Two Days in Lagos, Portugal
The southernmost region of Portugal, the Algarve, has world-renowned beaches, but we went there for the natural sights on its rugged, weathered coasts.
Getting there
While it’s possible to get to Lagos by train, from my research the easiest way to reach Lagos is by bus either from Sete Rios or Oriente bus hubs. To support Portuguese companies we booked with Rede Expressos, which operates a network of buses throughout Portugal. Their tickets are much cheaper than FlixBus; ours costed €18 to and from Lagos. Unfortunately it seems that Portuguese bus drivers like their buses really really warm (especially after being acclimated to colder weather in February back home), which made the 4.5 hour drives rather unpleasant…
Sightseeing
Day One
Luckily Lagos and its surroundings made up for the rather miserable bus ride. We took an Uber out to the eastern starting point of the Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos (“Path of the Seven Hanging Valleys”) at Praia da Marinha. Praia da Marinha itself is a world-famous beach and has been rated by some news outlets as the most beautiful beach in the world. There is a path that leads down to the beach on the eastern side where you can get closer to the rock formations. Personally I liked viewing the beach from the top.
We then continued westward on the trail. The eastern end has some of the more impressive rock formations so it’s worth spending more time here. We were a little pressed for time though as we wanted to reach Benagil on time for a kayaking tour by Secret Algarve into Benagil Cave. At €35 per person for a 2+ hour guided kayaking tour, the experience was some of the best bang for buck we had in all of Portugal. You’re actually able to disembark into the cave itself and stay there for a good 30+ minutes taking pictures and relaxing. We saw several boat tours come by that traveled 30 minutes to an hour to get to the cave from cities like Portimão and even Lagos, and they were only able to get a small five-minute glimpse of the cave (and weren’t even able to get in all the way because of the beach inside!). We also kayaked all the way to Praia da Marinha and saw the formations from the ocean, and we entered a sea cave only accessible by kayak. (This is not a paid advertisement!)
After returning to Benagil we continued westward and finished our hike at Praia de Carvoeiro. As mentioned earlier, the cliff formations are still cool but not as impressive on the western side as those on the eastern side. Needless to say we were pretty tired and hungry after everything.
Day Two
We decided to have a more relaxing second day and began by just wandering around the old town. There are a lot of rustic cobblestone streets and colorful buildings to explore, though much of the city was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake and tsunami.
We then headed over to Ponta da Piedade, a place renowed for its rock and cliff formations (even more so than those on Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos). The tourism board has constructed a really nice boardwalk along the coast that begins near Praia de Dona Ana. Along the way to the southern tip we went down the steps to Praia do Camilo.
Finally we reached the cliff formations of Ponta da Piedade. Unlike most of the other formations, the water around them is very shallow, which brings out beautiful turquoise colors in the sun. If we had the energy I’m sure we would have loved to kayak among these formations as well (it seems like there are quite a few tours departing from Lagos or other areas along the coastline leading up to the point).
For dinner we were super lucky and snatched a spot at Casinha do Petisco. Larger groups should definitely consider booking a full week or more in advance. We came in at opening time at 5 and they very kindly seated us. Unlike other Portuguese food that we’ve tried that tends to be simple and without sauces, the sauce really shines in the dishes here. I got the house style prawns which were fantastic but I really recommend the cataplana if you can get it. The portion sizes here are also pretty massive (our waiter kept telling us “good luck!” in anticipation that we wouldn’t finish our food).
Lodging
If arriving via bus, I’d recommend finding a place near the bus station and old town. We stayed at the Villa Zawaia B&B, a place that fit both of these criteria. There is really great breakfast service with fresh fruit and pastries. During February we were able to stay there for around €100 a night. Obviously if your budget allows you can splurge for some of the oceanside resorts, but they often require taxis or shuttles to get to and aren’t as convenient for access into Lagos’ old town for dining at night.
