When you think of Portugal, you probably quickly think of the Algarve! It might have a reputation for being a place mainly for older people, but nothing could be further from the truth! The Algarve is a beautiful area, for both young and old. We've listed our favourites so you can discover the most beautiful spots in just 1 week.
#1 Rent a car
If you want to explore on your own, renting a car is a must. You can rent a car for as little as 180 euros per week. If you want to see the whole Algarve, you'll definitely be driving some miles, but along the way you can enjoy all the charming villages, hilly landscapes, orange groves and sea views. Sounds good, right?
Sagres
#2 Travel to the end of the world. Cape St. Vincent (Cabo de São Vicente). The southwesternmost point of Europe. People used to believe this was literally the end of the world. For that reason alone, it's an amazing place to visit. Besides that, this place is very impressive. This is due to the rugged landscape combined with the enormously high cliffs. It spontaneously gives you vertigo. The sea crashes against the cliffs with such force that you can feel the spray of the waves even at the very top of the cliff. There is also a lighthouse and one small cafe. Precisely because there isn't much else, this place is special. Definitely worth a visit.
TIP: Bring a jacket or cardigan, as it is (always) incredibly windy here.
#3 Visit the Surf Mecca Beliche Beach (Praia Beliche). WOW! This place is beautiful. One of our personal favourites. It's just before the end of the world, so you can perfectly combine it. A few kilometres before Cape St. Vincent, you'll suddenly see some cars parked on your left. Stop there and walk down the beautiful stairs to this impressive beach. It's a true surf paradise! Even if you don't surf, this beach is lovely to visit. This beautiful sandy beach is enclosed by enormous high and rugged cliffs. You can spend hours here during the day staring at the many surfers or watch the beautiful sunset at dusk.
#4 Visit the town of Sagres. The town of Sagres isn't particularly special, but you'll find many restaurants where surfers and digital nomads congregate. After visiting Beliche Beach, we enjoyed some drinks at Chiringuito. A small lunch spot at Mereta Beach in Sagres, full of digital nomads. Afterwards, you can also stretch your legs and walk along the beautiful Mereta Beach.
#5 Visit the Fort of Sagres (Fortaleza de Sagres). Just before you drive into Sagres, you'll see it. It's hard to miss, as the fort is very large. The fort was historically very important for the defense of the Algarve coast. It therefore has a rich history. For just 3 euros you can take a look around and spend about half an hour there.
Lagos
#6 Walk to the beautiful Ponta da Diedade. You can rent a kayak in Lagos and paddle along the coastline. But it's also fun to view Ponta da Diedade from above and take the beautiful walk down from the cliff. You can park your car in the parking lot, but from there it's not clearly indicated where to walk. So, check the map (Google Maps) carefully to see which way to go.
TIP: If you have visited Ponta da Diedade, it is also definitely worth walking from the parking lot to the right along the coast. Here you have beautiful viewpoints over the coastline and you walk on well-maintained paths. It's a great walk to do if you're already there.
#7 Visit Praia do Camilo. A beautiful small sandy beach surrounded by high cliffs. Perfect to combine with Ponta da Diedade. A small piece of paradise and a shame to skip if you're around the corner!
#8 Visit the Old Town of Lagos. Lagos has a charming small center with lovely narrow streets, boutiques, and good lunch spots. A perfect place to relax on a terrace after visiting the beautiful beaches and enjoy a well-deserved lunch. The food here is very good and not expensive at all. For just a few euros, you can have a delicious lunch. You don't need tips for lunch spots here. Just wander through the streets and pick the cutest place.
Praia da Marinha
#9 Visit Praia da Marinha. Voted one of the most beautiful beaches in Europe, and we can see why. Wow, what a beautiful beach this is. We were here in the low season and pretty much had the entire beach to ourselves. Truly a piece of paradise on Earth. High cliffs, rocks, sandy beach, and clear blue water. A hotspot you shouldn't miss!
#10 Visit the Benagil Cave. Just next to Praia da Marinha is the Benagil Cave. This cave can only be reached by kayak. Some boat tours sail in but cannot stop there. If you really want to see the inside of the cave, kayaking is the only option. You can book a kayak tour in one of the surrounding towns.
However, it is possible to catch a glimpse of the cave from above. There is a beautiful walk along it, where you walk over the caves of the coastline. If you have parked your car, you can go left (the access to Praia da Marinha) or right, to the walk over the caves. Perfect to combine with each other.
#11 Hike the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail. This is the most beautiful hike in the Algarve and runs between Praia da Marinha and Praia da Carvoeiro. The walk is 6 kilometres one way and 6 kilometres back. You walk along the beautiful coastline with the most stunning viewpoints in the Algarve. TIP: Make sure to bring enough water and food, as you won't encounter anything along the way.
Portimão
#12 Relax an afternoon at the NoSoloAgua beach club in Portimão. We were secretly very happy that we found this lovely spot. A wonderfully large beach club with beautiful beds, delicious food, super friendly staff and right on the beach. No plastic chairs for a change, but really pamper yourself for an afternoon. If you're a fan of beach clubs like us, then a visit to NoSoloAgua should definitely not be missed!
