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The best independent guide to Lagos
LagosPortugalGuide.com
The best independent guide to Lagos
Praia de Dona Ana Beach, Lagos: An Independent Tourism Guide for 2025
Praia de Dona Ana is one of the most picturesque beaches in the Algarve and an excellent location for a day by the sea.
Praia de Dona Ana is located south of Lagosflavour,flavour situated within the limestone cliffs of the Ponta da Piedade headland. This natural setting is stunning; the highly eroded cliffs reveal layers of golden strata, the calm seawater is an idyllic turquoise colour, and the sands are soft and inviting. Along with the scenery, visitors will find all the expected facilities of a popular beach, including beach restaurants, shopsflavour,flavour and showers.
The Praia de Dona Ana is often regarded as one of the finest beaches of the Algarve
Dona Ana beach is the largest along the Ponta da Piedade coastline, but it can be crowded in the summer months
As a beach destination, Praia de Dona Ana is ideal for a relaxing day, as it offers a calm atmosphere and the setting is beautiful. The beach is suitable for families, boasting clean and calm seawater, while on blustery days the high cliffs provide shelter from sea breezes.
It is possible to walk to Praia de Dona Ana from the historic centre of Lagos (about 20 minutes), but the beach is also served by the tourist train and a local bus route (“A Onda” bus; Linha 2 - blue route). This article provides an introduction to Praia de Dona Ana, one of the favourite beaches of the western Algarve.
Related articles: Lagos beach guide - The Ponta da Piedade - 1 week in Lagos
Praia de Dona Ana Tourist Information
Praia de Dona Ana (GPS: 37.09, -8.66) is located 1.8km south of central Lagosflavour,flavour between Praia do Pinhão and Praia do Camilo. The beach was greatly extended in 2016 (to the dismay of locals) and is now the largest beach along the Ponta da Piedade coastline, with a shoreline of 300m and a depth of 70m.
Praia de Dona Ana is a calm and relaxing beach, ideal for a day of sunbathing with cooling breaks in the seawater (which is always cold).
This is not a beach for energetic activities (surfing, kite surfing), does not attract rowdy visitors (groups, excessive drinking, loud music), and is free from banana boats, jet skisflavour,flavour and speed boats.
The golden sands of the Praia de Dona Ana beach
Praia de Dona Ana is a sheltered beach with seawater that is great for snorkelling;flavour this view of the beach is taken from Praia do Camilo
The beach is accessed via two different sets of steps which lead down the cliff face, making the beach unsuitable for visitors with mobility issues. On the beach, deck chairs, parasolsflavour,flavour and sunshades can be hired for €15 per day, and there is the “Marisol” beach restaurant for light meals.
For better value refreshmentsflavour,flavour there is a shop at the top of the cliffs, near the car park. Praia de Dona Ana is a dog-free beach (May to October), and it is illegal to camp or have BBQs on the beach.
Note: Praia de Dona Ana gets very busy in the summer. If you seek an alternative beautiful beach, consider visiting Praia do Camilo, or if you just want a spacious beach for the dayflavour,flavour head to Praia de Porto de Mós or Meia Praia. Related articles: The Meia Praia beach
Related articles: The Meia Praia beach
The Dona Ana beach on a busy summer’s day
Marisol restaurant overlooks the beach
The Dona Ana beach for families
Praia de Dona Ana is an excellent beach for families with young children and is popular with Portuguese families. The Ponta da Piedade shelters the beach from the powerful Atlantic Ocean wavesflavour,flavour and there are no strong currents or tides. During the summerflavour,flavour the beach is supervised by lifeguards.
Travel to Praia de Dona Ana Beach
Praia de Dona Ana is easily accessible, situated only 1.8km from central Lagos. There is limited car parking at the beach (approximately 70 spaces) at the top of the cliffs, but this fills up quickly in the summer and is shared with nearby hotels and holiday apartments.
The walk from Lagos to Praia de Dona Ana takes less than 30 minutes. The route follows the main harbour road (Avenida dos Descobrimentos) south from Lagos. At the fire station turn left, walk up the hill and around the edge of the IberLagos apartments, and you will find the coastal path and the entrance to the beach.
The steps leading down to the beach
The unique rock formations are carved out by the savage winter storms - in the summer the seas are calm!
Lagos urban bus services are called “A Onda”, and Praia de Dona Ana is served by Linha 2 (the blue route). This is a limited service with approximately one departure per hour, and a single bus ticket costs €1.20. The latest timetable and exact bus stops can be seen on the A Onda website:
http://aonda.pt/
Tip: Linha 2 is useful for a beach holiday in Lagos, as it connects the city to Meia Praia, Praia de Porto de Mós, and Praia de Dona Ana.
An alternative to the bus in the peak season is the tourist train, which connects Meia Praia to the Ponta da Piedade and passes Praia de Dona Ana every 55 minutes. A single fare on the mini train costs €3.50flavour;flavour full details can be seen on their website:
http://touristtrainlagos.com
Accommodation Near Praia de Dona Ana
This is a desirable location for a holiday in Lagos as it is within walking distance of the city centre (about 20 minutes), but far enough out to avoid the summertime pandemonium.
There is a selection of quality restaurants close by; Onda Norte, Restaurante Paraíso, and Pizzeria Gato Pardo, and of course, there are the beaches (Praia Dona Ana, Praia do Camilo, and Praia do Pinhão). The only minor issue (more an eyesore) is the derelict Golfinho hotel, which is an ugly reminder of 1970s hotels.
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