Villas in Porches
Porches suits families who want a pool villa a short walk from the cliff-backed beach at Senhora da Rocha in the Algarve. Every home here has a pool, and most suit a family of six. The trade-off is that the beaches nearby are small coves under tall cliffs, so for a long stretch of sand you drive to Armação de Pêra.
- Villas
- 16
- From, per week
- £294
About Porches
Porches is a small town and parish in the municipality of Lagoa, known for its clay pits, pottery workshops and old colourful chimneys, one on Rua da Chaminé dated 1793. Porches Pottery, founded in 1968, still makes hand-painted pieces. Our homes are not in the town itself but grouped within about a kilometre of each other on the coastal side, near the Senhora da Rocha headland, where a chapel stands inside an old fort first mentioned in 1250. The beaches below are small sandy coves between tall cliffs, linked by a tunnel through the headland. Evenings are quiet; Armação de Pêra, along the bay, has the hotels, cafés and restaurants. Every home has a pool, most have a garden, and some sleep eight or more.
Is Porches right for you?
- Best for
- Pool villas near small cliff-backed beaches
- Not for you if
- You want to step out of the door onto a promenade of bars and a long, flat beach.
Near Porches
Praia da Senhora da Rocha
Small Blue Flag beach between tall cliffs below the chapel headland, with sunshade hire, showers, a bar and boat trips to sea caves.
Praia Nova
The cove on the other side of the headland, a small beach flanked by cliffs and reached from Senhora da Rocha through a rock tunnel.
Armação de Pêra
Seaside town on a broad bay running to Senhora da Rocha, where fishing boats are still launched straight from the beach.
Praia da Marinha
Small sandy beach under orange limestone cliffs in Lagoa municipality, reached by a steep footpath a little off the main road.
Benagil
Hamlet near Praia da Marinha whose sea cave, lit through a hole in its roof, can be entered only on approved boat tours.
Getting to Porches
Faro airport is about 53 km away, around 35 minutes by car, with year-round flights from London Gatwick, Luton and Stansted and many UK regional airports. The bus needs a change in Albufeira and takes over two hours, so hire a car.
When to go to Porches
Summers are warm to very hot and dry, and the good weather the tourist trade relies on lasts about five to six months. The sea warms through the summer and is at its warmest in September, which makes late summer the best time to swim. Winters are mild and wet, it very rarely freezes, December is the wettest month, and many Algarvians are out of work in the low season.
Villas in Porches
3-star property
Algarve Treasure
Porches, Algarve, Portugal
4
1
0
Air ConMicrowaveParking+8 more
from£49
per night
4-star property
5-star property
4-star property
4-star property
1-Bedroom Home, Porches
Porches, Algarve, Portugal
3
1
0
Air ConBBQDishwasher+11 more
from£63
per night
4-star property
5-star property
2-Bedroom Home, Porches
Porches, Algarve, Portugal
4
2
0
BBQParkingDishwasher+11 more
from£102
per night
3-star property
4-star property
3-Bedroom Home, Porches
Porches, Algarve, Portugal
6
3
0
ParkingDishwasherFireplace+12 more
from£234
per night
5-star property
4-Bedroom Home, Porches
Porches, Algarve, Portugal
9
4
0
BBQParkingDishwasher+11 more
from£107
per night
4-star property
4-Bedroom Home, Porches
Porches, Algarve, Portugal
8
4
0
BBQParkingDishwasher+12 more
from£367
per night
5-star property
3-Bedroom Home, Porches
Porches, Algarve, Portugal
6
3
0
BBQParkingDishwasher+11 more
from£242
per night
4-star property
Dos Pombinhos
Porches, Algarve, Portugal
6
3
0
Air ConDishwasherGarden+9 more
from£141
per night
4-star property
3-star property
Be My Guest
Porches, Algarve, Portugal
4
1
0
Air ConDishwasherMicrowave+8 more
from£42
per night
3-star property
Porches villa holidays: questions answered
Is the beach at Senhora da Rocha, Porches, sand or pebble?
Sand. Praia da Senhora da Rocha is a small sandy beach between tall cliffs, with calm water and a Blue Flag. A tunnel through the headland leads to Praia Nova on the other side, and in strong wind the cliffs give shelter.
Can you walk to the beach from Porches villas?
From most of ours, yes. They are grouped on the coastal side of Porches near the Senhora da Rocha headland rather than in the town of Porches, so the beach is a short walk for many. Check the map on each listing before booking.
What is Porches known for?
Pottery. The area is known for its clay pits and pottery workshops, and Porches Pottery, founded in 1968 by Patrick Swift and Lima de Freitas, still makes hand-painted pieces. Swift also designed the Stations of the Cross in the parish church.
Porches or Armação de Pêra?
Pick Porches for a pool villa near small, cliff-backed coves. Pick Armação de Pêra for a town with hotels, cafés and restaurants on a broad bay. They are neighbours: the bay runs right up to Senhora da Rocha.
Can you visit Benagil cave from Porches?
Only by boat, on an approved tour. Boats can no longer land on Benagil beach, and since August 2024 the number of boats in the cave at once is limited, with each visit capped at two minutes. Boat trips to nearby sea caves also leave from Senhora da Rocha.
Nearby towns to Porches
Written by the TrustedVillas team. Last reviewed October 2026.
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