How long to algarve

You can just go to the Old City and walk around, see live performances on the streets and sing along. But if you feel like partying hard, go to the Strip instead. Start the last day of your Algarve itinerary for 3 days by driving to Lagos if you base yourself in Lagos, visit Albufeira on your last day. Lagos is an ancient marine town, whose history stretches back more than years. It was occupied by the Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths, Byzantines and Moors, who in the 8 th century fortified and walled the city and built a medieval castle that can still be seen today.

I highly recommend taking a 75min boat trip to Ponta da Piedade. If you prefer, you can take a kayak tour.

You can stay on Dona Ana, which has a parking lot, wooden boardwalks, beach amenities, a restaurant, a masseur and lifeguards on duty, or just take pictures and head to the picturesque Praia do Camilo, one of my favourite beaches in Lagos.

Featuring a stunning combination of majestic rock formations, sea arches, caves, ochre cliffs and crystal-clear green water, Ponta da Piedade will certainly take your breath away. The beach is accessed by road then on foot along a cliff-top path and takes less than a 5min drive from Praia do Camilo. To finish your Algarve itinerary for 3 days, you can walk on the lovely promenade before heading back to Albufeira. If you still have energy and feel like spending the whole night dancing, go to Lick, one of the largest clubs in Portugal.

This Algarve itinerary for 5 days will be similar to my previous 3-day itinerary but at a slower pace. As I said before, your options will depend on when you arrive: either just the Old Town and its beaches or the Best Beaches during the day and the Old Town in the evening. On the second day you will visit Praia da Marinha and Benagil Cave. You can kayak from Marinha to Benagil, but because you have more time, you should drive to Praia de Benagil and take a guided tour. Check this Benagil Cave Kayaking Experience and this 2.

If you are an adventurer, you can walk the 2. There are some really cool beach clubs where you can relax and have some drinks, Spot 3 and NoSoloAgua are my suggestions. Or you can visit the beaches nearby, as this area is very nice for beach exploration. After 1h drive from Albufeira, you will arrive in Sagres, a small, isolated and very simple town known for being the mecca of surf in the Algarve. And within the fortress, there is a very picturesque lighthouse, open only on Wednesdays, and a small maritime museum, open from Tuesday to Sunday.

Continuing your 5-day Algarve itinerary, you can stop by at Praia do Beliche, yet another stunning beach with crystalline water, on your way to Sagres town. I really liked visiting Sagres and the Cape of Saint Vincent, and I think that this is the best way to finish your 5 days in Algarve. Silves, one of the oldest cities in Portugal and the ancient capital of the Kingdom of the Algarve, is a delightful fortified town located in the Monchique Mountains among citrus groves and vineyards.

The highlight of a trip to this scenic town is Silves Castle, an imposing red brick Moorish castle, from where the Moors ruled over the entire Algarve.

Leaving Silves and driving 30min through the foothills of Serra de Monchique, you will arrive at Monchique, another charming and picturesque town, set amongst a pine, oak and eucalyptus forest. It provides spectacular panoramic views of the entire region and its diverse vegetation. Visiting Silves and Monchique you have an opportunity to admire the Algarvian countryside and see a world away from the beach resorts that the Algarve is famous for.

You can do it by car, or book one of these day trips below. The picturesque neo-Arab covered market was constructed in and renovated between and It has stalls selling regional handicrafts, souvenirs, wines, spices, fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and much more. I spent two weeks in the Algarve region on my Europe backpacking trip and fell in love with this stunning piece of Portugal.

Although a relatively small country, Portugal proves that it can be worthily compared to other Mediterranean countries highlighting its cultural heritage and hospitable attitude towards tourists. It is quite different from its neighboring country Spain and has a unique energy that emanates from the atmosphere.

Food, coffee, supermarkets, drinks are all at low prices. Coffee and croissants in the closed markets or Mercados, cooked cod in different versions, wines in traditional Portuguese Tascas, the list go on.

And in the late hours, this is where the fun begins. The bars and the surrounding streets are full, cocktails on the terraces, and karaoke music does not let you sleep at night.

You can easily spend up to a week or more visiting Algarve itself as it has so many things to offer — spectacular coastline, gorgeous beaches, rocky cliffs offering dramatic views of the turquoise Atlantic and Mediterranean, excellent Portuguese cuisine, wine, post-card perfect whitewashed villages, secluded towns, and.

