Lagos, situated in the stunning southern coastal region of the Algarve, is a must visit destination in Portugal. The Algarve is best known for its sunshine, beautiful beaches and dramatic coastline. But, you may be wondering where to visit in the Algarve to experience the unmissable scenes to the fullest. There is really no right or wrong answer to that, but I can say that Lagos, with its vibrancy, beaches, natural beauty and accessibility, is a top spot.
I spent 6 nights in the Algarve – 3 nights in Lagos, 2 in Portimão and 1 in Tavira. This was actually my first ever trip to Portugal and as soon as I saw the scenes on offer here I really questioned how I had never been before. The nature impressed me more than I imagined it would – I did not expect a coastline that striking.
While I fitted a lot into a 6 night trip, there is still so much I need to explore in this region! I can’t wait to go back again one day. But for now, lets focus on Lagos by taking a look at some of what there is to do here and you’ll see why it is a must visit destination!
Accommodation: For accommodation in Lagos, head over to Hostelworld, Booking.com or Agoda for the widest range of options.
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ESIM: Stay connected in Portugal on arrival with an ESIM. Check out Airlo, Drimsim and Yesim for a plan that best suits you.
Contents:
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What to Do in Lagos
Lagos Town Centre
Lagos is a walk-able town so exploring the centre is easy. Two main areas you will want to visit are the Marina de Lagos and the Old Town.
The Marina is picturesque and is the central point of the town. On one side is the Old Town, the other the train station and the popular beach area of Meia Praia, with its beach-side restaurants and bars.
The palm tree lined marina is perfect for a relaxing stroll (or a morning run if you’re like me!). It can be busy but also peaceful, people just enjoying the sunshine and watching the boats coming and going. There is a footbridge *around* half way down the marina, meaning you can easily cross over to the other side, or even just go on the bridge for some nice views! By the marina there are plenty of places you can stop for a something to eat or drink.
The Old Town also can’t be missed – you simply won’t and shouldn’t miss it! With its narrow, charming cobblestone streets full of shops, cafés, bars, restaurants, it’s lovely for an explore day or night.
- Whether you’re looking to buy souvenirs or shop for clothes, you’ll find a suitable store in the Old Town. What it is lacking, however is a ‘proper’ supermarket, but there are smaller stores where you can grab some water or snacks.
- The Old Town is definitely very popular especially for an evening meal. We ended up at a Tapas restaurant one night – Taninos, dining on the narrow street which was much bustling around us. It was lovely and there was just such a good vibe all around.
- A little lunch recommendation I have is, if you fancy a quick lunch to takeaway, Pom Pom Bagels is the go to – so good!
Talking of that bagel lunch, by having a takeaway lunch we found a great little picnic spot in Jardim da Constituição. This is a garden area just in front of some more sights such as Santa Maria Church, the castle (Castelo dos Governadores) and the historic town walls.
Lagos Fortress (Forte da Ponta da Bandeira) is another sight you won’t miss. It is located at the end of the marina, not far from the Old Town, overlooking the water. Just next to the fortress, as well as just across the water on the other side of the marina, lie the beaches of Lagos!
Lagos Beaches
The Algarve is known for its stunning beaches, and Lagos has an excellent choice of them.
The beaches nearest the centre of Lagos, just a stone’s throw from the Old Town, include Praia da Batata and Praia dos Estudantes. Just over the other side of the marina lies Meia Praia. Those are simply the more ‘central’ beaches. Keep going along the coast and you have beaches and bays for days!
Lets take a closer look at some of the popular beach spots….
– Praia da Batata
- Closest beach to the Old Town, located just by the fort – very easily accessed
- Reasonable size and not as busy as some of the smaller, more secluded beaches
- Cliffs surrounding the beach
- Tunnel which connects it to the next beach
Do be sure to take a walk along Praia da Batata, through the tunnel to the next beach: Praia dos Estudantes
– Praia dos Estudantes
- Two sides to this beach, which are connected by a tunnel.
- Both sides are smaller and more secluded than the likes of Praia da Batata.
- The most scenic of beaches nearest the centre of town. The interesting rock formations, surrounding cliffs and in particular the roman style bridge on the beach make it super picturesque. It is definitely a photo spot!
- Gets very busy!
There is also a cave on the right of the beach, which you can walk through and continue on to the next beach, Praia do Pinhao.
Now those are the closest beaches to the Old Town, but there is another beach gem just over the other side of the Marina: Meia Praia.
– Meia Praia
- Easily reached from the Old Town area by taking the footbridge over the marina, heading to the train station and then back down to the ocean. It is around a 12 minute walk from the footbridge to the beach.
