A Guide to the Sunny Beach Town of Lagos Portugal

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Lagos, Portugal is truly a gem. I’ve created this four day guide to Lagos. Hopefully it will help you to better understand how to visit the area without a car.

After moving to France, we weren’t sure where to go for a truly relaxing vacation. After visiting 20 plus countries, this is the most relaxing location that I have ever visited. We love to travel, to see new places, and explore so its rare that we go back to the same destination unless we really love it!

We ended up visiting Lagos, Portugal in the Algarve twice last year because we felt right at home there with all of the friendly locals. It helped us to relax more and to slow down to take in all of its natural beauty.

How To Get There:

The best way to get to Lagos is from Faro Airport via Yellowfish Transfers. It’s €71 euros from Faro to Lagos. If you are traveling from Lisbon, you can take a train to Lagos. Of course, you can rent a car as well, but make sure that your hotel offers parking. I would recommend not renting a car if you are just staying in Lagos for 4-5 days.

Where To Stay:

Option 1- Treat Yourself: Avenida Hotel I recommend visiting for the breakfast/brunch here even if you don’t stay at the hotel. It’s top notch! This hotel is the best location if you want to be right by downtown Lagos.

Option 2- Mid-Range Tivoli Hotel Our flight was canceled and we ended up needing a place to stay for an additional night, so we stayed at Tivoli. It’s more moderately priced with a nice pool bar and great location.

Don’t forget your travel insurance! We recommend World Nomads. Make sure to have coverage that includes medical expenses, trip cancellations, and coverage for your belongings from theft or damage. If needed, you may also want to include car rental insurance as well.

Day 1: Guide to Lagos

The first three photos above were from our tuk-tuk tour. Our guides name was No No. He was awesome! He showed us all of the viewpoints and explained why the locals liked or disliked each of the beaches. Definitely do this first thing upon arrival in Lagos. Tours are 1hour and 10$ euros per person.

The photos below were from a local boat tour. Look for small boats along the waterway downtown. They are the locals that know the caves and water patterns the best. We lucked out with this local guide because the bigger boat companies were cancelling the tours due to the water currents.

Day 2: Guide for the Beaches

On day two, wake up to see the sunrise. You can take the bus to Porto de Mos. Just remember to pack a bag for the beach. You can rent lounge chairs for the day. If it’s high season, you may want to book the lounge chairs ahead of time for 1 or 2 days during your stay.

In the evening, check out the pool bar at Lagos Avenida Hotel. You can pay to visit the pool bar if you are staying at another hotel.

Day 3: Guide to Lagos Caves

On Day 3, rent kayaks to get a better view of the caves of Lagos or visit the famous one of the Algarve region, which is called the Benagil Cave. You can visit the Benagil Cave by boat. It is a bit far from Lagos, so it’s not possible to kayak to the Benagil from Lagos. We opted for the boat ride, which was great because we also saw many pods of dolphins on the way. It was a tour through Blue Feet which is located by the Marina de Lagos.

After cave touring, check out downtown Lagos for some shopping, food, and drinks. I have listed all of our favorite spots below.

Day 4 : Guide for Hikes and Tours

If you are seeking action, hike along the coastline from Lagos to Pont des Mos. Or simply spend the day relaxing by the pool or beach.

There are also companies that offer surf lessons, stand up paddleboarding, or kayaking. Just remember that that the water is usually very cold.

Go on a Natura Sunset Tour

In the evening, I would recommend taking the Natura Sunset Tour . This tour was a great choice for us because we visited Lagos without a rental car. Natura Tours also offers a mountain tour, a half-day tour, and the possibility to make your own tour.We opted for the sunset tour because we wanted to see the town of Sagres and of course a sunset is always a bonus. It’s €30 euros per person and they will pick you up in a jeep at your hotel in Lagos. The tour is about three hours long.

Portugese wine and goodies are served at the Cape St Vincent lookout point. Our guide even made a special stop for vegetarian goodies for us! You will also stop by the pottery store which is really neat to see. If you happen to have a rental car, you should buy some of these unique pottery pieces.

Travel Tip:

Make sure to take a jacket with you for the sunset tour. We were there in August and it was chilly. I wore pants, a sweatshirt, and a jean jacket and was still struggling to stay warm.

The views at Sagres are absolutely breathtaking! I could have stayed for hours.

Our Favorite Restaurants in Lagos:

• Beats and Burritos has vegan options and tasty margaritas.
• Ol’ Bastards is a restaurant that serves fish and chips and some tasty cocktails.
• Bahia Beach Bar is a great spot right on the beach close to downtown Lagos.
• Quay is a great people watching spot by the harbor.
• Waves and Coffee is a neat light and airy surf themed coffee shop.
• Estudio Vegetariano is a cozy vegan spot with amazing food.
• The Green Room offers Mexican, tasty margaritas, and super friendly staff!
• The restaurant at Avenida Hotel is top notch.

I hope you enjoyed reading this four day guide to Lagos, Portugal. If you have more time to explore Europe you may be interested in reading one of our blogposts about visiting Madrid or Barcelona, Spain.

Have you been to Portugal? I would love to know in the comments below.

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