You could spend weeks and months exploring the southwestern corner of Portugal but you've probably only got a few days. The region has been popular with holidaymakers and expats for generations, drawn by the glorious climate, often unspoilt scenery and laidback pace of life. Even now, if you're willing to stary off the beaten track from time to time, it's still possible to stumble upon an umblemished corner and begin your own adventure. Whether you want to soak up some late summer rays on a glorious beach, sample the best regional cuisine, wander round the whitewashed streets of old Lagos or throw back a few sundowners down by the sea, we've got some cracking tips for you right here.
Beaches
This stretch of Portugal's coastline is characterised by a combination of picturesque small coves, sweeping expanses of golden sand and clean seas.
Going West:
Lagos is blessed with some terrific local beaches. Arguably the best of the lot is Meia Praia, a wide arc of clean, golden sand stretching about 10km eastwards from the town itself. It's worth the effort to head up the beach and away from the town-end; the further you get, the more you'll be rewarded with clear sands, great swimming and a wide horizon. Be aware currents here can be strong so always look at the lifeguard flags and do tell someone you're going for a dip. There is a tiny ferry linking the town centre to the beach by traversing the narrow channel that links marina and sea. Costs about a Euro and goes every few mins from the steps near the Fish Market and taxi rank. By 'ferry', I mean tiny boat!
Heading west, you'll find a picturesque string of azure coves known collectively as Praia da Patata, which have graced many a postcard. Beware, though, the closer the beach is to the town, the more busy it will get and Patata can be quite...snug. Beyond Patata lie high cliffs from which you can access a series of yet more lovely beaches (you may want to rent a mountain bike and take it for a spin along the clifftops for amazing views) until you hit Burgau. Further still is Praia da Luz, which, sadly, is largely overrun by package tourists in the high summer. You might want to give it a miss! From here, things start to get more interesting!
Zavial and Ingrina are two of our favourite beaches (adjacent to one other and about 35 mins drive west from Lagos centre). Zavial, in particular, is glorious. Both have beach bars overlooking the water.
West Coast beaches - for the more intrepid sun worshippers among you only but your effort will be rewarded by stunning vistas and majestic sweeps of deserted beach and some serious swell. Great for bodyboarding and surfing; amazing for beach cricket. You'll need a car and directions, though, so give us a shout if you'd like to go and we'll show you the way.
Beach bars - Meia Praia, the beach that extends eastwards from Lagos for about 10 km, is peppered with a regular smattering of laid-back beach bars where you'll find cold beer, sangria and food, ranging from snacks to full-blown fish dinners. In fact, almost all but the most remote of the west coast beaches will have something to offer so take your pick and kick back.
Going West:
Lagos is blessed with some terrific local beaches. Arguably the best of the lot is Meia Praia, a wide arc of clean, golden sand stretching about 10km eastwards from the town itself. It's worth the effort to head up the beach and away from the town-end; the further you get, the more you'll be rewarded with clear sands, great swimming and a wide horizon. Be aware currents here can be strong so always look at the lifeguard flags and do tell someone you're going for a dip. There is a tiny ferry linking the town centre to the beach by traversing the narrow channel that links marina and sea. Costs about a Euro and goes every few mins from the steps near the Fish Market and taxi rank. By 'ferry', I mean tiny boat!
Heading west, you'll find a picturesque string of azure coves known collectively as Praia da Patata, which have graced many a postcard. Beware, though, the closer the beach is to the town, the more busy it will get and Patata can be quite...snug. Beyond Patata lie high cliffs from which you can access a series of yet more lovely beaches (you may want to rent a mountain bike and take it for a spin along the clifftops for amazing views) until you hit Burgau. Further still is Praia da Luz, which, sadly, is largely overrun by package tourists in the high summer. You might want to give it a miss! From here, things start to get more interesting!
Zavial and Ingrina are two of our favourite beaches (adjacent to one other and about 35 mins drive west from Lagos centre). Zavial, in particular, is glorious. Both have beach bars overlooking the water.
West Coast beaches - for the more intrepid sun worshippers among you only but your effort will be rewarded by stunning vistas and majestic sweeps of deserted beach and some serious swell. Great for bodyboarding and surfing; amazing for beach cricket. You'll need a car and directions, though, so give us a shout if you'd like to go and we'll show you the way.
Beach bars - Meia Praia, the beach that extends eastwards from Lagos for about 10 km, is peppered with a regular smattering of laid-back beach bars where you'll find cold beer, sangria and food, ranging from snacks to full-blown fish dinners. In fact, almost all but the most remote of the west coast beaches will have something to offer so take your pick and kick back.
