Praia de Armacao de Pera is the main beach: a wide arc of pale sand stretching several kilometres, with calm water, lifeguards in season (June to September), and sun beds for rent. The west end is quieter; the east end, by the village, busier.
A short drive east, Praia do Benagil is a small cove famous for the sea cave at its back. Most people arrive by boat tour from Armacao rather than from the beach itself, which has limited parking. The cave interior, with a round hole in its roof open to the sky, is one of the most photographed spots in the Algarve.
Praia Grande, between Armacao and Salgados, is broader and less built-up, with a natural lagoon behind it that attracts birdlife.