Welcome to the Algarve – a perfect slice of Mediterranean life. Imagine stunning whitewashed cliffs, clean blue waters, golden sand beaches and charming salt washed towns. Got it in your head? You’re thinking of the Algarve. All of this comes with the (relatively) low prices Portugal is famous for. Which is why the Algarve is such a popular destination for a long beach weekend or an extension of a Portuguese city vacation. We put together this amazing 3 day itinerary for the Algarve that explores all of the best outdoor destinations in southern Portugal. Keep reading for all of the details to plan your own Algarve vacation.
Getting There and Around
Before we get started, you need to have a rental car. Ride shares and taxis here were unreliable at best and non-existent at worst. In order to maximize your time, you’ll need your own car. And with only a 3 day Algarve itinerary, the car will help you maximize your time.
We thought that driving in the Algarve to be easy. The highway system made travel between cities easy and quick. And driving in the region wasn’t stressful as other drivers didn’t seem to be in a hurry to get anywhere. However, when picking up your rental car, make sure to get one with a transponder for the toll roads. This will allow you to use the super convenient A-22 highway. Without a transponder, you’ll need to take the slower roads that make their way through small towns. These routes are charming but they are MUCH slower.
While you can fly to several small airports in the Algarve, Faro being the most popular airport in the region, we found it easier to drive. It was approximately a 3 hours drive from Lisbon. When you think about all the time spent in airports going through security and such, driving actually saved us time.
Additionally, you can also take a train into the region from other Portuguese cities. Faro is the best station to get off at as they have lots of rental car companies to choose from.
Where To Stay In The Algarve
The best places to stay in the Algarve are central cities. We stayed in Carvoeiro. We wished we would have stayed in Lagos as the town was so charming at night. Portimão and Albufeira are also popular places to stay as they are centrally located. Silves is another town that is centrally located with lots of inventory even though it is inland. This could be a good place to stay if you’re looking to save a bit of money.
3 Day Algarve Itinerary
Day 1 – Lagos
Wake up early in the morning and head to Lagos. We left Lisbon around 8 AM and were in Lagos in time for lunch.
Pro tip: Parking in Lagos is a nightmare – small streets, limited parking terms and tiny parking spaces. Try parking in the large free parking lot at the Lagos Marina. From here you can walk to the beach and old town Lagos.
Ponta da Piedade
After lunch, walk out to Ponta da Piedade. This is an amazingly beautiful walk with pristine beaches along the way. Along the boardwalk, you’ll see towering sea stacks and dramatic limestone cliffs. Alternatively, if you’d prefer to kayak along the coast, tours leave from Lagos marina.
Complete the hike stopping for a swim at one of the amazing beaches when you get hot. Praia de Dona Ana was our favorite beach because it’s protected from larger waves but the cliffs, has smooth golden sand and lots of amenities.
Lagos
Afterwards, make your way back to old town Lagos. Wander around the exterior of Lagos castle and the Church of Santo António. The winding streets of Lagos were so charming and enchanting we fell in love. Try to find street performers – it felt like there were always bands and musicians playing in the streets.
Lastly, enjoy dinner in Lagos before heading to your accommodations.
Day 2 – Benagil Cave & Seven Hanging Valleys Hike
This was possibly one of our favorite days in Portugal because it was an outdoor lovers dream day.
Benagil Cave
Start with an early morning kayak trip to Benagil Cave. We chose this sunrise tour and it was amazing! We were the only ones out on the water, the first ones in Benagil Cave and we saw a bonus pod of dolphins. Conversely, you can also take a motor boat tour. There are so many tours that go to Benagil Cave – make sure you choose one that gets you the experience you want, they are very different.
Read more about the different ways to visit Benagil Cave in our post here.
Seven Hanging Valleys Trail
Next, hike the Seven Hanging Valleys trail. Don’t miss the section from Marinha Beach to Benagil Beach. However, if you’re like us and want to spend the entire day on the trail, hike all the way from Marinha Beach to Algar Seco. Make sure to stop at beaches along the way to enjoy the sun and sand. We love Marinha Beach and Vale de Centeanes Beach. We spent a full day doing this hike and stopping frequently along the way. However, you should be able to complete the hike in a half day if you’re just there to walk at a good pace and make minimal stops.
