Is Monte Gordo Worth Visiting? Yes It Is and Here's Why

Monte Gordo is on the Eastern side of the Algarve, close to the border with Spain.

It’s a popular spot with Portuguese holidaymakers, many of whom have holiday apartments in the town.

Read on to decide why I think it’s worth a visit.

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Table of Contents

Is Monte Gordo Worth Visiting?

What Is Monte Gordo Like?

Monte Gordo is a mix of hotels, apartment buildings, and residential buildings.

In terms of size, it is small with only around 3,500 people living there but it can accommodate many more in the holiday accommodation.

We stayed at the Prime Energise Hotel, set on the edge of Monte Gordo.

Given that the town is so small it is easy to walk everywhere and the town centre area and promenade were under 5 minutes away from our hotel.

Is Monte Gordo Worth Visiting?

Monte Gordo Beach

The beach at Monte Gordo is huge, wide, and sandy, like much of the Algarve coastline.

It doesn’t have the rugged coastline that you would find in some parts of the Algarve, with cliffs and caves. The town sits directly beside the sea.

The promenade has a wooden walkway running along the top of the sand. This gives access to the beach area, which is populated with sunbeds and parasols.

There are also plenty of bars and cafes along the boardwalk, many of whom serve food and drinks to those enjoying the sunbeds.

I visited in November and by then many of the sunbeds had been cleared away, even though it was still around 15-20 degrees, which is balmy for those of us used to the North of Scotland temperatures.

The wind did make it feel a bit cooler. There is often a breeze coming into the Algarve from the sea, which is one of the reasons it’s popular. The cooling breeze provides a welcome relief from the baking heat they often experience in summer.

In November some locals were feeling the cold. They were bundled up in coats and jackets but still out enjoying the beach.

Is Monte Gordo Worth Visiting?

Monte Gordo Esplanade

Set back behind the promenade is an esplanade area. This has more cafes, restaurants, and attractions as long as some nice gardens.

It’s a pleasant place to walk and enjoy exploring the area. It’s also flat and level which makes walking easy too.

Given the time of year, many of the bars and cafes were closed for the season but there were still a few open, enough to give a good choice anyway.

Is Monte Gordo Worth Visiting?

Monte Gordo Town Centre

The town centre of Monte Gordo includes some pedestrianised streets, with several shops and cafes set along them.

It was pleasant to stroll through one morning and then enjoy a coffee.

Portuguese bakeries are lovely and I found a great one near the hotel to have breakfast in. It was amazingly cheap and I would go back to Monte Gordo just to eat another of their lovely cakes.

There were also a couple of small supermarkets in the town, including one with a very interesting butchers shop inside it. It was great to see the local food options available and also handy to stock up on a few bits and pieces for our room.

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Is Monte Gordo Worth Visiting?

Easy to Explore From Monte Gordo

It’s easy to explore the coast from Monte Gordo and I enjoyed exploring a little of Spain I hadn’t seen before – the bit just over the border and the International bridge.

It’s an easy drive along the coast to the pretty town of Tavira.

There is also a nice indoor market here but you need to get there before 1 pm when it closes.

Vila Real is not far away either. This town looks across the river to neighbouring Spain. It has a few nice cobbled streets and a pleasant area with cafes along the riverbank.

Is Monte Gordo Worth Visiting – Conclusion

If you want a base to explore the Eastern side of the Algarve, and the Western corner of Portugal then Monte Gordo is a good option.
Monte Gordo is 60km from Faro Airport so it’s a little further away, but it’s quieter as a result.
There is a good selection of accommodation in Monte Gordo and as it caters more to Portuguese holidaymakers the costs throughout the town were generally great value.