Travel Dates: December 2025
Things to do in Lagoa, Algarve
Praia do Carvalho – This is a scenic spot, especially for sunset. From the parking lot, it’s just a short walk down a set of steps. If you turn left and pass through a short tunnel, you’ll reach the beach. If instead you continue straight and veer slightly to the right and walk along the cliff ledge for several more minutes, you’ll be rewarded with great views of the coastline and the beach.
Passadiços do Carvoeiro / Caminho do Algar Seco (Carvoeiro Boardwalk) – I recommend visiting this area for its distinctive, fascinating rock formations. You can park at either end of the boardwalk—near Forte de Nossa Senhora da Encarnação or at Algar Seco. We chose to park on the street in between the two, right next to the boardwalk, which saved us from having to walk back and forth. The entire boardwalk takes less than 10 minutes to walk.
Since we mainly wanted to see A Pedra de Turok and Algar Seco, starting in the middle of the boardwalk worked perfectly. To reach A Pedra de Turok, you’ll need to go down some steep steps, so take your time and watch your footing. Once there, you can wander around the rocks, and if you’re feeling adventurous, you can even climb to the top of one of them.
At Algar Seco, take the staircase on the left to Gruta da Boneca, accessed through a small tunnel. Inside, you’ll find round rock cutouts framing beautiful views of Carvoeiro in the distance. The staircase on the right offers more rock formations and ocean views.
Miradouro da Arriba da Salgadeira – The coastal views are nice here, but if you don’t have time, you can skip this. Many of the viewpoints along the coast will start to look similar. If you are interested, drive to Praia da Salgadeira. Park at the end of street and on the left side, there’s a small path that goes downhill to the cliffs. It’s about a 7 minute walk to the miradouro. Use Google Maps for general direction, and be careful of the cliff ledge.
Praia do Monte Carvoeiro – This is another beach and coastal viewpoint that can be skipped if you’re short on time or not particularly interested. From the parking area, there’s a staircase on the left that leads down to the beach in about two minutes.
Alto da Praia do Carvoeiro – If you do visit Praia do Monte Carvoeiro, be sure to walk to the end of the street on the left side of the parking lot. After a few minutes, you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful viewpoint overlooking Praia de Carvoeiro and the town.
Praia do Vale de Centeanes – You can skip this viewpoint as it offers another coastal cliff view similar to others in the area. From the parking lot, take the wooden stair path on the left. Within about 4 minutes, you’ll reach the first viewpoint overlooking the beach below at the top of the stairs.
We continued walking for approximately 20 more minutes to reach Miradouro do Vale Suspenso. Because of heavy rain the previous day, there were several flooded sections along the trail, which slowed our pace and made the walk a bit more challenging as we navigated around large puddles.
Albandeira Beach – This is one of the more easily accessible beaches in the area, with no long staircases, steep hiking paths, or off-road driving required. There is a small parking area nearby, though spaces are limited. From there, it’s just a short walk along a boardwalk to the beach, where a large rock formation divides it into two sections.
Praia da Marinha – From the parking lot, walk downhill until you see a set of benches on the right-hand side. From here, you’ll find the coastal hiking trail that follows the cliff line. If you stick close to the coastline, you’ll be treated to some truly stunning viewpoints along the way.
It takes about 10 – 15 minutes of steady hiking to reach Rocha do Elefante—a double-arched rock formation that resembles an elephant. You can use Google Maps to follow the general direction, but be sure to take your time. The trail is unpaved and can be rocky, sandy, and occasionally muddy, especially after rain. While there are a few hilly sections, it’s manageable if you pace yourself. Since parts of the path run along cliff edges, use caution; slowing down also gives you the chance to enjoy the incredible views around every bend.
Back at the benches, if you continue walking downhill, you’ll find a staircase on the left that leads down to the beach in about five minutes. At one point, the path diverges: one route descends to the beach, while the other veers left along the cliffs for additional viewpoints. This latter section can be skipped, as it doesn’t offer anything particularly special—especially if you’ve already done the earlier coastal walk to Rocha do Elefante.
Benagil Cave – This is one of the most iconic—and most visited—attractions in Algarve. Unfortunately, visitors are not allowed to step foot in the cave itself, and the only way to see the interior is by joining a boat or kayak tour. You can walk to the top of the cave and look down, but the area is fenced off, which limits the view. Because of this, I’d recommend skipping the stop unless you plan to take a tour that goes to Benagil Cave. Near the tour departure area, there is a small beach and a free public bathroom, though be aware that it often runs out of toilet paper.
If you do decide to hike, from the large parking lot, walk downhill toward the tour departure area/beach. Just before reaching O Algar restaurant, take the stairs located behind the building on the left, then follow the path along the wooden railing. Within about five minutes, you’ll arrive above Benagil Cave. Google Maps can be helpful for general guidance.
Things to do in Lagos, Algarve
Beach Estudantes – Parking isn’t free here, but the bridge view from the beach makes this spot stand out compared to other points. From the parking lot, take the stairs down to the beach. On the left, you’ll find a short cave tunnel you can walk through that leads to Praia da Caldeira, where you’ll get a view of the Pinhão Fort Bridge.
