The Algar de Benagil is still open — but the way you are allowed to visit it changed for good in 2024. If you are booking Benagil Cave tours for this year, it is worth understanding exactly what is now permitted, what is banned, and why, so you know what you are paying for and don’t fall foul of rules that now carry serious fines.
What changed in 2024
For years, visitors reached the cave any way they could: swimming across from Benagil beach, renting a kayak or paddleboard, or joining a boat. The swim in particular became notorious. Strong currents, boat traffic at the narrow cave mouth and crowds inside the small chamber led to repeated rescues and several deaths. In response, the maritime authority for this stretch of coast — the Capitania do Porto de Portimão, part of the Autoridade Marítima Nacional — issued a formal notice, an edital, that came into force on 13 August 2024 and has been maintained since.
The notice did something simple but decisive: it made organised, licensed access the only lawful way into the cave, and closed off the free-for-all that had made it dangerous.
💡 Did You Know? Fines for breaking the access rules are not symbolic. They run from a few hundred euros for an individual into six figures for operators — broadly from around €300 up to the order of €200,000 for the most serious commercial breaches.
What is banned now
Three things that used to be common are no longer allowed:
- Swimming into the cave. You may not swim into the Algar de Benagil, with or without a float, from Benagil beach or from a boat. This is the headline change and the one that catches most people out.
- Landing on the beach inside. No one may step onto the sand inside the cave — not individual visitors, and not tour operators dropping people off. The interior beach is viewed only from the water.
- Renting an unguided kayak or SUP near the cave. You can no longer hire a kayak or paddleboard and set off to the cave on your own. Paddling access is by guided tour only.
There is also a blanket rule that all maritime activity in the area is prohibited between sunset and sunrise, so there are no legal night trips.
What is still allowed
Plenty — which is why the tours you see advertised are all legitimate:
- Licensed boat tours. Boats with the right permits may enter the chamber briefly when the sea allows, usually for a minute or two, so you can look up at the skylight and out over the beach from the water.
- Guided kayak and SUP tours. These run at a controlled ratio — one guide for every six kayaks — and take you in at water level, where you can linger a little longer than a boat.
- Open-sea swimming away from the cave. Many boat trips still include a swim stop in a calm bay along the coast. That is separate from the cave and remains fine.
Banned or allowed: the quick version
| Activity | Status since Aug 2024 |
|---|---|
| Swim into the cave from the beach | Banned |
| Stand or picnic on the beach inside | Banned |
| Rent an unguided kayak or SUP to the cave | Banned |
| Night-time trips (sunset to sunrise) | Banned |
| Licensed boat entering the cave | Allowed (sea permitting) |
| Guided kayak or SUP tour | Allowed (1 guide per 6 kayaks) |
| Open-sea swim stop elsewhere on a boat trip | Allowed |
What this means when you book
In practice, the rules make the choice simpler, not harder. Because a licensed boat or a guided paddle is now the only way in, every reputable trip you can book falls into one of those two camps. The old option of doing it yourself on the cheap is gone, and the €5 kayak rental with it. If a listing promises you a solo swim into the cave or a picnic on the inside beach, that is a red flag — it is describing something that is no longer permitted.
It also means the experience inside the cave is broadly the same whoever you book with: a short visit, from the water, looking up at the light. What varies is the journey to get there, the size and comfort of the craft, the departure town and the price. Our full visiting guide breaks down the departure towns and the best time to go.
✅ Useful Tip Whether a boat can actually enter the cave on the day depends on the swell. If cave entry matters to you, choose a calm morning, pick an operator that runs a small or purpose-built cave-entry boat, and book a tour with free cancellation so you can move it if the sea turns.
Is it still worth going?
For most people, yes. The rules have made the cave calmer and safer, and the view of the skylight from a boat or kayak is as striking as it ever was. What has changed is the expectation: you are there for a short, guided look, not an afternoon lounging on a hidden beach. Go in understanding that, and Benagil rarely disappoints. If you are weighing it up, our honest take on whether the trip is worth it goes into more detail.
How the rules are enforced
The maritime police and the Capitania monitor the area, particularly in summer, and operators risk their licences as well as heavy fines if they break the rules — which is why crews are strict about not letting anyone off the boat inside the cave, however much a passenger asks. That strictness is a good sign: it means the operator is licensed and playing by the rules that keep the cave open at all.
What to expect at the cave mouth now
With organised access came a degree of order. On a busy morning you will still find several boats and kayaks taking turns at the narrow entrance, and crews coordinate so that everyone gets a look without a jam inside the chamber. It is calmer than the free-for-all of a few years ago, but it is not empty — expect to share the moment, especially in July and August. Going early buys you the quietest window.
How to spot a licensed operator
Because only permitted boats and guided paddles may now go in, the tours sold through the main booking platforms are the safe choice: an operator without the right licence cannot list a compliant Benagil trip for long. A few signs of a legitimate operator — they never promise to drop you on the beach inside, they carry proper safety gear and life jackets, they cap group sizes, and they are upfront that cave entry depends on the sea. If a deal hints at bending the rules, walk away; the fines exist for a reason, and a suspended operator means a cancelled trip.
The rules are why the cave is still open
It is easy to read a list of bans as killjoy bureaucracy, but the alternative was worse: without them, the pressure of crowds and the toll of accidents threatened the site itself. The current system keeps Benagil accessible and safe, and it is why you can still book a trip and look up at that skylight at all. Respecting the rules, and choosing an operator who does, is part of keeping it that way.
Ready to plan? Compare the licensed Benagil Cave boat and kayak tours, or read our guide to choosing between a boat and a kayak. Any lingering questions are answered on our FAQs page.