Portugal
The Algarve is Portugal's southern shore, a long run of golden sandstone cliffs, sea caves and hidden coves where the Atlantic has spent millions of years carving the coast into arches and grottoes.
This guide books it properly: a Benagil Cave boat or guided kayak tour under the rules now in force, the amber grottoes of Ponta da Piedade off Lagos, the Seven Hanging Valleys clifftop trail, a dolphin-watching cruise from Albufeira, a boat day across the Ria Formosa lagoon to the barrier islands, the walled old town of Faro, the wild south-western tip at Sagres and Cape St. Vincent, a Moorish castle at Silves and a family day at Zoomarine. Then it matches you to a base in Lagos, Albufeira or Faro, because on this coast where you sleep decides whether the beaches, the boats or the airport are on your doorstep.
Ponta da Piedade
The headland just south of Lagos where golden cliffs break into stacks, arches and sea grottoes. Walk the clifftop for the view, then take a boat or kayak into the caves for the Algarve's best close-up of the coast.
Sagres and Cape St. Vincent
The wild south-western corner of Europe, where a fortress sits on a windswept headland and the lighthouse at Cape St. Vincent marks the end of the road. A half-day tour from Lagos takes in both, plus a beach and a fishing harbour.
Faro Old Town (Cidade Velha)
A walled historic quarter beside the marina, entered through the neoclassical Arco da Vila. Cobbled lanes, a cathedral and its bell tower, storks on the rooftops and cafe squares make an easy half-day on arrival or departure.
Zoomarine Algarve
The Algarve's big family marine park near Albufeira, with dolphin and sea lion shows, birds of prey, pools and rides. It runs a reduced low-season calendar in autumn, so check the open days before you go.
The Algarve's most photographed sea cave, a domed grotto with a sunlit oculus in its roof and a tiny beach below. Since 2025 it can only be entered on organised tours by licensed operators, by boat or in a guided kayak group.
The headland just south of Lagos where golden cliffs break into stacks, arches and sea grottoes. Walk the clifftop for the view, then take a boat or kayak into the caves for the Algarve's best close-up of the coast.
A clifftop coastal path between Praia da Marinha and Vale Centeanes, passing sea stacks, blowholes and hidden coves. It is free, signposted and widely rated the best walk on the Algarve, if you start early and carry water.
A two-hour cruise from Albufeira Marina in search of wild dolphins, with a coastal run past caves and cliffs. Sightings are never guaranteed, but the trip is one of the Algarve's best-reviewed boat outings.
A shallow lagoon of channels, salt marsh and sandbar islands stretching east of Faro. A small-group boat trip from Faro visits the quiet islands and the birdlife, a calm and very different Algarve to the cliffs of the west.
FreeA walled historic quarter beside the marina, entered through the neoclassical Arco da Vila. Cobbled lanes, a cathedral and its bell tower, storks on the rooftops and cafe squares make an easy half-day on arrival or departure.
The wild south-western corner of Europe, where a fortress sits on a windswept headland and the lighthouse at Cape St. Vincent marks the end of the road. A half-day tour from Lagos takes in both, plus a beach and a fishing harbour.
The Algarve's big family marine park near Albufeira, with dolphin and sea lion shows, birds of prey, pools and rides. It runs a reduced low-season calendar in autumn, so check the open days before you go.
FreeTwo of the Algarve's most celebrated coastal viewpoints: Praia da Marinha, a golden cove below sea-carved cliffs, and Algar Seco, a maze of rock arches and platforms at Carvoeiro. Both are free to visit.
A red sandstone Moorish castle above the Arade river, once the capital of the Moorish Algarve. A walk along the ramparts and down to the cathedral gives a day trip a very different flavour from the coast.
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Torralta, Lagos
A cliff-top spa and family resort on the Lagos waterfront in the Torralta area, with three outdoor pools, a kids club, three restaurants and sea-view suites, a short walk from Ponta da Piedade. The Lagos splurge.
Rates on Expedia →Praia da Falésia, Albufeira
A five-star beachfront resort at Praia da Falésia, between a pine forest and the Atlantic, with a suspension bridge to the beach, five restaurants, a wellness centre, a kids club and indoor and outdoor pools.
Rates on Expedia →Praia da Galé, Albufeira
A four-star resort-style hotel at Praia da Galé near Albufeira, beside a golf course and close to the beach. A mid-range base for sun, golf and easy day trips; confirm the age policy before booking with children.
Rates on Expedia →Marina, Faro
A four-star hotel on the Faro marina, a two-minute walk from the water, seven minutes from the old town and four from the station. Free breakfast buffet, an indoor pool and spa, and the easiest base for the airport.
Rates on Expedia →City Centre, Faro
A simple, well-reviewed budget hotel on Rua Miguel Bombarda, three minutes from Faro station and eight from the marina. Soundproofed rooms, family rooms for up to five, and the cheapest sensible base in the city.
Rates on Expedia →The practical primer for a first Algarve trip: the Benagil Cave rules, what to book ahead, getting around without or with a car, how many days to allow and where each headline sight fits.
Which Algarve base suits you: Lagos for cliffs and grottoes, Albufeira for beaches and family days out, Faro for the airport, old town and the Ria Formosa, with the hotels that fit each.
