Travel Diary: 24 Hours in Lagos, in Portugal's Algarve Region

Lagos was the last stop on my Portugal trip with my girlfriends! After visiting Porto and then Lisbon, we took the train to Lagos on a Thursday morning, where we stayed until Friday afternoon. 

We had left the U.S. on a Friday, landed in Portugal on Saturday, and left Portugal the following Friday -- so we managed to hit 3 cities in Portugal in 7 days on the ground!

To be honest, as we were planning our trip, we knew that we were likely trying to fit in too much in just a week -- but we were determined to make Lagos fit in somehow, even if it was for only a short time. 

Which I'm so thankful for! Lagos was an incredible experience and one of the most beautiful places I've ever been, with tall cliffs and dazzling blue-green water.

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tips and general info:

  • Most of the beaches I saw in Lagos were very different than what I was used to with American beaches. There are a lot of cliffs and not a lot of space, and they're not continuous like the coasts of Florida. But they are stunning! If you're looking for a spacious beach, try Meia Praia beach.
  • If you're most interested in being close by the dramatic cliffs and beautiful beaches, I'd recommend staying around Ponte da Piedade.
  • It was very windy in Lagos, especially at night, so I was glad I had a cardigan with me.
  • If you're looking for day trips, two highly recommended places are Sagres (most southwestern point of the Algarve) and Silves.
  • If you're not into beaches or hikes, there are also vineyards in the Algarve!

itinerary:

  • We arrived by train from Lisbon. Since we were short on time, we decided to hike that afternoon/evening, then spend the next day enjoying the beach before flying home.
  • For our hike, we first reached out to the West Coast Adventure Co. It was short notice and the tour guide was booked, so we ended up booking through Backyard Tours -- and our guides were very knowledgeable and obviously passionate about their work! They even gave us tips on how to properly eat sardines :-)
  • We ate at O Camilo, where we put our new sardine skills to the test!
  • We stayed at Villas D. Dinis, which was conveniently located to both the beach (5 minutes) and the town (less than a mile) and was in general adorable.

photo diary:

Early in the morning, before the beach goers arrived.



Ponta da Piedade








Pretending I was Ariel, the little mermaid



Eating sardines and trying to remember what our tour guides told us!




Views from our hike!






At the end of the world!
(And you can tell I wasn't willing to give up room in my suitcase to pack real hiking clothes, haha!)


Can you spot my friend?


Can you still find her?







where to eat and drink:

  • Pom Pom Bagels (breakfast and lunch)
  • Goji Lounge Café (breakfast and lunch)
  • Croissanteria 29 (breakfast and lunch)
  • Padaria Central (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)
  • Poké Lagos (lunch and dinner)
  • Casa do Prego (lunch and dinner)
  • O Camilo (lunch and dinner)
  • Luca’s Rooftop Restaurant (lunch and dinner)
  • Tasca do Kiko (lunch and dinner)
  • O Mexilhao (lunch and dinner)
  • Real Portuguese Cuisine (dinner)
  • The Green Room
  • Nah Nah Bah
  • La Esterella
  • Zanzibar
  • The Star
  • Gelicia (gelato)
  • Crema Di Gelato

what to do:

  • Do an outdoor tour with the West Coast Adventure Co.
  • Hike
  • Take a boat tour
  • Kayak
  • Surf
  • Scuba dive or snorkel
  • Go to the beach - Ponta da Piedade, Praia da Marinha, Praia De São Roque, Praia dos Estudantes, Praia do Camilo, Lagos Marino
  • Tour Lagos Fortress
  • Explore Ciencia Viva Science Center
  • Explore the Old Town of Lagos
  • Horseback riding
  • Visit a vineyard for wine tasting

links I used or recommend:

Lagos is up there as one of the prettiest places I've ever been (alongside New Zealand and the Enchantments in Washington state). While I of course wish we'd had more time to see more of it and soak it all in, I'm glad we were determined to make it work during our week in Portugal. If you only have a day or so, I'd definitely fit it into your schedule, as it's do-able even in a short time.

Click here to read my travel diary of Porto and click here to read my travel diary of Lisbon!

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