Olhão

The twin red-brick market halls of 1916, fish on one side, fruit and vegetables on the other, are the emblem of Olhão. Dogs cannot enter the halls, but the arcaded exterior and the esplanade are walkable on the leash.

The cubist old town: narrow lanes, white flat-roofed houses and rooftop terraces, a North-African influence unique in the Algarve. A superb leashed walk, best early when the whitewash does not yet bounce the heat.

A Ria Formosa barrier island, 20 min by boat, with a vast, near-empty Atlantic beach off season. Leashed dogs welcome October to May; banned from the supervised zone from 1 June to 30 September.

A living fishing island with the 1851 lighthouse and long ocean beaches linked by dune boardwalks. Dogs on the leash (natural park); the same summer restrictions as everywhere in Portugal.

The main waterfront garden, between the markets and the lagoon, with mature trees and a flat water's-edge promenade. An easy leashed loop linking the island pier; shade in the morning.

A municipal dog park opened in 2023 in the Levante park: over 4,000 m2 fenced with a tunnel, jump ring, bridges and agility bars. A safe off-leash run, best early or late in summer.