🇵🇹 Algarve from East to West - Top cities and places 🇵🇹

🇵🇹 Algarve from East to West - Top cities and places 🇵🇹

If you are reading this, it means you plan (or are already) in Algarve and thus Bienvenido a Portugal ! This guide comprise essential information concerning your trip to Algarve as well as a 5-days itinerary journey. Full of nice places to visit, eat, and stay at. Summary: -Introduction -The weather -The budget -The transports -5 days itinerary plan with activities, place to visit, stay and eat In sum, over 53 places that I hope you will like. Hope you enjoy it 😊
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Introduction

Algarve is a magnificent place to go. Sunny, warm, good food, nice beaches, nice nightlife and nature - seems to be like (almost) paradise. After leaving there and working there, I wanted to share with you guys my " Must Do ".

Algarve is a beautiful place but also very touristic. In my opinion, I would say that it is more a place to relax and experience nature than to go for the cultural aspects - even though you can definitely find both.

How long should you stay ?

A week seems more than enough if you want to visit Algarve - depending on what you looking for. You could even do less by having a more intense journey but will still remain enjoyable.

The Weather

In Algarve, you are very unlikely to be disappointed by the weather. However, bare in minds that you are near the ocean and thus it can get windy and chill at night (and day sometimes) - don't forget your jacket/sweatshirt !

The Budget

Traveling in Algarve is affordable. Portugal in general, from my experience, is among one of the most economical countries in Europe. Algarve has the specificity (and reputation) of being the most expensive region in Portugal. Still, a pint of beer will cost you around 3 euros - and even lower sometimes. I would say from my experience that a night will on average be around 50-60 euros per nights for a 3 star hotel. For a meal, 10-15 euros will get you something that will for sure fulfil your appetite.

Transport

Airports

Faro

This airport is the easier to get to Algarve. Already sets you in the area and good entry point to start your itinerary. Close to the city center, it has also the convenience of being quite small, which has its advantages.

Lisboa

More flight options, bigger airport, however a bit far. Bus exist to do the liaison Lisboa - Faro. By car otherwise you can think of around 3h from Lisboa to Faro.

Get around in Algarve

Once you are in algarve, plenty of options are offered to you. I have personally used a mixture of them and I would say it comes down to your budget and how you want to spend your time.

Bus

You can get across Algarve pretty easily. However, bare in minds that you may have a lot of connections to do to get from point A to point B - thus making you lose a lot of time.

Uber

Yes, the American company has taken over the Portuguese south. With Uber (or regular cab by the way) you can travel from town to town at a quite affordable budget. Around 30-35 euros from Faro to Albufeira (40-45min drive), around 20-25 euros from Albufeira to Lagos (around 30 min drive). Thus, where a bus ticket from Albufeira to Lagos cost you 15 euros, if you are two or more, you may be tempted to take a Uber.

Car

Pretty affordable. Renting a car can seem one of the best option to get around if you travel as a couple or group. Distance between cities are usually within an hour. Driving in Portugal is safe - nothing special compare to other places in Europe (e.g. Italy or France). As cities are human size, you will never encounter the experience of driving like being in a major city.

Van

Roadtrips in Algarve is something that has already caught the attention of loads of tourists. You have plenty of areas where you could stop by and it's an alternative way of exploring Algarve.

My advice: depending on how many you are, you may want to get a car or an UBER. If solo, bus is a good option but will still limit you for some places (e.g. Benagil).

