I am thrilled to share my first travel post since the start of COVID! We decided to go on a road trip to the Algarve region in Portugal for a few days in July. Since it is summertime, it was a no brainer to plan our trip around the region, which is famous for its gorgeous beaches. It is also just over two hours away by car from us in Lisbon! 

Portugal has registered zero deaths for the first time this past week, which makes this a particularly opportune time for local travel. However, it is important to keep in mind for countries like the US, that are still battling the virus within state borders, individuals should remain cautious and keep interstate or regional movement to a minimum. My sneaking suspicion is that road tripping will become the most popular choice of travel for the foreseeable future until we get a vaccine. Have you considered which areas nearby you have been wanting to explore but have been keeping in the back-burner? 

Why the Algarve?

Here are some top reasons why we decided to travel to the Algarve for a quick getaway!

– Stunning Beaches: Easily one of the most gorgeous beaches in Europe! The sand is golden, the water a clear green-blue and beaches vary widely from large to small, intimate coves.

– Accessibility: It’s an easy drive from Lisbon and perfect for road tripping! We decided to rent the most adorable Fiat to get there, which is safer than taking public transport or a flight. Many car rentals are also sanitizing each of their cars, including Hertz, which is where we went.

– Accommodation: There are many Airbnb listings for the region due to it being a very popular summer destination.

Lagos

One of the biggest decisions you need to make when booking a holiday in the Algarve is determining which seaside town to stay in. We decided on Lagos (pronounced La-goosh) for several reasons. Firstly, it is close to some very famous beaches, which are known for its dramatic, golden cliffs and blue-green water. Additionally, the town itself is historic and used to be the capital of the Algarve. It is so old that remnants of an old city wall still exist, in fact there are two walls (one built by the Moors and a second by the Portuguese)! In terms of just how historic Lagos is, it is more than 2000 years old and was originally a settlement of the Carthaginians, which was then colonized by the Romans, Visagoths and Byzantines.

During Portugal’s golden era of navigation, the famous ships that sailed all over the world under the leadership of Henry the Navigator were built in Lagos. From here expeditions to India, Africa and the Cape of Good Hope commenced. Back in the day, the harbor was laden with spices, goods and even slaves. In fact, Europe’s first slave market was opened here in 1444. Eventually, Lisbon took on the helm of trade and commerce and Lagos’ central role in trade began to decrease. That being said, today Lagos remains a destination highlight in the Algarve and is one of the most highly recommended places to stay.

It turns out we made a great decision to stay here! Lagos is a small town and is very charming. The homes within the boundaries of the old city walls are old, one-storied and both whitewashed and painted in colorful pastels. I highly recommend you find an airbnb that is located either in or very close to the old city as the views are stunning (check out the view from our balcony above – in the morning and during sunset). The further you move away from the center the more sprawling and urban it all feels.

Town Center

Lagos itself is quite a charming little town! If you walk to the center you will find plenty of restaurants and shops that were open. Despite covid there were several tourists milling about and eating out. We did not spend much time exploring these stores for safety reasons but it is still lovely to walk the narrow cobblestoned streets, enjoy the architecture and walk to the harbor. Especially if you walk away from the main pedestrian streets into the residential areas you can begin to enjoy the charming streets and colorful homes.

Though usually, in all of my posts I have some mention of food and the various delicacies to eat in a given city or town this time around we cooked all of our meals at home! That being said, we did order take out on our last evening to try some piri piri chicken. This dish is a specialty of the Algarve, where whole chickens are barbecued on a hot grill and topped with a spicy chili sauce! You can find this in some parts of Lisbon as well. But it originates from the Algarve and on the coast they also grill a smaller variety of chicken, which makes it a bit different. If you want to try this, I recommend taking out from Churrasqueira Praça d’Armas, which is located smack in the middle of town.

After walking through a bit of the town I highly suggest you walk down the central promenade that leads to the main harbor and eventually to Batata Beach. The promenade is paved alongside the central harbor is absolutely beautiful! Enjoy a leisurely stroll and balmy summer breezes! As you walk past the harbor you will come across Batata Beach, which is the beach directly in front of Lagos. It is a pretty beach but I recommend spending your full days at other nearby beaches, which are a bit more beautiful.

Beaches!

What I love about beach vacations is that they provide the perfect excuse to do absolutely nothing! We return to a simpler way of life. Our modern lives are fast paced demanding us to be productive and “on” at all times. But the sun, sand and sea create a new rhythm that is a breath of fresh air. What we did for five days straight was have a light breakfast, pack lunch and drive to the beach (a new one each day). We would then lay out our towels, our cute green umbrella and read, nap, eat or frolic in the waves on repeat.

So without further or do, here are my favorite beaches, each unique and absolutely worth spending an entire day on! Best of all, all of these are just a short distance away from Lagos.

