (pictured at top). Both the pool and beach venues have live DJ sets playing the best Puro tracks, dreamy sunbeds and Cabanas with Purobeach towels and welcome trays. The menu is pure Puro with a touch of Miami, Morocco and southern Europe, from fish tacos to pitas and falafel with a cataplana thrown in as a homage to its location. There’s no need to leave once you’ve found your bed.
The vibe here is chilled, and the crowd are hip; guests can relax and catch some rays, cool down in the pool or the Atlantic Ocean or dance the day away. We love the Balinese Bed package for a blissful day with a bottle of Champagne, and a gorgeous fruit platter included to get you in the Purobeach mood.
Learn more on our dedicated Purobeach page.
Tivoli Marina Vilamoura, Marina de Vilamoura, Vilamoura, Algarve
Phone: +351 289 303 740, Email: info.vilamoura@purobeach.com
Poolside Hours: every day – 10.00 to 18.00
Beachside Hours: Thru 23 July – 10:00 to 19:00; 24 July to 12 September – 12:00 to 22:00; 13 September to November – 10:00 to 17:00
Beds: From €25 to €200 per person per day
Água Qlub
Vilamoura
This glamorous beach club is a cocktail of oriental and European touches that supersede the furnishings and flow throughout the menu and drinks lists.
A mixture of individual sunbeds, cabanas and Balinese beds are arranged on the sand just a stones throw from the gently lapping waves of the Atlantic.
Água Qlub is a part of the NoSoloAgua Group who have created luxurious beach clubs in the Algarve since the naughties. There is a modern, contemporary restaurant with an extensive Sushi selection and Água Qlub beach bar just across the boardwalk, which services the beach loungers.
Start the day with a brunch tray and leave the rest to fate.
For more information, visit Água Qlub website.
Água Qlub, Passeio das Dunas, Praia de Vilamoura – Posto 5, Vilamoura
Phone: +351 913 811 307 | Email: info@aguaqlub.com
Hours: every day – 10:30 to 23:00
Beds: €28-€50 per couple, per day
Armação Beach Club | Praia Dourada
Armação de Pêra
Part of the five star VILA VITA Parc resort, this beach club is open to the public as well as guests of the nearby hotel. Just walk on in, select a pair of lounge chairs and dip your toes in the sand. The club has a privileged setting, just a few steps from the water’s edge.
Sunsets take place in the beach lounge area on Saturdays from 17:30 to 20:30, complete with a renowned DJ playing vibrant sounds and beats to liven up your weekend. A wooden boardwalk connects the maritime-themed restaurant and bar area to the beach. Just walk over or hail one of the friendly servers to place your order for food or beverages, and it will be delivered to your lounges.
If you arrive by yacht, no worries. Just dock in the designated VILA VITA Parc corridor and take a shuttle to shore. Otherwise, there is plenty of automobile parking in the lot across the street from the beach.
Learn more on our Armação Beach Club page.
Armação Beach Club, Rua da Praia, Armação de Pêra
Phone: 1+351 282 310 230
Hours: every day – 10:00 to 22:00
Beds – €13.00 per person per day
Well | Vale do Lobo
Almancil
A beachfront restaurant and a pool venue in the super swanky Vale do Lobo is where the beautiful people are heading during the summer months. This is the place to enjoy a glass of bubbles and tray of sushi by the pool overlooking the ocean.
Upbeat ambient music under the sun coupled with a spot of people watching will be your entertainment here. Portuguese wines, French champagnes, Asian delicacies, the international jetset and the Atlantic breeze…sounds, Well, perfect.
Surrounded by palm trees and right next to the Vale do Lobo pool, this is a superb venue for soaking up the beach vibes without even having to touch a grain of sand.
Learn more at the Well Vale do Lobo website.