What to do - a suggestive tour

Assuming you are lending in Faro, this would be the itinerary I would advise you to do:

Day 1

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 As you would lend to Faro mid-day, let's say you get to your hotel and are ok to start your adventure from the afternoon. I would avise you to take this opportunity to visit Faro and take it lightly from here. It is your first day so let it be chill (or not 🤷‍♂️). Faro is a quite small town and everything is accessible by walking. Here is a list of what you have to visit at Faro:

You can start you journey at the Faro sign on the marina

I Love Faro Sign
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from here, you can walk along the marina and head you way to:

Arco da Vila
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this is the entrance of the "old town", bare in minds that most of the major cities in Algarve have what they call an "old town". I may be a bit hard on them (sorry my fellow Portuguese friends) but there is usually little to see. Most of the time it will take you couple of hours (1-2 hours at max) to visit everything. In this part of Faro you will be able to observe those places:

Santa Maria Cathedral
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Cerca urbana de Faro
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Municipal Museum of Faro
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BONUS TIME

If you go towards the main parking on the east side, you will be able to see the walls of the castle and the Ria Formosa (one tiny part) at the end of this parking on the east part, you will have the church Igreja de Sao Francisco - which is nice - and the Memorial dos Pescadores Farenses. Those two are really bonus and are not "essential to your visit" but because you may be like 3 min walking from there, why not ...

Church São Francisco
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Memorial dos Pescadores Farenses
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On your way back to the city center, I would strongly advise you to pass through the Belmarço palace. The place is very cute and the architecture is splendid. You will also find the Consulado Brasileiro that stands out by its yellow colour.

Belmarço Palace
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Consulado Brasileiro
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From here, you can just explore the city center, its small and cute streets, and head to the last main place to visit: the Church of the third order of Our Lady of Monte do Carmo and the cappela dos Ossos de Faro

Church of the Third Order of Our Lady of Monte do Carmo
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Capela dos Ossos de Faro
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Where to stay

Senhor Gigi
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From my personal experience (as a couple here) I found the place Senhor Gigi a must. Located in the center of Faro in a very cute street, this typical Portuguese house offer you all the local charm.
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Day 2

For this second day I would advise you to go to Tavira, Olhão and the Ria Formosa. Tavira is a very charming city and it's the perfect destination to kick-off your second day. You can spend your morning over there, have a lunch.

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Here, my advice would be to visit/see the Castelo de Tavira and from there just explore the area. The ponte antiga de Tavira is also one of the main thing to see, but again, I found the real charm of those cities is just to explore the small streets and just embrace the Portuguese vibe with little shops and coffee.

Castelo de Tavira
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Ponte antiga de Tavira
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From Tavira, I would strongly advise to go to Olhão as it is one of the main hub to explore the Ria Formosa.

Olhão
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WARNING: you cannot go there by bridge, only boats can bring you. I am saying this as I have witnessed people getting scammed by Uber that would accept journey to culatra island and others.
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Here, let me give you the contact of THE GUY, Manuel who has a boat company, a local from culatra islands and who is an angel. He will make you visit the Ria Formosa and their islands, bring you eventually to its place for an oyster tasting session paired with green wine from Portugal, and just give you plenty of anecdotes about its hometown.

CulatraTours
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Parque Natural da Ria Formosa
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Where to eat

Little story time: when we went with a friend, we told him that we were in love with the infamous Pastel de Nata. He could not contain his laugh as we seemed so desperate to have our Pastel de Nata for the day; therefore he offered to take us to his favorite pastry shop. We were so excited! At the end of the tour, like he said he showed, and kindly let us eat, some of those beautiful pastries, which I ranked some of the best Pastel de Nata of my stay. That my friends, is the perfect example of the Portuguese hospitality.

Cristy
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One of the best Pastel De Nata
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Pastelaria Neusa
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After this long day and all of these sweets, I would say it's time to go back to Faro for a fado night. Indeed, Fado music is a typical genre in Portugal. It is a memorable experience both by the incredible voice and the performance of the singer.

O Castelo
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In the heart of the old town, you have a place named O Castelo which is a beautiful corner where they propose Fado concerts during the week. Food is okay, do not expect something extraordinary but you pay for the show so at the end still worth it.
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Day 3

To kick-off your day, from Faro take the road to Loulé.

