September 2, 2024, 3:47 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
An adventure in the Algarve: the best way to explore the magnificent Benagil Cave is by sea kayak. This is not only more beautiful than by motorboat but also better for the environment.
The instructions are clear. “Please try not to collide with other kayaks and rocks,” says Fabio Dias. “To turn left, you need to paddle on the right and to turn right, you need to paddle on the left,” explains the tour guide. “The person sitting at the back is the captain, responsible for steering, while the person at the front is the boss, giving commands.” The Algarve is known for its rugged cliffs with colorful rock formations. Between Albufeira and Portimão, there is a unique gem: the Benagil Cave. The safest and most environmentally friendly way to explore the cave is by canoe or kayak.
Across the water to the Benagil cave
Six adults and two children stand on Benagil beach and listen to the guide’s instructions. Fabio Dias then places his captains and bosses in the canoes. It only takes a few paddle strokes for the teams to get used to each other. After a few hundred meters, they reach the entrance to the Algar de Benagil, also known as the “cathedral.” From the outside, the rock formations look like the large arches of a medieval church.
Inside the bell-shaped Benagil cave, it is pleasantly cool and surprisingly bright. Light penetrates not only through the sea access but also through a huge hole in the cave ceiling 20 meters above the visitors. It is also known as the “eye.”
“The history of the cave dates back around 20 million years,” explains Fabio Dias. Over the millennia, the sea level has fallen while the cliffs have risen. Wind, winter rain, summer heat, and drought have done their part to erode the layers of clay and sand-lime brick inside the cave. At some point, the ceiling collapsed.
Insights from below and above
Judith and Rick from the Netherlands take part in the canoe tour with their five-year-old daughter Ruby and Pip, who is just three years old. They say that they were able to look into the cave from above through the “eye” the day before. But you can’t get really close because the hole is closed off for safety reasons.
However, there is a hiking trail above the cliffs that leads to the next village of Carvoeiro. “The path is totally impressive,” says family man Rick. “I can’t say whether the coast looks more beautiful from above or down here. But it’s definitely great to have this change of perspective.” We admire the play of light and shadow in the cave, discover fossils in the rock, and keep an eye out for rock doves, falcons, and seagulls. The birds are said to live, nest, and breed here.
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The problem with the motorboats
We were lucky to see the Benagil cave so deserted that morning, says Fabio Dias. In high season, up to 300 tourists come every day, at least that was the case before the pandemic. Most of them choose tours with motorboats, and each boat comes up to eight times a day in July and August. “The noise stresses the birds, and overall, the motorboats are bad for the environment,” says Dias. A film of oil on the sea surface in summer is proof enough of this. This disappeared completely during the lockdown.
At the end of the tour, we head for Praia da Marinha. The guardian of this award-winning beach is a rock formation resembling an elephant that towers on the bay’s western side, with its massive stone trunk dipping into the water. And there’s “King Kong,” a rock formation that resembles a monkey.
After two and a half hours, we arrive safely back at Benagil beach with aching arms. We ask Fabio Dias if he doesn’t get bored always doing the same tour. “Absolutely not,” explains the tour guide. “I used to work as a web developer in an office, which was boring. Now, I’m lucky enough to row out to sea twice a day. Sometimes, I even do a third tour just for myself after work.”