ALGARVE PORTUGAL travel guide
Updated: Jan 16, 2022
I first visited Portugal in 2001 when my parents took my sisters and I on our first ever plane ride and showed us where they spent their honeymoon in the 80's.
As a seven-year-old I already fell in love with the country, the color of the ocean, the honey-colored cliffs and pink bougainvilleas. Now, 20 years and eight trips later, for both Holly and I, this little piece of paradise is one of our favorite places on earth.
How to get there
You can fly into Faro or Lisbon and rent a car. I don't recommend relying on public transport, as there are so many coves and little towns that are only accessible via car. If you have a couple of weeks to spare, I recommend taking a road-trip through Europe. In 2019, we drove from Germany to Portugal, enjoying Switzerland, France and Spain on the way.
Where to stay
There is many different options for any budget if you visit the Algarve. There is many hostels in most of the towns, rental apartments through Airbnb and beautiful villas all over. The latter are an amazing option if you come with a big group of people and can split the cost. They are on the pricier side but usually have a couple of bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as a big patio and a pool. We booked our rental through Carvoeiro villas and dream about it still.
What to do
rent a SAP or kayak at Benagil beach and paddle to the famous cove (tipp: do it early in the morning to avoid the crowds)
go cliff jumping at Praia do Carvalho (let's pretend I was brave enough to do that)
dance on the town square of Carvoeiro when there's live music (& don't forget to drink lots of Sangria)
eat at Trattoria Oliveira
visit Lagos at nighttime
roam through the street markets to find the perfect piece of hand-painted ceramics
eat Pastel de Nata
visit Cabo de São Vicente, the southwestern-most point of the mainland of Europe
