Is Algarve Safe or Dangerous?

The quick answer is Algarve is a very safe touristic destination, Algarve is not dangerous compared to most other touristic destinations.

Like any other touristic area there are some pickpockets and a few drug pushers, but apart from that nothing really to worry about. Portugal holds 3rd place in the Global Peace Index 2020, right behind Iceland and New Zealand.

Especially in summer, every main city is reinforced with police on the main area keep everyone safe and control some extra disturbance made by some drunk tourists/locals.

Especially in summer, every main city is reinforced with police on the main area keep everyone safe and control some extra disturbance made by some drunk tourists/locals.

Forest Fires

Algarve, and Portugal, in general, suffer from very dry seasons, increasing the risk of wildfires.

To check where are the fires you can check this website fogos.pt , here you can find all the information about the wildfires in Portugal and its size. 

 Most of the fires are in the moutains, and so far they never reached the coast.

The image is from a wildfire in 2019 which was one of, if not the worst, wildfire in Algarve in the past decades. 

Falling Rocks

Every year some part of the beautiful rocky landscape of western Algarve falls, so we recommend not walk near the edges when on top of the rocks.

When in the beach to respect the “Red areas” which every beach has to show where you can hit by a rock in case of a rockfall. 

When visiting the eastern Algarve you do not need to worry about this, but most probably you will always visit the western part of Algarve and there you need to pay attention. 

Ocean Currents

Sometimes quite a few tourist and even locals assume that whenever there are no waves the sea/ocean is safe. But that might not be the case in Algarve, sometimes there are very strong current that can take you out of your way in case you are not a strong swimmer.

Be careful and make sure to not fight against it as you will get exhausted and will not make any progress. Make sure you are going for a swim with lifeguards nearby, 

Should you worry?

Not really, as mentioned in the beginning, Algarve is a safe destination and 99% of the people will not notice any of these 3 dangers which are mentioned in this blog post, but it’s always good to keep an eye on. Visit Algarve and see it for yourself how safe Algarve is.