Algar Seco
Lastly, end your day with an early evening visit to Algar Seco. If you’re interested in swimming and cliff jumping here, we’d recommend doing this after Benagil Cave but before you tire your legs out with the Seven Hanging Valleys hike. Algar Seco is a rock formation partly carved by natural forces and partly carved by humans. There are grottos, cliffs, stair cases, windows and caves. It’s really fun just to wander around and see what you can find.
For dinner, enjoy a nice meal in the seaside town of Carvoeiro. There are several restaurants on the beach with great views of the beach or the public square.
Day 3 – Pacific Ocean and Beaches
Pacific Ocean
Spend the morning exploring the western edge of the Algarve. The Atlantic coast beaches are so different from the Mediterranean Beaches. If you’re interested in surfing lessons, these are the beaches to take a lesson on. Usually, these are early in the morning when the waves are smaller. Then enjoy a morning drive through several of the small surf-centric towns on the west side before finding a place for lunch.
If you are less interested in the beaches and more interested in historical sights, visit Farol do Cabo de São Vicente. This was once the point at the end of the world as it was the western most point before the earth was discovered to be round. Additionally, the Sagres Fort is another sight worth seeing for those interested in history. However, make sure to dress warm – this may just be the windiest area in all of Portugal.
Portimão Beaches
Then, make your way to Portimão where you can explore the cliffs along Praia João de Arens. The cliffs are beautiful and so is the beach but is in an unofficial nude beach and requires a climb to get to it.
So if you’d like to keep your suit on, spend the later part of the afternoon on the Praia dos Três Irmãos. This beach is beautiful and massive. It also has lots of restaurants and bars on the boardwalk behind it making it a great place to finish off your day.
Honestly, this day was our least favorite day – it was probably the rainy weather. But if you did have other things in the Algarve you were interested in doing, you could put together your own itinerary for this final day in your Algarve itinerary.
Want to Adjust the Itinerary
If you have less time in your Algarve itinerary, we’d stick to days 1 and 2 above. These were great jam packed days filled with fun. However, you really shouldn’t visit the Algarve unless you have two days to dedicate to the trip. Some folks may suggest that you can visit the Algarve as a day trip from Lisbon. However, we found that the things we enjoyed the most in the Algarve took big chunks of time AND required you to start early in the day. So we would recommend a minimum of two days in the Algarve.
If you have more time, we’d recommend a full day on a beach. We peppered beaches into our itinerary above but you really won’t have time for more than a couple hours on a beach at any given time. However, the beaches in the Algarve were really some of the best beaches we have ever seen. We’d extra recommend this if you’re visiting in August or September as these are the months when the sea is at its warmest.
For a short list of add-ons to this Algarve itinerary, the two things we wish we would have had time for in our Algarve itinerary were surfing lessons and a visit to Parque Natural da Ria Formosa, a coastal wetland national park. We choose not to do these activities during our 3 day Algarve itinerary because they both require joining a tour – and therefore spending a bit of money. However, both of these activities look amazing for outdoor adventure lovers.
What To Budget For The Algarve
The Algarve is one of the most affordable Mediterranean Beach destinations. To get swaths of golden sand beaches, you’ll normally pay a premium. However, the Algarve is an incredibly affordable destination.
For our 3 day Algarve itinerary, we spent $976 for two people. Here is the breakdown in costs:
- Accommodations – $440
- Tolls – $60
- Fuel – $100
- Rental Car – $50
- Attractions – $86
- Food – $240
You could easily shrink or grow this budget. We’d say our food budget is definitely on the luxury end of things – we ate really well in the Algarve. However, our accommodations budget is on the low end. You could easily spend this amount of money on one night – however this was an ocean view condo with three bedrooms so you could also find cheaper accommodations.
What To Pack For The Algarve
You will need a day pack for this Algarve itinerary. This Algarve itinerary has long days packed with fun. If you want to see everything, you won’t be able to make trips back and forth to your hotel. We love our Camelbak which has plenty of space for water, snacks, swimsuits and quick drying towels. This will allow you to spend the day out and have everything you need for whatever you’re in the mood for.
Additionally, the sun in the Algarve is strong. Make sure to pack sunglass, reef safe sunscreen and a hat for your Algarve itinerary. Even if you’re not normally a sun protection person, you’ll be glad you have some relief from the sun and heat.
We hope this post has helped you to plan your own perfect Algarve itinerary. It was our favorite location in Portugal. We enjoyed the sun draped sand and sleepy beach towns. For more detailed information on our favorite Algarve destinations, check out our posts below or visit our Portugal vacation page for more Portugal inspiration.
