Everything To Know For Your Adventure In Algarve

The beautiful Algarve is renowned for epic coastal scenery. Our itinerary combines old-towns, sunset spots, and stunning coastal walks where you’ll find the best hidden beaches to relax, swim, and admire the view.

Wondering how to plan your trip to the Algarve ? Here are all our top tips and most essential information!

Key info

Transport

We rented a car for the whole trip from Faro airport, pre-booking to save time and money. It was great to have a car to reach some more remote beaches and do so at our own pace. There’s a device in the car for motorway tolls which you pay for at the end, from memory it didn’t come to too much at all.

Accommodation

We chose to have a base in Lagos, as it’s about an hour’s drive from the airport, and not too far to the natural park on the west side. It wasn’t a long drive to anywhere we wanted to visit, and is much calmer and more scenic than the famous party towns in the area. There are many nice restaurants and hotels, we stayed at Ocean View Hotel slightly out of the centre. Our final night was spent in an airbnb in Tavira, a lovely town only half an hour east of Faro airport.

When to go

September was a beautiful time to visit, noticeably quieter than the peak summer months but still incredibly warm. Spring is another wonderful time to visit the Algarve, especially for hiking, as so many beautiful flowers are just emerging, however it can be on the cooler side and rain never too far away!

Length of stay

Depending on your flight arrival and departure times, as well as how leisurely a pace you want to move at, this itinerary could be stretched out to 7 days or shortened to a long week-end (3/4 days). We definitely recommend giving yourself enough time to take the walks slowly and make plenty of rest stops at all the magnificent beaches you will discover along the way, even dipping in the sea if it's warm enough!

Don't forget to check out our day by day itinerary and our photo gallery for Algarve!

Faro

We arrived at Faro airport in the afternoon, and since we didn’t have a full day to spend, decided to visit the city. A short wander through the old town of Faro is a lovely way to spend a morning or afternoon, taking in historic sights such as Arco da Vila, Faro Cathedral, Cidade Vehle and the marina. In the evening we drove to our hotel in Lagos, and got an early night for the adventure the next day.

Cabo de São Vicente

On our first real day of exploring, we headed to the natural park on the western coast. There are some stunning beaches to reach, one of our favourites being Praia da Amoreira. Praia da Cordoama is also stunning. A popular spot to watch the sunset is from the lighthouse of Cabo de São Vicente, which is also the most southwestern point of Europe. The sunset is all around, not just at the lighthouse, so there’s no need to crowd with everyone here to watch it! Walk along the cliffs a bit to find your perfect view in a more tranquil spot - a picnic blanket and some snacks would make this the perfect evening!

Dona Ana

We got some of our favourite photographs at Dona Ana beach, where there are some amazing cliffs and rocks. From here we walked to Ponta de Piedade, for some stunning views of the coastal scenery. We spent some time having a leisurely lunch and relaxing on the beach. Spend the afternoon wandering the smooth streets of Lagos, popping into the interesting shops. Then head to Tasca do Kiko restaurant, a bit out of the way down by the marina, but well worth it for the delicious food, especially the tuna!

Algarve

Olhos de Água

Another beautiful scenic walk is at the path Trilho dos Olhos d'Água to Olhos de Água beach, stopping at the viewpoint Miradouro da Falésia. Olhos de Água is a lovely fishing village, perfect for an ice-cream stop! You can then walk the length of Falésia beach to the resort town of Vilamoura, and take the bus back to the car. The red cliffs of this area contrast beautifully with the blue sea and golden sands.

Tavira

We did a coastal walk from Algar Seco (car park near Boneca Bar, Carvoeiro) to Praia Vale de Centeanes, again with spectacular views of the caves and rocks in the dazzling blue sea. We swam, jumped waves, and read at one of the beaches along this walk. Keep your eye on the tides though, as they can quickly leave you stranded on some of the smaller beaches. In the afternoon we drove east of Faro, where the scenery is very different from the western Algarve. We spent the evening wandering the gorgeous old town of Tavira, which has a lovely river running through it. Tavira is only a short drive to the airport, where we had an early flight the next day, and is a beautiful place to spend your final night in.