Vilamoura
#13 Visit the Vilamoura Marina. A delightful place with endless good restaurants, all with terraces overlooking the harbour. A place where you can go for delicious food or a pleasant stroll along the boulevard both during the day and in the evening. You can also feast your eyes here, as there are quite a few beautiful yachts in the harbour. In the evening we ate at restaurant NEWS. Highly recommended! Nice interior, delicious Italian food and friendly service. During the day we had lunch at several places. All equally tasty and cozy. If you're looking for a nice boulevard, the Vilamoura marina is the place to be!
#14 Take a beach walk on Praia da Falésia. Next to the harbour starts Praia da Falésia beach. Perfect for a beautiful beach walk. The beach is different from the other beaches we visited. It is a wide and expansive sandy beach, but certainly no less beautiful for it. It's actually perfect for a long walk. You can easily park there and there are also several beach bars where you can enjoy a drink. Nice to combine with a visit to the harbour.
Lisbon & Cascais
#15 A day trip to Lisbon. It may seem far, but it's only about a 2.5-hour drive via a super smooth toll road. If you leave early, you'll be there in no time! You'll pay around 25 euros for tolls there and 25 euros back. This might seem like a lot, but if you have a day to spare, it's really cool to do for a day. The toll road is also wonderfully quiet (outside of high season) and you drive through Portugal's beautiful hilly landscape. It's like time has stood still there.
Once you arrive in Lisbon, you can park well at Praça Luís de Camões. A charming square where you can immediately hop on tram 28. For just 3 euros, it will take you through Lisbon's nicest neighbourhoods. You can stay on as long as you want. A perfect way to see a lot of the city in a short time. The city consists of colourful streets with nice shops and delicious restaurants. A day is therefore not much, but it's great for getting a feel for the city.
#16 Visit the seaside town of Cascais. If you're already in Lisbon, you can drive to the famous seaside town of Cascais in less than half an hour. A beautiful place to end the day. The extra toll costs are only around 4 euros and the return journey to the Algarve is pretty much the same length, around 2.5 hours.
Cascais is charming and atmospheric. Lots of restaurants and small, cute streets. It's not big, but there's enough choice for a nice dinner. Then you can tick this one off your Bucket List too!
Faro
#17 Visit the old town center of Faro. When you think of Faro, you probably think of the airport. Secretly, it's actually quite a beautiful town with a lively fishing harbour. The old town center isn't large, but it's very atmospheric.
#18 Visit Faro Cathedral. In a beautiful square surrounded by orange trees stands Faro Cathedral. For just 5 euros, you can enter the cathedral and climb the tower. It's definitely worth it, as the view over the sea and the old town is very beautiful. In addition, there is a small chapel made of human bones... A bit macabre, but bizarre to see. Do you want to see a similar chapel on a larger scale? Then you can! You'll need to visit Capella dos Ossos. Also in the center of Faro. This chapel consists of the bones of over 1000 monks and can be visited for just 1 euro.
#19 Sail or Kayak the Faro Lagoon (Ria Formosa). Faro is surrounded by a beautiful lagoon and white sand islands. You can already see this when you arrive by plane. You can easily book a boat tour or choose a kayak in Faro. If you have time, it's definitely worth sailing through the beautiful lagoon, past the many fishing boats. Or to take a perfect photo for your Instagram on one of the white sandbanks.
Albufeira
#20 Go out for an evening on the Strip. Do you like going out? Then the Strip in Albufeira is where you need to be. The street is full of bars and clubs. Don't like nightlife? Then don't come here. We're not big fans ourselves, but we did visit the beach at the end of the Strip during the day. If you follow the path over the boardwalks to the left, you'll come across some hidden beaches, like the one in the photo below. In the low season, you'll have these hidden gems all to yourself. Wonderful!
#21 Visit Albufeira's Old Town. We don't think it's the most beautiful village in the Algarve, but Albufeira is, of course, one of the most famous villages and therefore nice to have seen. It's very beautiful to walk from the gate in the old village directly onto the beach (Praia do Tunel). If you then walk to the left, you can take a long beach walk along the coast of Albufeira. Perfect to do, for example, after lunch on the beach.
#22 Eat the best sushi at Vila Joya Sea. A hidden gem in Albufeira. Vila Joya is a 2-Michelin-star restaurant, but they also have a lunchroom, Vila Joya Sea, on their private beach. It's pricey, but it's supposed to be fantastic. A visit to this gem was high on our list, but unfortunately, we found out it was still closed when we were there. But if you're there in high season, definitely go and make us jealous!
SHOPPING
#23 A day of shopping. If the weather isn't great for a day, or if you just feel like shopping, there are certainly places in the Algarve where you can do that. Of course, you can look in the old villages, but if you want to visit the larger stores, there are a number of shopping malls. Such as Algarve Shopping center or the new Outlet Algarve. A sort of Batavia Stad in Portugal. Newly built and if you love shopping, the perfect place to spend an afternoon.
MUST
#24 Eat a Pastel de Nata. A Pastel de Nata is a typical traditional Portuguese pastry. Really incredibly delicious with an espresso. In almost every lunch spot, you can get a pastry with an espresso for around 1.80 EUR. It's a super tasty snack to treat yourself. Secretly, we did this every day!
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