East of Cacela Velha the Ria Formosa runs out of lagoon and the coast simplifies to one long ribbon of dune-backed sand. Praia do Lacém is a name on that ribbon — a quiet, undeveloped stretch of the eastern barrier near Cacela Velha, where the crowd thins to walkers, shell pickers and the odd fisherman.
There is nothing here, and that is the offer: no bars, no sunbeds, no services to count on — bring water and shade. The sand is wide, the water is eastern-Algarve warm, and the dunes carry the kind of soft grassy texture that photographs better than it sounds.
Who it’s for: people who measure a beach by how few things are on it. Everyone else has Manta Rota and Cabanas a short drive either side.