Eating
As many of you will probably know, we like food. A lot. And Portugal remains hugely underrated as a gastronomic destination. On the south coast, you'll find squeaky fresh seafood and fish alongside amazing fruit and veg. The aroma of grilling sardines that wafts provocatively down every street is a bona fide life experience and everyone, everywhere, will have their favourite for chicken peri-peri. If you get the right place, the latter is an entirely different experience to what you may have come to expect in the UK - something to do with the local species of long-legged chicken apparently! Here, we've included a handful of recommendations to whet your appetite but we'll be adding many more over the coming months.
'The Fish Sheds' - Hang out with fishermen (and a few in the-know tourists!) while you chow down on squeaky fresh fish and superb clams. Not for the faint-hearted but a genuine, hugey unpretentious, strip-lit joy. They do have an actual name so give us a shout if you fancy and we'll point you in the right direction.
The Sizzling Prawn (actual name = Por do Sol)- this is the place for booootiful garlic prawns for a steal. Oh and it's on the beach. Preddy, preddy, preddy good. Situated towards the far Eastern end of Meia Praia beach.
Dos Irmaos - inside this longstanding Lagos favourite is not much to write home about. But grab a table outside on the cobbles and you're onto a winner. Good for traditional Portuguese fare and the hearty monkfish kebabs are a steal.
Cachoa - tricky to find, this serene place is in the valley about 2km outside Lagos itself. Internatinoal cuisine.
Restaurante dos Artistas - Portuguese and international cuisine in the centre of Lagos; al fresco dining.
Churrasqueira Marques - takeout but not as you know it. The best peri-peri in town! Directions available on request.
Canico - about 20km or so east from Lagos, near Alvor, you'll find this amazing place nestled in the cliffs overlooking a beach. It can be a bit tricky to find so ask us for the lowdown but it's worth the effort. Descend through the rock in an elevator and you find a gloriously romantic location and excellent food with a focus on fish and seafood, as its location befits. Prices are a little higher but you can go for a stroll on the beach after dinner. Doesn't get better than that.
O Antonio - fantastic location, overlooking the beach at Porto de Mos, just 5-10 mins to the west of Lagos. Get here in time for sunset. Fresh fish and clams are the order of the day here, the latter served bulhao a pato are particularly excellent. Here's a photo of the ones I ordered on Monday night!
Linda Bar - a Lagos institution, this place has graduated from thatched beach shack into a fairly snazzy beachside eatery but it retains its reputaton for simple and delicious food. WInning location, too, right on the beach and only a short walk from town.
Bahia Beach Bar - like Linda's, Bahia is right on the beach serving decent international fare and it normally has live music every Sunday.
Onda Norte - for carnivores only. Steak for a steal at this no-frills Brazilian joint.
Cafe do Mar - at the far eastern end of the main avenida on the left as you head up the hill. This more upmarket place has fabulous views over the bay and good seafood.
Navagador Terrazza - a town centre option at the higher end of the budget but with reliable chow and more great views form its perch overlooking the marina and the bay.
Don Sebastio and Venezo - two of a string of restaurants you'll find clustered in the middle of the town, catering mainly for tourists. That's not to denegrate the food - in fact, it can often be very good but just rememebr you're likely to pay a little more here. Still, the atmosphere and the chance to dine al fresco on the cobbled streets is a major draw.
'The Fish Sheds' - Hang out with fishermen (and a few in the-know tourists!) while you chow down on squeaky fresh fish and superb clams. Not for the faint-hearted but a genuine, hugey unpretentious, strip-lit joy. They do have an actual name so give us a shout if you fancy and we'll point you in the right direction.
The Sizzling Prawn (actual name = Por do Sol)- this is the place for booootiful garlic prawns for a steal. Oh and it's on the beach. Preddy, preddy, preddy good. Situated towards the far Eastern end of Meia Praia beach.
Dos Irmaos - inside this longstanding Lagos favourite is not much to write home about. But grab a table outside on the cobbles and you're onto a winner. Good for traditional Portuguese fare and the hearty monkfish kebabs are a steal.
Cachoa - tricky to find, this serene place is in the valley about 2km outside Lagos itself. Internatinoal cuisine.
Restaurante dos Artistas - Portuguese and international cuisine in the centre of Lagos; al fresco dining.
Churrasqueira Marques - takeout but not as you know it. The best peri-peri in town! Directions available on request.