Well Vale do Lobo, Praça Vale do Lobo, Vale do Lobo, Almancil
Restaurant: reservas@wellvaledolobo.com | +351 927 468 881
BeachClub: beachclub@wellvaledolobo.com | +351 924 276 305
Daily
April & October – 9:00 to 18:00
May, June & September – 9:00 to 19:00
July & August – 9:00 to 20:00
Beach Club
Lounge chairs – €40 per day for two
Balinese Bed – €150 (July & August – €175)
Pool Club Entrance
April, May 16-30 September, October – €20
June, 1-15 September – €25
1-19 July – €30
10-31 July, August – €35
Balinese Bed – €100 (July & August – €125)
Grand Beach Club
Vila Real Santo Antonio
Grand Beach Club, an offsite venue of the Grand House Algarve hotel, is on the very east end of the Algarve at the Spanish border. The restaurant, pool and beach front venue is in an enviable location, where the Guardiana River meets the ocean. It’s a chic spot for soaking in the sun, taking a refreshing dip, noshing on light fare, sipping a frosty beverage, listening to chill-out music and hanging with the in-crowd.
Enjoy by the restaurant for lunch or brunch. The menu features comfort food in a modern style. The menu ranges from ceviche and gourmet pizzas, to fresh octopus and black pork ribs. Signature cocktails add a bit of panache to the meal.
Grand Beach Club, Ponta da Areia, Vila Real de Santo António
Phone: +351 281 543 025 | Email: beachclub@grandhousealgarve.com
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday – 10:00 to 17:00
Sunbeds can only be booked with a lunch reservation. Sunbeds for non-Hotel Guests is subject to availability. For reservations of more than 6 people, a €50 deposit is required. This deposit is non-refundable in case of cancellation.
No Solo Água Pool Club & Beach Club
Portimão
As beach clubs go, this is probably the oldest one in the Algarve and in a good way, with big International clubs and acts using it as their Algarve hub. There are two parts to this club: a beach club and a pool club.
On the beach, brunches, lunches, snacks, sushi and dinners are served on the decked terrace where you can sit and enjoy the view out to sea. The decor is straight out of Bali with opium beds, statues and decor along with sun loungers and cabanas. It’s here that the big DJ sets take place along with parties for the likes of MTV and BPM. Daytimes are usually a little more relaxed, but from around 3 pm, this becomes party central.
By the pool, an informal dining area and Balanise beds are located around the central, saltwater pools where you could be forgiven for thinking of a cruiseliners deck, looking out to sea and over to Ferragudo. Perfect for showing off your resort chic outfit and excellent for people watching. The crowd is very mixed and ranges from younger families to groups of friends. Order a bottle of spirits for a fun service experience, including all the bells and whistles.
For more information, visit the No Solo Água website.
No Solo Água, Marina Beach, Portimao
Phone: +351 282 498 180 | Pool +351 910 789 991 | Beach +351 911 139 426
Email: booking.portimao@nosoloagua.com
Hours: every day – 11:00 to 23:00
Beds: from €15 per person per day
Duna Beach
Lagos
Duna Beach, Lagos, is in the wild west of the Algarve, where the beaches still have a spot of wild grass, and the sea breeze blows in steadily from the coast. The vibe here is relaxed and the crowd a little more bohemian; it is Lagos, after all.
The large pool is set on a privileged decked position overlooking the hugely popular Meia Praia beach. With ambient music and the menu has some Portuguese favourites such as grilled fish and Chicken Piri Piri along with a snack menu that makes it by far the most regionally harmonious of the Algarve Beach Clubs. It’s a haven of tranquillity where you can watch the boats sailing by while keeping refreshed with your favourite tipple. With the thatched roof on the bar and restaurant and palm trees, ample comfy loungers and wilder sands, there’s almost a feeling of the Caribbean.
That all changes at night when Duna Beach Club Lagos, hosts the hottest open-air parties in the west, welcoming international and local DJs. The unique beach front location is the perfect setting. Admire the sunset over the ocean while enjoying a cool vibe, great music and perfectly prepared drinks. From 18:00 to 22:30.
Duna Beach, Estrada da Meia Praia, Lagos
Phone: +351 282 790 325 | Email: l.rio@tivoli-hotels.com
Hours: Every Day – 09:00 to 19:00
Beds – €12.00 per person per day
