The cliffs of this beach are composed of limestone rocks that were formed in a shallow marine environment. This geological formation, known as the Lagos-Portimão Formation, is rich in fossils. It contains remnants of molluscs, echinoderms (which include sea urchins), and bryozoans (small marine organisms that typically live in colonies) from the Miocene epoch, which lasted from 23 to 5.3 million years ago. Additionally, the formation includes rhodoliths, which are calcareous nodules created by red algae.

These cliffs showcase a type of limestone morphology that has been shaped and eroded by the dissolving action of water, a process known as karst formation. This landscape features depressions filled with more recent clays and sands from the Pliocene to Pleistocene epochs, which spanned from 5.3 million to 0.0117 million years ago.

Coastal erosion also results in features such as marine abrasion platforms and notches (sapas) formed by waves at varying heights along cliff faces. These notches signify changes in sea level that occurred during the Pleistocene, which are linked to the glacial cycles of that era.