The Algarve - Our Favorite Towns and Things To Do
Have you been to Lisbon and looking for some other Portugal magic? Well - we highly suggest the Algarve.
The Algarve is the name of the whole southernmost region of Portugal. This area is known for its beautiful cliffside beaches, sunshine and golf resorts. Many of the towns in the Algarve are old fishing villages turned into vacation towns filled with villa, hotels and bars.
We visited a few towns on our recent trip in 2021 and fell in love with the area. What was great about the area was the public train that took you from one town to the next. A car will be necessary for some visits, but the train is a great (cheap) option for exploring the area.
lagos
Lagos was our FAVORITE town that we visited in the Algarve. If I was to visit again I would stay in Lagos. It was the perfect amount of cute old town, trendy restaurants, touristy activities, and of course beautiful beaches & hikes.
What to see and do in Lagos
👟: Starting at Praia de Pinhao hike the coastal trail all the way to Ponta de Piedada. This trail is relatively easy to follow and there will be a lot of others walking this way as well. There are beautiful beaches along the way and AMAZING views. Google “Lagos coastal walk map” to find the one we followed and that I included in the gallery post
🏖: Praia de Camilo and Praia de Dona Ana are great beaches to hang out at on the hike. Praia de Camilo has 200+ stairs to walk down to get to the beach and is more of a secluded beach. Praia de Dona Ana is a bit more touristy and you can find beach loungers to rent
☕️: Abigail’s and Black & White Coffee - two super cute cafes/brunch spots in old town
🥙: Secret Garden - if you want a switch up from Portuguese food this was a nice lunch South African lunch spot in a garden.
🚶🏻♀️: Walk around old town and admire the tiled buildings and murals. Then head down to the marina and walk along the cobble stone path that will take you back to the train station.
sagres
Sagres was a lot more rural than the other towns in the Algarve. It is a windy surfer town that has very low key vibes.
What to do in Sagres
🛍: You must stop at ceramic store right before heading into the main town of Sagres. They have AMAZING ceramic pieces for pennies! (Ok it’s more like €5 for a mug - but it feels like pennies) If you can’t bring anything home in your suitcase it is still a fun place to stop and see the aisles and aisles of pottery
🥙: Laundry Mat - a cute restaurant/laundromat combo that has amazing food and a cute interior. A lot of people were working from here but the wifi didn’t seem like the best for getting much done.
🍦: Gelateria Alice (Art & Heart) - amazing homemade gelato. I recommend the honey flavor.
🏖: large beach to hang out at and watch the surfers. We found that it wasn’t as warm as the other beaches since it is just a windier town but definitely not windy enough to be uncomfortable.
albufeira
Albufeira is more of a party beach town. Think - Phuket in Thailand or Atlantic City, New Jersey. There is a “strip” that is filled with sport bars and attracts bachelor and bachelorette parties. However, it still is a great place to visit and there are some gems in and around the area.
What to see and do in Albufeira
🏖: Praia - you’ll need a taxi to drive you here from old town but it’s definitely worth it. There are trails to walk above the cliffs and get amazing views for sunset (this photo was taken there 😊)
🏖: Bengali caves - This is about a 20 min drive outside of Albufeira but won’t cost you much in an Uber. You can also take a boat tour from Albufeira rather then arriving at beach by car. We rented kayaks but the sea was too rough so we ended up having to take a boat tour of the caves.
🏠 : Albufeira is pretty hilly and even though it was annoying to climb a hill to get back to our Airbnb - if made for amazing and peaceful views. Would highly recommend getting an Airbnb with a pool since the ocean is pretty cold.
🏘: Skip the Albuferia strip and just wander around Old town. Cute white buildings and cobble stone alleyways. Head up the outdoor escalators to a nice walkable path above the beach.
🚂: Most tourist towns in the Algarve have hop on - hop off tourist trams that bring you around the city. If you have time spend the £7 and take it to get a sense of the whole town. Totally not necessary and you can definitely walk faster in certain areas 😂
Where to eat in Albufeira
I’ve got a lot more restaurant favorites than things to do favorites in Albufeira 😂 you DO NOT want to miss any of these 😋
Sal Rosa (cocktail bar) - AMAZING drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic with a perfect atmosphere and amazing presentation. The drinks were so unique and in interesting vessels 😁 The bar overlooks the beach and is the PERFECT location for sunset.
The Windmill (dinner) - A three course tasting menu €60pp. You must make a reservation beforehand because they only sit 5 parties at each sitting. Reservations are at 7pm, 8pm and 9pm. We were at the 8pm reservation that was on the terrace and not inside the windmill - if I was to go again I would chose the 7pm or 9pm reservation to be able to eat inside the windmill. Food was amazing!
O Male (dinner) - Outside of the main zone of Albufeira but totally worth it. Amazing meal with thoughtful ingredients and presentation. Tons of options for meals and tapas.
Olympic (dinner) - Definitely the best restaurant in old town square. We went three times and loved their roof top and tapas.
Beach restaurant - We didn’t have time to eat here but the views are just perfect so I would recommend heading there for a lunch, dinner or drink.
O Paragraph (brunch) - We had a hard time finding breakfast places but were actually quite impressed by this tiered brunch tower at O parapgraph 😆 Tons of pastries, fruit, omelette, crepes and sandwiches for €20. It says it is for 2 people but definitely could feed more.
Castelo di Norcia (lunch/dinner) - Down near the Albufeira marina you’ll find this Italian restaurant that had nice views over the marina and water - the pizza was pretty good too!
Silves
Silves is a small town that is inland (not on the coast) and was honestly my second favorite. (Lagos being 1st) There isn’t a whole lot to do but it is cute and definitely worth a visit.
What to do in Silves
🏰: Castillo de Silves - About €2 to visit and has some great views, a cute garden and some history to learn along the way! .
🥗: Café da Rosa - Really cute cafe with great salad options. We sat outside but the inside was adorable
🎨: Florbela C.M. Moreira - I thinkkk this was the name of the store, but it is a small town so you will definitely find it :) A cute ceramic store that is run by a husband and wife. They do all the painting themselves and also have a collection of historical tiles from the early years of Lisbon.
🏠: Just enjoy the cute town! I am Obsessed with this pink tiled building.