Meia Praia

If you are looking to lounge on a large beach with expansive views that seem to go on for miles on miles, this is the one for you! In fact, to be precise the beach is 4km long with multiple entry points from the road. Also, if you do not have your own umbrella this beach conveniently has many loungers and umbrellas for rent (approximately €15). There are also a number of restaurants and cafes dotting the coastline should you want a bite to eat. We however, brought along some ham and cheese toasties, grapes and chips (for the entire week), which was perfectly satisfying. Considering COVID, a large and open beach like Meia Praia is ideal. There is enough room for everyone to enjoy and lie on the sand. Also considering the Algarve clearly had less people than usual (most of the beachgoers were Portuguese throughout our trip) this beach felt so spacious!

Ponte de Piedade

We stumbled across this beautiful vista and small beach on our first day on our walk from Batata Beach. So you should note that it is walkable from Lagos Harbor and waterfront! What makes Ponte de Piedade special is its dramatic coastline views where you can admire rock formations, arches and grottoes. You can choose to take a boat tour that will take you to these beautiful rock formations for stunning views if you wish. However, along a small footpath path you can walk to a lovely viewpoint and continue along further down the coastline. Do not miss this gorgeous walk! For some of the other beaches you will also notice that there are footpaths as well. I recommend you enjoy the beach first and then later in the afternoon do a little hike because the views are worth it!

Praia da Marinha

This beach is one of the most iconic in the Algarve and according to Michelin guide, it falls in the top 10 beaches in Europe! There are golden cliffs that frame the entire beach and water that is so translucent that you can see to the bottom. This is also a wonderful place to go snorkeling as you may see starfish, sea urchins, shrimp and even seahorses!  There is also a cliff walk that leads to some impressive and dramatic vistas. You can view some famous rock formations that look like a giant “M.”

 The beach itself is a nice size, not too big and not too small. Come here early to stake out a prime spot. You will definitely want to bring your own umbrella and towels and can purchase these inexpensively by the stairs leading down to the beach. Note that from Lagos Praia da Marinha is further away at approximately 30 minutes by car. But it is worth it and was probably one of my most favorite beaches we visited! Also, potentially due to COVID security personnel blocked off the road leading directly to the beach. You will have to park outside and walk for approximately 10-15 minutes to the beach. 

Praia da Dona Ana

This beautiful beach is located between Lagos and Ponte de Piedade and is a great size given it is not too bit or too small! The water similar to Ponte de Piedade and Praia do Camilo is calm and clear. At low tide, when the water begins to recede, there is another more secluded area of the beach that can be accessed (left side). I recommend setting up on this side as it is less crowded.

Similar to Praia de Marinha the beach is surrounded by golden cliffs. Though, this beach is a bit bigger so it feels more spacious. If you prefer to rent an umbrella and chairs there is a section in the middle where you can do so! At low tide there are small arches that appear in some of the rock formations. This is a great place to go snorkeling and there are lots of beautiful shells here! A little backstory of this beach for those of you who love history. The beach is named after a nun who lived in a nearby convent during World War I. Soldiers unfortunately invaded and killed all of the nuns in except for one named Dona Ana. She managed to escape to the beach through one of the small passages in the cliffs that can be found during low tide.

Praia Camilo

This beach may very well have been my favorite! It is the smallest of the beaches we visited and secluded. However, this also meant it was more crowded! Note that given its small size during high tide the amount of space really decreases. As a result I recommend you come in the morning (as early as possible) and leave when it gets too crowded. The reason why this was my favorite beach is because the water is so clear and calm (a gorgeous green color) you can easily see the bottom and the sand is soft (no weird seaweed, rocks or stones).

We ended up leaving in the afternoon because the beach was getting progressively crowded (the first photo below is when we left)! Views from the iconic stairs are absolutely stunning. for those who are older and have trouble with mobility this may be a bit of a challenge. Another thing to note is that on the day we visited it was very windy and we found it hard to pitch up an umbrella. In general, if it is windy think twice about opening an umbrella as it can be a hazard.

Praia Porto do Mos

After leaving Praia Camilo we decided to check out neighboring Praia Porto do Mos! This is my favorite large beach and given the huge expanse of sand it’s perfect for keeping socially distant! The water is gorgeously transparent and calm, though cold, and the sand is very soft. No weird seaweed, pebbles or rocks in the water as well. There are areas of the beach where shallow pools of water collect and are perfect for little kids to play in. 

We sat on the Western side of the beach, which was less crowded but it was incredibly windy! Moving to the East it was much calmer and there were definitely areas where there were less people. I could see myself coming to this beach frequently if we lived in the Algarve! A great contrast to the more small, intimate beaches and coves.

Final Notes

All in all, the Algarve is a fantastic place to visit via car! Especially given the time of year, a beach vacation is a great way to get some fresh air and explore! If you find yourself in Portugal, absolutely do not skip out on exploring the Algarve. These beaches are incredibly beautiful, unique and another wonderful side to the country. The seaside towns including Lagos are also charming, historic and invite you into a more relaxed pace in life.

If you’re itching to explore other parts of Portugal check out my posts on Porto, Évora, Sintra and Cascais! Stay safe my friends and bon voyage!