What to do in the Algarves

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15 Things To Do In The Algarves:

Recently I went to the Algarves in Portugal for a week and completely and utterly fell in love! The whole region is full of beautiful coastline, friendly people and great food! Here’s a list of my recommendations for things to do in the Algarves! This region is best seen with a rental car, as the Algarves is such a large area.

Map of The Algarves with my recommendations pinned

Relax on the many beautiful Beaches

With more than 80km of stunning coastline, you’ll surely find a spot on one of the many beaches to relax!

Some of my personal favourite beaches were:

Praia de Sao Rafael, Albufeira

Sao Rafael is a lifestyle beach – with massages happening down the beach, beautiful rocky coast line to lay between, a fun restaurant playing music throughout the day, and lots of happy people.

Praia dos Estudantes, Lagos

This small beach can only be found after walking along the other beaches to its east, climbing over rocky passages to this beautiful view. Warning – when the tide comes in you can be stuck here, so keep a look out!

 

Praia de Faro, Faro

Easy to get to from Faro’s centre, this beach is a huge stretch of sand allowing for plenty of breathing room from your fellow sun-bathers. With a few restaurants along this wide beach, it’s the perfect place for a full day of chilling out.

Buy Portugese Pottery

The Algarves are littered with beautiful painted tiles, and many restaurants serve your meal on painted Portugese pottery. For me, I fell in love instantly and knew I needed to buy some painted pottery to take home with me.

When we were nearby to Porches at Benagil beach, we were so hot we needed a break from the sun, the perfect oasis was Porches Pottery. Upon arriving to palm trees, and a beautiful cafe setting (Bar Bacchus) I was again in love. We sat for a long time just enjoying the scenery and tranquillity before we headed inside to check out the wonderful pottery.

 

Wall to wall hand-painted pottery of all kinds can be found inside Porches Pottery – and you can also watch pieces being painted as you browse. From egg cups to giant plates and jugs, there is something for any budget.

Pairing a visit to Porches Pottery and Bar Bacchus in one activity is a must for any vacation to the Algarves.

Porches Pottery | EN125, 8400-451 Porches, Lagoa, Portugal

Dine at the Culinary Jewel of The Algarve

The best meal we had whilst in the Algarves was eaten at O’Barradas near Silves, a family-run restaurant specialising in high-quality Portugese dining with a contemporary twist.

Not only that, but the wine selection is extraordinary. Luís Pequeno, one of the two owners, is passionate about what he does. I know this because I met him!

He took our meal order after first describing the special of the day to us in great tasty detail, even explaining that the garnish on our dishes can also be eaten as they come directly from their garden.

When we arrived, the restaurant was full, however the waitstaff made sure to make us up a table so that we weren’t disappointed. We started our evening with a glass of champagne, before ordering 3 amazingly delicious courses!

The entree of freshly caught tuna was as fresh as it gets! Luis had himself caught the fish earlier that day and highly recommended it – to our delight. We had the pork and the chicken as our mains, which were so perfectly cooked, that it was all we could discuss as we ate!

The price of our meal was very reasonable and we will be back to eat here on our next visit to the Algarves, and the time after that, and the time after that. You get the point – don’t miss out on this place!

Tip: Make a reservation ahead of time – this place does get very full.

O’Barradas | Venda Nova, Sitio da, 8300-054 Silves, Portugal

 

Admire the Limestone Cliffs

The Algarvian coast is well known for it’s limestone cliffs and rock formations created from the wind and powerful ocean. The most beautiful is arguably Ponte de Piadede near Lagos.

Said to also be one of the best places to watch the sunset – and I must agree! At this time of day we were also only visiting with 5 other tourists which we spotted along our travels.

Getting down to the cliffs takes 182 stairs down (and back up!!) so make sure you are ready to do it! For me, doing this at sunset was best as in the beating sun I don’t think I’d have mustered the energy to climb those stairs.

Ponta de Piedade | Farol da Ponta da Piedade, 8600 Lagos, Portugal

 

Visit a Market

Markets are always a great way to explore and discover local produce. And in the Algarves, you will find fish dominating the market stalls – but don’t forget about Piri-Piri.

Locals make their own versions of piri-piri which is slathered on chicken all over the country. This was an item I couldn’t leave the Algarve without purchasing, and makes a great gift to take in your hand-luggage as it weighs next to nothing!

 

 

Pictured is the market building in Loule, which is the very epicenter of town. Built in moorish design, it is an attraction in itself!

 

Mercado Municipal de Loulé | R. José Fernandes Guerreiro 34, 8100-269 Loulé, Portugal

 

Experience the Benagil Caves

 

You’ve probably seen photos of the Benagil caves before, but nothing beats seeing it in real life. Huff Post named it one of the Top 10 Coolest Caves in the World, so you basically just have to visit whilst in the Algarves!