- The longest beach in Lagos – it’s an *around* 4.5km stretch of beautiful white sand.
- Not overly crowded thanks to its size. Even if it is busy, there is so much space for everyone!
- Instead of being surrounded by cliffs, this beach is backed by low sand dunes, giving it another stand out characteristic from the beaches on the other side of the marina.
- Beachside bars and restaurants (at the western end of the beach – nearest the marina).
Those are the beaches nearest the centre of Lagos, but the whole coastline is full of beaches! If you head further along the coast (back on the Old Town side of the marina) you can find the likes of…..
– Praia Dona Ana
- Super stunning beach which can be accessed from the cliffs – just head down the stairs!
- Totally surrounded by cliffs, and looking out to rock formations in the water, it’s hard to beat the scenes here.
- A very popular beach – can get overcrowded depending on the month you visit.
There are also some beach gems that you can’t reach quite so easily… For example:
– Praia do Barranco do Martinho
- A beautiful, secluded gem, nestled between the cliffs.
- A super tranquil spot.
- Most easily reached by boat or kayak. Can be reached on foot but only if you’re willing to tackle the climb down and up!
Hike the Ponta da Piedade Coastline
Ponta da Piedade is the headland along the coast from Lagos, with its stunning cliffs and home to some of the beaches mentioned above. Hiking from Lagos, along the Ponta de Piedade coastal trail, provides the most scenic views of this epic coastline.
Beginning this walk is best done by heading to Praia Dona Ana (by walking on the roads from town). You don’t need to go down to the beach, just head to the viewpoint or at least where you have an amazing view, which you will! From this cliff-top spot, you can easily continue directly along the cliffs. Essentially, just continue to follow the coastline!
I don’t want to spoil it for you *too* much, so I’ll just leave you with some beautiful scenes below to give you a taste of what’s on offer! The hike is SO worth it. It’s not too long in distance either (time-wise, however, it can be long if you stop to admire the scenes as much as we did!).
There are proper walkways on this trail, beginning from near Praia Dona Ana, or you can be a little ‘wild’, go ‘off’ the trail and instead explore along the cliff-edge (not TOO near the cliff-edge though – be careful!). This is definitely the best way to explore. It makes it more of an adventurous walk and the views on offer are even better than from the official walkway.
Just look at the landscape below which I am going through, in comparison to the boardwalk itself. At some points the boardwalk may be best though!
Ponta de Piedade lighthouse can be used as your end point, OR you can continue even further. There are more boardwalks past the lighthouse and again the stunning scenes keep going! Go as far as you desire, you won’t be disappointed with whatever length of walk you manage. Just DO go out and explore along here!
The images below are form past the lighthouse. The second was taken at Miradouro da Praia do Canavial, which isn’t far from the end of the boardwalk. Of course I had to go off the official route for scenes this good!
Explore the Coastline From the Water
While exploring the coastline from the clifftops is amazing, so is experiencing it from the water. This gives a totally different viewpoint, and there are various ways in which you can explore it this way! If you have time, it would be well worth doing both – walking and hitting the water.
– Go on a Boat Tour
One of the most popular activities in Lagos is to go on a boat tour/cruise. There are a range of boat tour/cruise options available. Whether you wish to dolphin watch or simply cruise along the Ponta de Piedade coastline, there is a trip to suit you! Prices do range, with some tours being less than €20 – so this activity is accessible even to budget travellers (as a budget gal I’d say that’s not bad anyway!).
Some of the most popular, top rated boat trips include:
That’s just a small example of some of the top tours on offer. I’ll let you decide for yourselves the tour which suits you best – take a look here for the widest range of boat trip options.
– Go Kayaking
For more of an active, but still relaxing, water experience, you might want to consider going kayaking.
One of the most popular options is the 2.5 hour Lagos: Guided Kayak Tour, leaving from Praia da Batata. There is both a guide and a support boat, so even the novice’s are in safe hands while exploring the rock formations and caves along the coast. A little stop off at a beach is added in too, so you can have the chance to relax and even go into the water.
If you are already a keen kayaker and don’t wish to join an organised tour, you can easily rent a kayak in town. There are a few stores where you can do this from, such as Paddle & Kayak Fun.
– Stand-Up Paddleboarding
Another excellent water activity is to go stand-up paddleboarding.
Like with kayaking, you can do this independently or head out with a group and an instructor.
For an independent SUP experience, simply hire a stand-up paddle board and head out on the water.