Canico - about 20km or so east from Lagos, near Alvor, you'll find this amazing place nestled in the cliffs overlooking a beach. It can be a bit tricky to find so ask us for the lowdown but it's worth the effort. Descend through the rock in an elevator and you find a gloriously romantic location and excellent food with a focus on fish and seafood, as its location befits. Prices are a little higher but you can go for a stroll on the beach after dinner. Doesn't get better than that.
O Antonio - fantastic location, overlooking the beach at Porto de Mos, just 5-10 mins to the west of Lagos. Get here in time for sunset. Fresh fish and clams are the order of the day here, the latter served bulhao a pato are particularly excellent. Here's a photo of the ones I ordered on Monday night!
Linda Bar - a Lagos institution, this place has graduated from thatched beach shack into a fairly snazzy beachside eatery but it retains its reputaton for simple and delicious food. WInning location, too, right on the beach and only a short walk from town.
Bahia Beach Bar - like Linda's, Bahia is right on the beach serving decent international fare and it normally has live music every Sunday.
Onda Norte - for carnivores only. Steak for a steal at this no-frills Brazilian joint.
Cafe do Mar - at the far eastern end of the main avenida on the left as you head up the hill. This more upmarket place has fabulous views over the bay and good seafood.
Navagador Terrazza - a town centre option at the higher end of the budget but with reliable chow and more great views form its perch overlooking the marina and the bay.
Don Sebastio and Venezo - two of a string of restaurants you'll find clustered in the middle of the town, catering mainly for tourists. That's not to denegrate the food - in fact, it can often be very good but just rememebr you're likely to pay a little more here. Still, the atmosphere and the chance to dine al fresco on the cobbled streets is a major draw.
Some other things to do
Once you've roasted on the beach, swum in the sea and stuffed yourself silly with sardines, you might fancy doing something else so here's a few ideas as a starter for ten:
Serra de Monchique - head north away from the Algarve and into the hills and the scenery changes quite dramatically. Hillside villages and magnificent vistas down to the sea are de rigeur and this area can provide welcome and verdant respite from the heat of the sun. Caldas de Monchique is a spa town.
Peremito Florestal - if the heat gets too much, think about going off the beaten track and heading into the Florestal, a glorious forested area just up the road from Lagos where you can comfortably wander for an hour without coming across another living soul.
Lagos - despite its perennial popularity with tourists in the summer, the centre of the historic old town remains a picturesque treat and is well worth an hour or two of your time. Avoid the midday sun and wander around its whitewashed cobbles as the sun begins to set. The town is also the inauspicious site of the oldest slave market in Europe, now a museum, and the home of a top-class fish market, which you'll find on the main Avenida and is well worth a visit - especially if you have a villa with a BBQ. For those wishing to visit the latter, set your alarms early! For yacht-heads, there's also an excellent marina, a nice spot for a quick sundowner but only if you can brave the hoardes of tourists and the boaties! Don't hang around too long, though, as you'll find much better food and entertainment elsewhere.
Dophins - clear out the cobwebs with a trip on one of the RIBs moored in the marina, which will whisk you far out to sea in search of the many dolphins that favour this stretch of coastline.
Sundowners at Sagres - this is the frontier town nearby the most southwesterly point in Europe, where the sunsets can be truly spectacular as you gaze towards the Americas. Some good fish restaurants in these parts, too. From here, the Atlantic coastline sweeps dramatically northwards with a series of magnificent beaches. It's worth the effort, believe us. But take a jumper!
Watersports - for the more intrepid among you, pretty much anything you might fancy is likely to be on the cards; doughnuts to diving, surfing, paragliding, boat trips, windsurfing, jet skiing and every sort of nautical flim-flam, you name it, you'l find it.
Surf - While on that subject...bring your own board or hire one from a local surf shop. You'll find the swell round these parts can get pretty big so be safe. Contact us for recommendations and remember to avoid the local surf crews!
Biking - The Algarve boasts some spectacular mountain biking country, for novices and the more adventurous alike. The coastline heading west from Lagos and along the clifftops is a particularly scenic route.
Lisbon - why not crown your trip with a visit to Lisbon, one of Europe's most vibrant, handsome and appealing capital cities. You can also fly in or out of this compact city to start or finish your trip as it's served by BA and Easyjet, among others. Lagos is about 2.5 hours by car or four hours via a scenic train ride throuhg the Alentejo region.