There are numerous ways to see the caves. Boat tours run from neighbouring beaches to the cave – which stop for a short while, but you cannot get out of the boat for your photographs.

 

You can also rent kayaks from neighbouring beaches and kayak right into the cave for €15. You can hike along the cliffs and see it from above. And you can also just swim! We swam from Benagil beach to the cave and it took about 10-15 minutes to make it to the cave shore.

 

Tip: Try to visit in the morning before 10am – the tide is low and the crowds haven’t built up yet! Otherwise, your visit to Benagil caves will be with 100 other people.

Praia de Benagil | CM1154, 8400 Lagoa, Portugal

 

Dolphin Watching Boat

One of the best activities to do in the Alrgarves, if you are an animal lover, is the dolphin watching cruise!

Many tour operators run these tours throughout the day, all along the coastline. We booked our tour with AlgarveXcite in Vilamoura and unfortunately for us we had rocky seas and no dolphin sightings!

 

 

Seeing dolphins was the number one thing on my list for the Algarves, so I’ll definitely have to give it another go on my next trip down to Portugal. However, whilst we saw no dolphins, what Algarve Xcite delivered was a thrilling high-speed boat ride where we all were covered in sea water and lots of joyful sequels were made.

 

 

After about 75 minutes searching for dolphins, we continued on to a pleasant cave cruise where our captain pointed out Cliff Richard’s house (set atop a cliff….), drove us through some epic caves, and gave us a very enjoyable morning, even without a single dolphin sighting.

 

 

I definitely recommend booking one of these tours whilst you are in the Algarves, and book ahead as they sell out! Whether you see a dolphin or not, it’s still really fun!

 

Algarve Xcite | No. 5 Vilamoura Marina Cais Q, 8125-409 Portugal

 

Kayak along the coastline

There’s nothing better than seeing the beautiful Algarvian cliffs than from the ocean. We love a bit of water-sports on vacation, where you get exercise in without noticing – so kayaking was the perfect activity!

 

 

On Benagil beach we rented kayaks (ended up with SUP boards, actually.. but – whatever!) for €15 for an hours usage.

The most difficult part for me was getting ON the board once I got it into the water. After a few failed attempts and some laughs from the on-looking crowd, I managed to scoot myself onto the board and get paddling!

 

 

We paddled into the Benagil cave and then continued up the coastline, seeing some pretty interesting little beaches and waterfalls from the high tide!

 

 

Tip: Rent these in the morning for your desired time slot – we booked at 11am, and weren’t able to get a time slot until 5:30pm!

Praia de Benagil | CM1154, 8400 Lagoa, Portugal

 

Marvel inside the blue tiled churches

Churches in Portugal are spectacular! But not in the way St Peter’s in the Vatican is. Some of the churches and chapels are covered in my favourite blue hand-painted tiles, depicting scenes from the bible. I visited both of the below churches and think both are worth seeing!

 

 

Capela de Nossa Senhora da Conceição

This chapel located in Loule is tiny! Upon entering, you will be floored by the scenes of the virgin depicted around the room in fully hand-painted azulejo blue tiles. The altar, striking and gold.

 

 

Capela de Nossa Senhora da Conceição | 8100-269 Loulé, Portugal

 

São Lourenço de Matos

This church on a hill near Alamancil costs €2 and is well worth it! Dedicated to Saint Laurence of Rome, the full blue-tiled interior depicts scenes of his life and death. Much larger than the chapel in Loule, Sao Lourenco church is breathtaking!

 

 

São Lourenço de Matos | R. da Igreja s/n, 8135-027 Almancil, Portugal

 

Pretend you are royalty at the Palace of Estoi

 

Estoi is a small, slightly odd little town we decided to visit due to its famous palace. The palace and grounds are now a luxury hotel, however you may visit even if not staying in one of the hotel rooms. As palace’s go, this one is pretty stunning.

 

 

Pousada Palacio de Estoi-Faro | Rua São José, Estoi, 8005-465 Faro

 

Eat and Drink like a Local

 

First of all, eating and drinking in the Algarves is much cheaper than other parts of Europe. We were having coffee for 70 cents->€1.20 (as opposed to €3.50 in Amsterdam). A non-touristy restaurant will serve a dinner main for €7.50 and a beer costs around €1.

 

Sagres & Superbock beer 

It’s all about an ice cold refreshing beer in an even colder glass down in Portugal – and that’s exactly how I like it! I prefer Sagres over Superbock, but both are delicious!

 

Vinho

Vinho Verde is Green Wine. And actually, it’s not green. It really means that it is young wine. With vinho verde being characterised as having a subtle sparkle  – it’s probably my favourite wine! I am a big lover of sparkling wine, prosecco and champagne so the slight fizz in a vinho verde is right up my alley, and I drank it every evening in the Algarves.