Praia da Dona Ana – I enjoyed visiting this spot because it offers a panoramic coastal view of Lagos, and it’s relatively easy to reach. From the parking area, take a left and walk uphill for about two minutes. On the right, beside the wall, you’ll notice a worn path where people have climbed up. Following this path leads to a flat cliff ledge with a scenic coastal outlook over the shoreline.
Ponta da Piedade – This is the must‑visit spot in Lagos, and it’s absolutely worth spending time here. We parked in the lot near Restaurante Camilo and walked south along the boardwalk and paved path, stopping at several scenic overlooks along the way. Some visitors step off the boardwalk to get closer to the cliff edge for photos, but be cautious—those areas can be uneven and unstable. If you stay on the main path without detouring, the walk from the parking lot to Ponta da Piedade takes about 15 minutes. To reach Ponta da Piedade, you’ll need to walk down a set of steps to get to the ocean level.
There is a free public restroom near Restaurante Sol Nascente, close to Ponta da Piedade, but be aware that toilet paper may not be available.
Where to eat in Algarve
O Jorge do Peixe – This restaurant is a bit pricey, and they do try to upsell you. They bring appetizers to the table at the beginning, which may seem complimentary but are actually charged if you accept them. Despite this, the fish version of arroz de marisco (seafood stew rice) was excellent—flavorful without being salty, and the portion was very generous. In the end, the dish was worth the price. I recommend making a reservation as it did get busy after 8pm.
Adega da Marina – Even without a reservation, we were seated immediately despite the restaurant being packed. We tried the sardines, fish and seafood stew, and baby squid, and the sardines were the best.
Where to stay in Algarve
TLDR: We stayed at three different hotels in the Algarve, and I’d recommend choosing the one closest to the activities you plan to do. The Westin Salgados and Marriott Residences Salgados Resort are better located for Lagos and Lagoa, while the Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa is closer to Faro. If you’re deciding between the Westin and the Marriott, the Marriott is more geared toward families—some of the suites even include a kitchen. I personally preferred the Westin, as it felt less crowded. At the Marriott, we also encountered several issues with charging our EV.
The Westin Salgados – We enjoyed our stay at The Westin as their suites are spacious. Upon arrival, we were welcomed with tea, and there’s a filtered water fountain available in the lobby. Breakfast is included, and parking on the property is free. If you choose to park in the garage, there’s a €5 nightly fee. We needed EV charging, which is free, but since the chargers are located in the garage, we still had to pay the nightly parking rate. We were also given complimentary Portuguese Christmas cake and bottled water in the room. The benefit of being at The Westin is their beach access—they have a boardwalk that’s ~5 minutes to the beach.
Marriott Residences Salgados Resort – I didn’t like the Marriott Residences as much as the Westin. While we did receive welcome drinks at the bar, free breakfast, and complimentary bottled water in the room due to our Platinum status, the overall experience was not as good.
The hotel felt much more crowded and had a lot more families. Free parking is available outside, but it was often difficult to find a spot. Garage parking costs extra, although EV charging in the garage is free. However, EV charging is inconvenient because you have to book time slots at the reception. Charging is only available from 12 a.m. to 8 a.m., and then in four-hour intervals after that, and the slots fill up very quickly. We experienced a mishap where our reserved charging slot didn’t go through and was given to someone else. As a result, they rebooked us for 8 a.m. the next day, but when we arrived, someone who wasn’t supposed to be there was already using the charger. We ended up waiting about an hour while reception tracked the person down and had them move their car.
Additionally, there was a power outage on our floor. While it was resolved fairly quickly, the Wi-Fi didn’t work until much later that night. We also had issues with the shower due to really cold water. Overall, the only real benefit of this hotel is having a kitchen in the room, which is useful if you need it.
Hilton Vilamoura As Cascatas Golf Resort & Spa – Unlike The Westin and Marriott, this was a room and not a suite. Our Diamond status stay did come with several complimentary perks. We received welcome drinks at the bar and cookies, wine, and bottled water in the room. Breakfast was free, and there was complimentary flavored water available in the lobby, along with filtered water in the gym. There is free parking in their garage, and there are also free and paid EV charging stations. The only downside of our stay was the hotel was very crowded.
Other tips when traveling in Algarve
Toll – If you drive from Lisbon to Algarve, be aware that the fastest route uses toll roads. If you don’t have an electronic toll pass, you can take a ticket at the first toll booth. When you exit the toll road in the Algarve, you’ll insert the ticket and pay at that point. The cost for us was €38 one way. Be mindful, the electronic toll pass lane will be the one with a green box and white check.
When driving onward to Lagos, you’ll encounter several additional tolls that use electronic-only readers, so those charges will be billed directly through your rental car agency.
Paying with credit card – If you pay with credit card, always accept payment in their local currency (euro). If there’s a second prompt after you select euro that says “Accept conversion?”, press decline. This will ensure you are charged in the local currency which is always cheaper than using the conversion rate if your credit card does not charge additional fees for purchases made abroad.
Globe Trotter 