Loulé
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Known for its market, it's once again a cute city to visit. Going there the morning will allow you to really gauge the life of this city with its indoor market. TIP: on Saturdays you have the big market that spreads in the streets and it is a real experience to live if you can.
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Other than the market, explore the streets of Loulé, visit if you want the castle (very little museum but gives you the view once you get on the top). Other than that, a break at the Jardin dos Amuados is a nice way to finish your visit of Loulé.

Castelo de Loulé
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Jardim dos Amuados
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Where to eat

Café Calcinha
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For the rest of the day, let's head to the one and only: Benagil caves ! To get there there is no direct bus. Cab, car or Uber would be your go to - and yes, you can easily find an uber on your way back.

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Here I put you two of the best options I found.

- Kayaking: Once you arrive in Benagil, you will encounters several company that offers you to rent a kayak. Usually it's 2-persons kayak (FYI). Personally, I went with Clear emotions. It costs us 41.95 euros for two from 5-7pm. I preferred going for the late afternoon so that you have less people and can take nice pictures. The way around (going there super early) is also a way to go.

- Boat: some companies leaving from Albufeira Marina will offer several types of tour: Caves, Dolphins + Caves. It offers you a different type of experience and it is up to you to choose whatever suits you best.

Where to eat

Boneca Bar
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What can I say about this restaurant - affordable, magnificently located, delicious food
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After this stay, it should already be an exhaustive day. I would advise you to spend the night near Albufeira.

Albufeira Old Town
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It is not a nice city to be honest - nothing compare to what you have seen so far. Main city of the areas, it has the advantage to host nice restaurants and bar. It is also infamously known to be "one the places" to party. Old town is still something you can visit and otherwise for shopping purposes.
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BONUS TIME

Olhos de Água
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Located just close to Albufeira, Olhos de Agua offers you a quieter and more intimate experience. Even though we are still in Algarve and near Albufeira (loads of seasonal buildings and hotel) it has a small harbour very cute with nice coffees to relax.
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Where to stay

Club Med da Balaia
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All-inclusive French brand, Club Med has the advantage to have activities included such as golf, tennis and circus. It has also kids clubs. Could become a nice headquarter if you want to explore the Algarve from there. Would advise the rooms in the Lisboa building as they are more recent. BE CAREFUL, can have a lot of children during the French/Belgium holidays.
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Hotel Topázio
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Cheaper option the Hotel Topazio is a nice hotel to just spend the night. You get what you paid for at a relatively affordable price. Nothing else to say except that for our itinerary it checks the boxes. Nice breakfast though :)
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Where to eat

- The restaurant of the Club Med is a nice option. You can access to it by getting a day/evening pass (around 70 euros for the 10 am - 6pm session).  You will get access to all the amenities including the free-flow bar and buffet restaurant which offers local speciality (be careful it is not everyday for the speciality and don't expect grandmother's food).

- For a drink I would advise you this place. Does not seem "the place" but had a nice vibe, nice songs, two pool tables and a nice staff.

Cabana Bar
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Other than that (I know quite poor on the suggestions sorry), Albufeira is filled with very touristic restaurants. Are they bad ? No, but compare to what you can find in Portugal it's a pity.

Where to go out

The Strip
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If you want to party hard and get wasted with a bunch of my lovely UK lads, this is your place. 🥳
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Lick
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The biggest club in the area with renown dj guests. It's simply HUGE
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Day 4

On this 4th day (already), we head to the ancient Maure capital - Silves.

Silves
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Very typical Algarve's city, Silves is a nice place to go, especially for its red stones castle on top of the city. I found this city lovely and particularly charming.
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Among the thing to see in Silves, here are the two main attractions:

Castelo de Silves
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Cathedral of Silves
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After this escapade, you have the choice to make your way to Monchique and Foia (the highest point of Algarve)

Monchique
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Viewpoint of the FOIA
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Where to eat

Velochique
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After the break at Velochique, a pretty singular place, a made match for bike lovers, you can head to Lagos.
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In my (humble) opinion, Lagos is one of the best city in Algarve. The nice streets, churches, restaurants and pubs. I recommend it to anyone who ask me about whats to see in Algarve.