Alentejo - Portugal's hinterland, the country's largest region and one of the loveliest. Wild beaches, ancient hilltop towns and villages, scorched earth, olive, cork and gum trees stretching as far as the eye can see, historic jewels like Evora and Estremoz. The Romans wuz here and it can sometimes feel like things have hardly changed since. In the words of one travel guide, "if you want to know what Tuscany or Provence looked like before the tourists invaded, come here to see."
Olhao - just beyond Faro, this town has some great choose-your-own fish restaurants and a fascinating coastline aroud the beautiful Ria Formosa Natural Park. But don't take my word from it, read this chap's article on The Guardian.
Silves - historic hill town and formerly the capital of the Algarve. It's got a castle and a river and stuff.
Golf - there's a good smattering of excellent courses throughout the region if that's your thing.
Spain - Portugal's larger, mildly cantankerous sibling lies a paltry 90 miles east of Lagos, about 90 minutes or so in a car. The southern cities of Seville and Cadiz are both within easy striking distance of the border, or you could plough on a little further to Algeciras, from where you can do the short hop over to Africa...
Serra de Monchique - head north away from the Algarve and into the hills and the scenery changes quite dramatically. Hillside villages and magnificent vistas down to the sea are de rigeur and this area can provide welcome and verdant respite from the heat of the sun. Caldas de Monchique is a spa town.
Peremito Florestal - if the heat gets too much, think about going off the beaten track and heading into the Florestal, a glorious forested area just up the road from Lagos where you can comfortably wander for an hour without coming across another living soul.
Lagos - despite its perennial popularity with tourists in the summer, the centre of the historic old town remains a picturesque treat and is well worth an hour or two of your time. Avoid the midday sun and wander around its whitewashed cobbles as the sun begins to set. The town is also the inauspicious site of the oldest slave market in Europe, now a museum, and the home of a top-class fish market, which you'll find on the main Avenida and is well worth a visit - especially if you have a villa with a BBQ. For those wishing to visit the latter, set your alarms early! For yacht-heads, there's also an excellent marina, a nice spot for a quick sundowner but only if you can brave the hoardes of tourists and the boaties! Don't hang around too long, though, as you'll find much better food and entertainment elsewhere.
Dophins - clear out the cobwebs with a trip on one of the RIBs moored in the marina, which will whisk you far out to sea in search of the many dolphins that favour this stretch of coastline.
Sundowners at Sagres - this is the frontier town nearby the most southwesterly point in Europe, where the sunsets can be truly spectacular as you gaze towards the Americas. Some good fish restaurants in these parts, too. From here, the Atlantic coastline sweeps dramatically northwards with a series of magnificent beaches. It's worth the effort, believe us. But take a jumper!
Watersports - for the more intrepid among you, pretty much anything you might fancy is likely to be on the cards; doughnuts to diving, surfing, paragliding, boat trips, windsurfing, jet skiing and every sort of nautical flim-flam, you name it, you'l find it.
Surf - While on that subject...bring your own board or hire one from a local surf shop. You'll find the swell round these parts can get pretty big so be safe. Contact us for recommendations and remember to avoid the local surf crews!
Biking - The Algarve boasts some spectacular mountain biking country, for novices and the more adventurous alike. The coastline heading west from Lagos and along the clifftops is a particularly scenic route.
Lisbon - why not crown your trip with a visit to Lisbon, one of Europe's most vibrant, handsome and appealing capital cities. You can also fly in or out of this compact city to start or finish your trip as it's served by BA and Easyjet, among others. Lagos is about 2.5 hours by car or four hours via a scenic train ride throuhg the Alentejo region.
Alentejo - Portugal's hinterland, the country's largest region and one of the loveliest. Wild beaches, ancient hilltop towns and villages, scorched earth, olive, cork and gum trees stretching as far as the eye can see, historic jewels like Evora and Estremoz. The Romans wuz here and it can sometimes feel like things have hardly changed since. In the words of one travel guide, "if you want to know what Tuscany or Provence looked like before the tourists invaded, come here to see."
Olhao - just beyond Faro, this town has some great choose-your-own fish restaurants and a fascinating coastline aroud the beautiful Ria Formosa Natural Park. But don't take my word from it, read this chap's article on The Guardian.
Silves - historic hill town and formerly the capital of the Algarve. It's got a castle and a river and stuff.
Golf - there's a good smattering of excellent courses throughout the region if that's your thing.
Spain - Portugal's larger, mildly cantankerous sibling lies a paltry 90 miles east of Lagos, about 90 minutes or so in a car. The southern cities of Seville and Cadiz are both within easy striking distance of the border, or you could plough on a little further to Algeciras, from where you can do the short hop over to Africa...