Praia Grande continues the long beach east of Armacao toward Salgados, with the same wide pale sand but markedly fewer people. The dunes behind it open onto the Lagoa dos Salgados, a shallow brackish lagoon that is one of the best birdwatching sites on the Algarve.
Wooden boardwalks loop around the lagoon and over the dunes; you can walk the whole circuit in about an hour and a half. Spring and autumn migrations bring flamingos, spoonbills, and large numbers of waders. There are bird hides at the eastern end.