Day 1- Head to the Algarve
We took a bus from Lisbon to Lagoa station. This was approximately three hours and very comfortable. The bus had leather seats and was spacious. From Lagoa station we took an Uber to our AirBnB in Carvoeiro where we stayed for the next couple nights. I would highly recommend staying here! Carvoeiro is a great beach town centrally located to a lot of great sights and has good bars and restaurants.
One our first day here we walked around the main down town area checking out the shops, bars and restaurants. We stocked up on some wine, meats and cheeses and a couple other necessities. One of our favorite things to do after exploring was to create a charcuterie board and have some wine after a long day of exploring.
After getting settled, we went to explore Algar Seco.
Within Algar Seco is a great restaurant Boneca Bar. Not only is this restaurant in a great location the food here is excellent (we ate lunch here multiple times).
After lunch we continued to walk around Algar Seco and Carvoeiro beach.
Day 2- Hike the Seven Hanging Valley Trail
On the fifth day we hiked the Seven Hanging Valley trail from Carvoiero Beach to Benagil Beach.
This was an amazing way to view the coast line and explore the many beaches along the way. This hike took us across many different landscapes and gave us unmatched views. While hiking a storm quickly rolled in. Lucky for us we were at Praia do Vale Centeanes which has a restaurant O Stop. We ate here and waited out the storm to continue to Benagil Beach. I will create a more detailed post about the trail.
While on the way to Benagil Beach we stopped at the follow beaches and sites:
- Vale de Covo beach
- Praia do Vale Centeanes
- Alfanzina Lighthouse
- Vale Espinhaco Beach
- Carvalho beach
- Benagil Beach
When we got to Begagil Beach another storm was rolling in so after a short visit we left and went back to our AirBnB.
Day 3- Benagil Beach/Kayak to Benagil Cave
On the 6th day we took an Uber back to Benagil Beach to rent Kayaks and visit Benagil Cave. The only way to enter the cave is by kayaking or paddle boarding in. There are many places to rent Kayaks from I suggest making a reservation in advance.
After kayaking and spending some time in the cave, we hiked the rest of the Seven Hanging Valley Trail to Praia da Marinha. We spent some time hanging out on this beach before heading back to Boneca Bar for another amazing lunch.
Day 4- Day trip to Lagos
Lagos to Carvoiero is about a 35 min ride by bus (from Lagoa) or Uber. We opted to take an Uber.
There are many great beaches to explore. We chose to visit Praia Dona Ana and Praia do Camilo. The walk to Praia do Camilo is another scenic boardwalk along the cliffs. This boardwalk leads to a 200 step staircase leading down to the beach. Atop the staircase is a nice beach bar, while we didn't eat here we saw many people having snacks and wine. After some time at the beach we headed back into downtown Lagos to explore the old town. This was definitely a much slower paced day that was much needed at this point in our trip.
Day 5- Faro
On our last full day in Portugal we headed to Faro to explore this city. The drive from Carvoeiro to Faro is about an hour by car. Faro is such a cute city to walk around. While there we explored the Capela dos Ossos- Faro’s chapel of the bones . This chapel is covered with the bones and skulls of an estimated 1300 monks (open: Monday - Friday 10:30-12:30 and 2-5)
Faro is situated right on the water which provides amazing sunset views!
Bars/Restaurants
- Bonecca Bar
- A Gale
- Restaurante Casa Algarvia
- Villa Medici
- Restaurante Donna Maria
- The Roundup Saloon- Fun bar with live music and karaoke
- O Castelo- Faro, Great food and spot for sunset views. When we went there was a band playing fado music
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