Exploring Portugal’s Jurassic Coast

Despite being a high volume summer destination, the southern coast of Portugal seems more or less forgotten during the Portuguese winter period. I decided to book a trip at the start of December despite the lack of certainty for decent weather, but we lucked out! Every day we were there, whether it was in Algarve or Lagos or anywhere in between, we had perfect weather conditions for shooting.

Praia do Camilo

The nature along the coast is so incredibly stunning and vibrant. Large rock formations and cliffs, hosting perfect white sand beaches nested between tall orange/red rock. The colours are so aesthetically pleasing as the contrast between the orange and the blues from the ocean is near perfect. Some of my favourite spots along the coast included Praia de Albandeira, Praia dos Três Irmãos, Praia da Marinha, Ponta Da Piedade. Honestly the entire coastline is insane so you won’t get bored!

Praia dos Três Irmãos

Logistically, the best way to do it in my opinion is to rent a car and drive because the distances can be quite long between some of the spots, but the highway system is really good so it doesn’t take long! The only issue with the highway was that the tolls really added up in the end as we were driving back and forth all the time!

Ponta de Piedade

I definitely recommend going in the offseason if the purpose is photography, because the crisp air makes the light really soft when the sun comes out, and also there aren’t really any people on any of the beaches so they all look pristine! Also, you get to sleep an extra few hours and get home in time for dinner because the days are shorter, so for the sake of shooting, its quite convenient!!