Have you ever wanted to visit the beautiful coast of Portugal? Algarve is definitely one of the most stunning region of the country and even one of the most stunning of Europe I’d say! I had the chance to visit for a week with my best friend. We rented a car and drove around the coast. Here is my 10 favourite things we saw during that time.
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Table of Contents
- How to get to Algarve
- How long should you stay around the coast of Algarve
- Renting a car
- Things to do around the region of Algarve
How to get to Algarve
If you are flying to Portugal the nearest airport of the Algarve region is Faro’s airport. I recommend landing there if you only visit this region.
However if you decide to visit multiple regions of Portugal you can fly to Lisbon and rent a car (see the paragraph below) to start your journey. As Lisbon‘s airport is the biggest airport of Portugal you will find cheaper flights options.
If you don’t want to fly you can decide to come by bus or by train but you need to come from the neighbours countries.
Another popular option is the car. A lot of people from the western region of Europe drive to Portugal. When I was a teenager I remember driving to Portugal from Switzerland. It took 22h and we did it overnight.
How long should you stay around the coast of Algarve
This is a difficult question because it is hard to get enough of this region. I spent around a week there and it was enough to see most of the coast but I didn’t see the whole Algarve region. If you want to have some resting day at the beach I’d even recommend 10 days.
It is possible to do it in a shorter time if you are in a rush. I’d say you need a minimum of 4 nights to see the highlights.
Renting a car
In my opinion renting a car is a must if you want to visit the Algarve region. There are buses from town to town. However there are not many buses that would stop at the exact location you’re searching for. It means you’d waste a lot of time to go from one place to another. In the contrary there are many parking around the touristic sights so it is very easy to drive from one place to another.
Renting a car in Portugal is easy and there are many rental companies near by the airport of Faro. I won’t recommend the company we booked with because it wasn’t a great service. However you can find a tone of options right here. You can compare prices and agencies with Rentalcars. I let you their search engine just here.
Things to do around the region of Algarve
Faro
When you land in Faro take the opportunity to stay half a day to visit the city and immerse yourself in the Portuguese atmosphere. I’d say the best way to visit Faro is to walk around as the city center is not very big.
Where to stay in Faro
Budget
- Baixa Terrace Hostel : It is a cute hostel with a very affordable price.
Average
- Hotel Made In Faro : a very nice hotel with a lovely atmosphere. It has a great location as well.
Luxury
- 3hb Faro : It is a luxurious hotel with a pool for the perfect relaxing time while you’re near the city.
Albufeira
This is the biggest coastal town in the region of Algarve. You will find a lot of restaurants and bars as well as a lot of hotels. Actually we chose to stay there one week and drive around the region from that town. This was doable because the coast the highway is very convenient and sights to see aren’t that far.
What to see in Albufeira ?
- Have dinner in one of the charming restaurant in the old town.
- Go to one of the numerous beach near by the town.
- Enjoy the sunset on the beach with a picnic.
Where to stay in Albufeira
This is a quick reminder that depending on the season of the year the prices can fluctuate. I definitely advise you to take this trip outside of the European summer holidays if you search for cheaper prices.
Are you looking for a budget friendly accommodation ?
You don’t have the budget to get luxury but you still want to have a confortable stay?
You want it all and you deserve it ! Look for the best luxurious deal.
Benagil
It’s a beautiful spot where you can kayak and visit some caves. However it is one of the most popular spot on the coast of Algarve! I advise you to go early to enjoy the area without the crowd.
- Visit the caves
- Walk around the Algar Seco rocks
- Kayak around the coast and visit the caves
Popular tours to visit Benagil
Praia Dos Très Irmaos
It is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful beach spot in the whole Algarve. To find this amazing spot you need to go near by Portimao. Don’t worry you will definitely find some parking space around the area. However I’d recommend coming early if you want to skip the crowd.
Lagos
This place was the highlight of my trip and I definitely recommend you to visit the town and the beautiful landscapes around it. Actually this small town has also a lot of cute and good restaurants. I recommend to pass by at lunch. In that way you can walk around this cute little town and have lunch in one of the local restaurants.
If you know the app Forks you can use it in Portugal. That’s how I found some good restaurants on the coast of Algarve. It gives you some very interesting discounts as well.
Sagres
It should be noted that the beaches of Sagres are really enjoyable. We stayed one day in one of the numerous beaches and rented some sunbeds for quite a cheap price (around 15€ pp.) In addition if you want to take some surf classes this is the place to be. Indeed this is the most famous spot for the surfers.
Cabo De San Vicente
A beautiful point of view where nature takes it all. You can choose to walk from quite far away to Cabo De San Vicente and appreciate the landscape. However it’s possible to park your car in front of the lighthouse (at least it was possible a couple years ago but I’d recommend you to check this information twice.)
That’s a wrap! You are mostly ready to drive around the most beautiful coast of Portugal. If you’d like to travel around Europe I recommend you to read :