Green house
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Old Town Lagos
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Igreja de Santo António
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Forte da Ponta da Bandeira
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Where to eat

GeIícia - Italian Gelato - Lagos
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Delicious Italian ice cream - validated by a (very picky) Italian ( <3 Linda )
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Taberna da mó
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Nice tapas and affordable. Well located.
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The Garden
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Well decorated and a bit more intimate, with nice food (greek especially).
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For a drink, I would recommend a place very atypic, with a german owner who has an outstanding collection of Gin. Excellent cocktail and very intimate - a go to. It is Rua Soeiro Da costa if you drop by. I unfortunately don't remember the name of the place

Day 5

At this stage you have already experienced Algarve in a deep way  - lucky you !

Today rhythm with beaches. I will make a full guide on the most beautiful beaches in Algarve 🤩 it will be attach just here 👇.

Meanwhile, South of Lagos you have plenty of nice beaches to explore, one of the most well known is Praia do Camilo.

Praia do Camilo
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After a nice sunbath, THE OPPORTUNITY to not miss is the sunset at Cabo São Vicente. It is THE SPOT to take your most beautiful pictures. To all my dear Van-travellers, this is where you want to take your 4-wheels home. On your way there, don't miss the Sagres Fortress. Because you might have a difference between your visit at the fortress and the sunset, you might want to stop by the center of Sagres to get a beer.

Fun story: they don't serve Sagres in Sagres, only Superbock - at least in the bar I went.

Sagres Fortress
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Cabo de São Vicente
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BONUS TIME

Vilamoura
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On your way back to Faro to get your flight (or if you have more time by van) you can go to Vilamoura. Known to be the "jet-set" place with yachts, there is nothing special to visit but still remain a place nice to hangout in.
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THE END 

Thank you to have read this far we really appreciate. If you enjoyed this guide, you can support us by leaving a tip, sending us feedback via our mail, and/or share it. See you soon on another adventure !

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
We're Linda and Maxime, a 🇮🇹-🇫🇷 couple who would describe ourselves as unstoppable. We're both adventurers in our own way. Linda has been traveling since she was very young. Since her parents owned a travel agency, she has scoured the globe and the continents. She's always on the lookout for great hotels and must-see activities; she tries out everything there is to do and is always ready with good advice! As for me (Maxime ;) ), I'm lucky enough to be able to travel around the world. A little more adventurous in my approach to travel, I'm above all the couple's culinary curiosity buff. From scorpion to pheasant shark to fertilized eggs, I taste ABSOLUTELY everything! With all this experience accumulated, we'd like to share it with you today 0:) We look forward to hearing from you, because this is the only way we'll grow <3 WE WISH YOU A LOVELY TRIP !!!! Nous sommes Linda et Maxime et nous sommes un couple 🇮🇹-🇫🇷 , nous nous décririons comme inarrêtables. Nous sommes deux aventuriers à nos façons. Linda voyage depuis son plus jeune âge. Ses parents ayant une agence de voyage, elle a parcouru le globe et les continents. Les supers hôtels et les activités à ne surtout pas manquer; elle teste touts ce qu'il y a faire et est toujours de bon conseils ! Pour ma part ( Maxime ;) ), j'ai la chance d'aussi voyager autour du monde. Un peu plus aventureux dans mon approche au voyage, je suis surtout le grand curieux culinaire du couple. du scorpion en passant par le requin faisandé ou encore les oeufs fertilisés, je goûte ABSOLUMENT tout ! Avec toute cette expérience, on souhaite aujourd'hui vous la partager 0:) On attend vos retours avec impatience car ce n'est que comme ça que nous grandirons <3 BON VOYAGE A VOUS !!!! Gollum would appreciate your PRECIOUS 💍 feedbacks at: linda.maxime01@gmail.com
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