If you are new to SUP, the Stand Up Paddle Board Tour in “Ponta Da Piedade” is an excellent choice!
Surfing in Lagos
Portugal is a popular surfing destination, with the Algarve being an excellent area for such. There are various surf beaches in and around Lagos and beyond along the coast. Meia Praia is the most central Lagos beach for surfing.
Even if you have never surfed before, surfing in Lagos welcomes you! This 4.5 hour surf lesson with Salty Waves surf school, open to beginners, is a great place to start. They will pick you up from your accommodation in Lagos, and take you to the best spot to surf that day, depending on the conditions on the water. With an introduction to technique and time out on the waves, this can be an extra, fun addition to your Lagos trip!
Accommodation
Lagos has many accommodation options to suit whatever type of traveller you are. Solo budget backpacker? Lagos is home to plenty of hostels. A couple on a budget trip? Guesthouses in Lagos would suit you well. Looking for a family stay or something a little more luxurious? Head to a hotel or an apartment for some extra space.
Lets take a brief look at some good options of different accommodation types….
– Hostels
Top City Hostel & Suites – rated 9.4 on Hostelworld
Olive Hostel Lagos – rated 9.5 on Hostelworld
Cloud 9 Hostel – rated 9.3 on Hostelworld
While I didn’t stay in a hostel (for once!), the one I personally would opt for is Top City! In particular, the kitchen appears big and bright, the beds look pretty decent (not too rickety) and the rooftop terrace looks nice! Top City also has more of a focus on providing activities to guests, so if you want to meet others and have extra activity options especially at night, this is a good shout! For more of a cosy, homely hostel vibe, however, Olive Hostel would be the go to!
– Guesthouses
Sensations Guesthouse (rated 8.9 on Agoda), is where I stayed on my trip! I travelled with a friend to Lagos, and we were trying to keep costs down. Choosing to stay in at Sensations Guesthouse let us do just that! I particularly liked the little garden area and the inclusion of breakfast! It is located a little further out from the ‘centre’ – around a 15 minute walk from the Old Town. But this just meant we got a little extra walking in. Sometimes it’s nice to stay out a little so you do go beyond the centre of town.
Little Break Guest House (rated 8.8 on Agoda) is another excellent, well priced choice. This guesthouse has an amazing city centre location, in the Old Town, just 600m away from Meie Praia.
Indigo Guesthouse (rated 8.8 on Agoda) is again affordable and well located in the centre – 600m from the fort and 700m from Praia da Batata. Some bonus points for this one is the shared kitchen facilities (love a kitchen – shared kitchen over no kitchen!!), the rooftop with sun-loungers, and some rooms have their own private balcony. The downside is the rooms don’t have a private bathroom – they are shared.
Infante Guesthouse (rated 9.7 on Agoda), is priced a little higher than those mentioned above, but is another super option if you’re not on *such* a budget. This top rated property is located less than 150 m from the marina, which can be viewed from the rooftop terrace, with Meia Praia and the continuation of the coastline visible for a stunning view.
– Hotels
Lagos Avenida Hotel (rated 9.1 on Agoda) gives you much more of a luxury stay in Lagos. This hotel is situated at the marina, so the location is brilliant. There is an outdoor pool overlooking the marina – you can’t get much better pool views in Lagos!
Hotel Marina Rio (rated 9.3 on Agoda) is situated just 90m from Lagos Avenida Hotel. It therefore has the same amazing location and views on offer! This property also has an outdoor rooftop pool, and plenty of sun-loungers to relax overlooking the marina.
Getting to Lagos
The easiest way to reach Lagos is to fly into Faro.
From Faro airport, you can hop on a bus (or take a taxi) into the city, getting off at Faro train station. Trains run direct to Lagos from here, so simply purchase a ticket and take the train! You can buy a ticket at the station or online here. The train rides takes around 1 hour 45 minutes.
(If you aren’t coming direct from Faro but elsewhere on the coast, just take a train from the nearest station!)
If you don’t wish to use public transport and prefer to hire a car for more convenience, pick up a rental car from the airport and head straight to Lagos!
Alternatively, you just might be hitting up Portugal’s capital city, Lisbon, and be wondering if you can easily visit Lagos from there. Or maybe you want to continue on to Lisbon after Lagos. Either way, taking a direct bus from Lisbon to Lagos is the cheapeast option. The bus goes direct and takes a average of 3h 45 minutes, with buses running at various times throughout the day. Lagos bus station is located right by the Old Town.
You can also take a direct bus from Porto to Lagos (or vice versa), taking around 7-8 hours!