It is one of the most popular summer resorts in southern Europe and not by chance. The Algarve includes the cities of Lagos, Faro, and Portimao, with Faro as their administrative center. The permanent residents in the specific prefecture do not reach even half a million of the population. In summer, however, the influx of tourists is such that the overall population doubles steadily.

Lagos is a beautiful city that may remind many of the appearances of an identical Greek island. The historic center is worth a walk and stands out from the pebble floor and its walls.

White houses with small balconies, picturesque narrow, hospitable people create an idyllic holiday setting. Spend the first day of your Algarve itinerary exploring the city and the surrounding area, and you will definitely be rewarded with its beauty. These are various geological formations consisting of golden rocks up to 20 meters high, caves, and natural arches, which you can get to see in the following ways:. On the second day, you will visit one of the most incredible sights of Portugal!

The giant cave in Benagil. This is a miracle of nature that will definitely have caught your eye somewhere on your Instagram feed. There are many ways to visit this magical place, such as a boat tour or a kayak tour, but it is ideal for driving to Benagil Beach by car. In case you have not taken your own car with you, there is no reason to worry. You can rent a car from the city of Portimao, which will really give you the ideal solution for your travels for the entire duration of your trip to southern Portugal.

Searching for car hire in Portimao has become easier through Enjoy Travel , offering the cheapest rental packages in the area. Within walking distance of Lagos is a series of beautiful beaches with all kinds of activities. If you are interested in kite surfing or windsurfing, Praia da Luz is an ideal sandy beach for this kind of sport.

Sandy, charming and with stylish cafes and restaurants. Tip : Do not forget that you are in the Ocean. The water is quite cold so do not expect to enjoy swimming. If you still want to swim, surf shops rent summer neoprene suits that keep your body temperature constant. In the high season, from March to October, you are very likely to find a way to get to the Algarve by using BlaBlaCar. It is fair to say that if you want to get to the Algarve, passing through Lisbon Airport might be a really nice idea, because you can also spend some time in the stunning capital of Portugal.

Lisbon has great sights to see, beautiful parks and attractions, fantastic and diverse food and so much more. If you want your summer holidays to be perfect, you should try to make a combo of Lisbon plus the Algarve. You remember that before I mentioned that the Algarve Airport is just one and a half hours from the Spanish border?

Seville is located near the border of Spain and Portugal and so Seville Airport is a good option to go to for your visit to the Algarve. It is a very good option if you are travelling from some other country in Europe and want to get to the Algarve. From Seville Airport to the Algarve, you will arrive at your destination in an hour and a half, if you hire a car. It is also possible to opt for car sharing like BlaBlaCar which is a good option to save time and money.

However, before deciding on heading for this Spanish city, you should consider these small downsides. Firstly, if you rent a car, you will probably be charged with a cross-border fee that you can easily avoid by opting for the bus. The second issue with the border crossing is related to the time zone: Portugal and Spain are in a different time zone. You have to consider this when you book your transport. Porto Airport might be a nice solution to get to the Algarve. It is an international airport, the second busiest in Portugal, not far from the city centre approximately 10 km 6 miles and it offers a decent amount of national flights to Lisbon and to the Algarve Airport.

This is a very good solution, especially if you travel from other countries in Europe. There is also the possibility to get a train from Porto to the Algarve. Personally, I do not recommend this option since it goes from the top to the bottom of Portugal, it will take you ages to get to the Algarve about eight hours, so you can imagine how long it will take by bus. But, if you love trains and have the time, you can have a look at tickets and timetables at Comboios de Portugal CP. In the case you choose to go to Porto first, you should probably spend some time in the city trying the world-famous Port wine , while you admire the calm waters of the Douro River.

It is a good choice for couples: walking on the Dom Luis bridge is so romantic! If you want to go to the Algarve, another option might be Beja airport in the central Alentejo region. Originally used as a military base, Beja airport was opened to civilian flights in Unfortunately not many international flights come to this airport. So, unless you come from the UK or Germany, this option is not great. If you fly to the Algarve from London, there are plenty of opportunities to get there in less than three hours.

There are three departures throughout the day from which you can choose. In the low season, the cost of a flight is rather cheap. In the case this scenario does not appeal to you, you might choose Lisbon Airport and maybe spend some time in the capital!