 

 

Mateus Rose is a sparkling rose wine produced in Portugal. It’s found at every eating establishment and I saw it all.day.long. Therefore, we also drank a bottle one night, just to see if it was wort recommending and yes – it is! It comes in a fun bottle design of it’s nostalgic roots and is very inexpensive – so glug glug.

 

Dessert for Breakfast

All over portugal you’ll find one of the most divine little desserts. The custard tart, also known as pastei de nata. When freshly baked these little guys are the perfect treat for any time of day!

 

Fish

With its position between the ocean and the Med, the Algarves has a lot of seafood dishes! Algarvian cooking goes for the simple is better approach, and so expect to be eating a lot of seafood during your Algarvian adventure.

 

 

We had superb tuna, tried swordfish, had numerous white fish catches and also calamari.

 

 

Tip: Be warned, not all restaurants will serve fresh fish! After having the best tuna of my life at O’Barradas, the following evening I again decided to order tuna. What came to me was a thin slice of over-cooked frozen tuna. When I unfortunately sent it back for being over-cooked, the waiter immediately went on the defensive saying they don’t serve frozen fish. I never suggested they did – but we all know that they did, based on how quick they were to mention it.

 

Watch The Sunset On A Rooftop

 

With so many long sun-filled days in the Algarves (and a distinct lack of them in Amsterdam where I live), my days were filled with soaking up as much sunshine as possible. Whilst I love a good rooftop – so do the Portugese, with houses and bars having rooftops all over the Algarve. Above is the view from SkyBar in Lagos.

 

 

Having a private balcony with our accommodations in Faro made utilising the sunshine even better, being able to sit and watch the sun as it set over the Atlantic. For us, watching the sunset wasn’t complete without a bottle of Algarvian red wine.

 

 

Acoteia Guest House | R. Filipe Alistao, 8000-343 Faro, Portugal

 

Explore the Historic Algarvian Towns

Our vacation in the south of Portugal was a road-trip of sorts, exploring a different area each day (mostly beach related!), followed by dinner in a different town each evening, giving us the opportunity to explore much of the coastline.

 

 

The Algarve can be very much a mecca for British party-going tourists, so if that’s not what you are into, I’d avoid Albufeira at all costs. The waterfront was pretty, but not the prettiest, but for us we really did not enjoy the ‘Britain in warm weather’ vibes.

Lagos is beautiful with moorish architecture and historic buildings as well as a lovely place in the evening for dinner and drinks. I’d love to have spent more than one night in Lagos.

 

 

Faro is an excellent place to base yourself within the Algarves. It’s only a 10 minute drive to the airport and has a gorgeous old town, whilst still being a current and happening place with great dining options and some party vibes – without catering specifically to the party-groups.

 

 

Our first hotel was in Loule which was a perfect location. Loule is not touristy at all and has a very authentic experience. Not to mention Loule has a castle!

 

Doors of the Algarve

Besotted is the best way to describe my obsession with the doors in the Algarve. Half of the charm of the Algarvian towns comes from the rustic elegance of the doors.

 

 

Painted in all of the colours of the rainbow and made in many shapes and styles, big and small, whilst wandering around the quiet streets of Faro or Lagos (or many of the other beautiful towns we explored) make sure you take note of the doors.

Get Deserted

 

With plenty of beaches in the Algarves, you can always find a stretch of sand to yourself. But during high-season, some beaches can get a little crowded from high-noon to 3pm. Not that it matters, but if you are after a bit of space then go to Ilha de Deserta! Meaning: Deserted Island, this place is a gem and easy to get to from Faro.

 

 

In fact, from Faro there is a ferry service that runs around 6 times per day, and also a speed boat service. The ferry takes 30 minutes and costs €5 while the speed boat takes 15 and costs €10! We took the ferry on our way there, leisurely passing the Ria Formosa, and the speed boat back to Faro – which was exhilarating!

 

 

Upon arrival, you see one building, a restaurant, and then it’s just beach and more beach – just the way I like it! The beach has plenty of straw umbrellas and beach chairs, however the further you walk along the beach, those end and it’s just sand stretching for what looks like miles and miles. We had so much space, all we could hear was the water crashing along the shore and were completely blissed out all day long.

 

 

Ilha de Barreta / Ilha Deserta | Faro, Portugal

 

I cannot wait to get back to the Algarves and discover even more of its charms. What should I add to my next Portugese adventure?!

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Want to know the 15 top things to do in the Algarves, Portugal? This post lines up everything from caves, watersports and art to delicious food and of course - the best beaches!

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7 thoughts on “What to do in the Algarves

  1. It really looks like you had an incredible time in the Algarves! I would love to go one day (I’ve only made it as far as Lisbon). Those coastlines are simply breathtaking, and I can never say no to pastei de nata!

    1. I wanted to visit Tavira but had not enough time – it’s definitely on my list for my next Algarve trip – which I hope is really soon!!

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