Our 4 Night Algarve Roadtrip Itinerary
- The Crafted Atlas
- Feb 1, 2024
- 7 min read
Updated: Jul 13, 2024
The Algarve might just be our favorite getaway in Portugal - it’s the perfect mix of beach & adventure and it’s stunningly beautiful! It's a place that you can visit time and time again and continue to find new hidden beaches and adorable coastal towns on each visit. We've refined our Algarve itinerary over the past several years of visiting with friends and family - we may be biased, but we think it's pretty great!
Top 3 Must-Do’s for an Algarve Itinerary
Sunset at Ponta da Piedade
Explore the hidden beaches at Praia dos Três Irmãos
Seven Hanging Valleys Trail Hike
Duration: 4 nights
Typical Daily Cost for two people: $296 (excludes any required airfare to/from Lisbon)
Best Time to Go: April through October
Check out our other itineraries in Portugal to combine with the Algarve and create the ultimate Portugal vacation:
Table of Contents
Algarve Itinerary at a Glance
Day | Activities |
Day 1 | Pick-up rental car in Lisbon at 10am and drive down the Alentejo coast to Praia da Luz stopping at several towns and beaches. Enjoy sunset and dinner on the boardwalk in Praia da Luz. |
Day 2 | Boat trip from Portimão in the morning. Beach afternoon at Praia dos Três Irmãos, followed by sunset at Ponta da Piedade and dinner in Lagos. |
Day 3 | Explore towns and beaches west of Lagos. |
Day 4 | Seven Hanging Valleys Trail Hike in the morning. Carvoeiro boardwalk and Algar Seco in the afternoon. |
Day 5 | Quick walk around Praia da Luz in the morning. Lunch in Armação de Pêra on the drive back to Lisbon. |
Just the Facts
Stay
We used to recommend staying in Lagos but we recently took a trip down to the Algarve and stayed in Praia da Luz, and it blew our minds! It's the most perfect beachside town with great restaurants and bars, an adorable boardwalk, a calm beach, and it's only a 5 minute drive from Lagos. Our personal favorite place to stay is the Baia da Luz Resort - they offer apartments from 1 to 3 bedrooms, great amenities and pool, and it's only a 5 minute walk to the beach. Some other good options:
Estrela da Luz Resort: Comparable to Baia da Luz, on the opposite side of town.
Airbnb: There are plenty of good Airbnb options in Praia da Luz across all price ranges.
Eat - Dinner
A Concha: Praia da Luz. Great seafood restaurant with views over the beach. Order the Fish Cataplana Algarvian Style (fish stew). Make a reservation on the top floor for sunset.
Puerto Escondido: Praia da Luz. Casual spot for tacos and Mexican food. Order the cochinita pibil tacos and a spicy margarita.
O Mexilhao: Lagos. Our favorite seafood restaurant in Lagos - call ahead to make a reservation. Order the razor clams and grilled sea bass.
Ciuccio: Lagos. Another one of our favorites in Lagos - make a reservation. Technically it’s an Italian restaurant, but the menu has food from all over the world (there's teriyaki salmon, there's tacos, there's tzatziki). The owner is an amazing chef and just makes what he likes. Hands down the best pasta we’ve had in Portugal.
Casinha do Petisco: Lagos. Portuguese petiscos (tapas) spot.
Buteo Kitchen & Bar: Lagos. Another Portuguese petiscos spot.
Taninos Wine & Kitchen: Lagos. And another Portuguese petiscos spot.
Latitude: Praia da Luz. And another Portuguese petiscos spot, this time in Praia da Luz. You're probably catching on by now, petiscos are big in Portugal.
Eat - Lunch
Zé Inácio: Porto Covo. Traditional Portuguese & seafood.
A Bóia: Salema Beach. Grilled fish, great view of the beach.
Atlântida: Beach bar and restaurant at Praia dos Três Irmãos. Grilled fish.
Vimar Restaurante: Carvoeiro - more grilled fish!
Restaurante Estrela do Mar: Armação de Pêra - sit on the patio by the water and order the grilled sea bass for two!
Restaurante À do Rui: The best grilled seafood in the Algarve. This is about an hour drive east of Lagos, so it's a bit out of the way, but a great experience if you're up for it. Rui himself man's the outdoor grill, it's always busy (so make a reservation) and the prices are great!
Drink
Praia Mar: Praia da Luz. Great outdoor bar on the boardwalk, perfect for sunset drinks.
ZaZu Beach Club: Praia da Luz. Head up to the roof deck for drinks and an incredible view or the cliffs. The vibes feel like you're on a Greek island.
Peppers Bar: Lagos. Nice craft cocktails in downtown Lagos.
Three Monkeys Bar: Lagos. If you want a dive bar, this is it! Don't expect anything fancy, but it's a fun spot with darts and pool.
Map
Detailed Algarve Itinerary
Day 1 - Alentejo Coast
Pick up your rental car at 10am from either the Lisbon airport or a rental agency in downtown Lisbon and make sure Via Verde is included in your rental (it’s a toll device). Today is all about taking the scenic route to see the Alentejo coast on your way down to the Algarve.
Note: you can technically get from Lisbon to Praia da Luz in under 3 hours by taking the highway, but we highly recommend taking the scenic route along the coast - this area has so much untouched beauty and hidden towns and beaches to check out.
Drive 2 hours from Lisbon to Praia da Samoqueira for your first of many viewpoints on your way down to the Algarve. Take a quick walk along the beach and snap some photos then head off to lunch just a few minutes away in Porto Covo. There’s plenty of restaurants to pick from, but we recommend having some traditional Portuguese seafood at Zé Inácio.
After lunch, it’s off to see more of the Alentejo coast - our 2 favorite spots are Praia de Monte Clérigo and Praia da Arrifana. The afternoon drive (including the pit stops) will probably take around 3 hours. Plan to arrive in Praia da Luz around 5pm.
Check-in to your resort or Airbnb in Praia da Luz, then head down to the boardwalk on the beach to enjoy a drink and people watching at Praia Mar. Relax for the rest of the afternoon and then head just next door to A Concha for some amazing seafood with a view (order the Fish Cataplana Algarvian Style and ask to sit upstairs).
Day 2 - Boat Trip, Praia dos Três Irmãos, & Lagos
Today is a mix of adventure and relaxation. Start the day off with a boat trip from Portimão to see the stunning Algarvian coastline (we recommend the 10:30am departure). We absolutely LOVE this boat trip and have done it several times when our friends and family come to visit. You’ll see some amazing beaches that are only accessible from the water, go into a few caves, and of see the famous Benagil Cave (spoiler - the Benagil Cave is super touristy so don’t get your hopes up too much, the other sites on this boat trip are so much more beautiful!).
For lunch, head over to Praia dos Três Irmãos (another one of our favorite beaches) and grab some fresh grilled fish right on the beach at Atlântida. The rest of the afternoon, we recommend relaxing on the beach. From Atlântida, walk to the left all the way to the end of the beach. You'll see a small passageway, take it - it leads to several hidden beaches that are absolutely stunning!
We recommend heading into Lagos tonight for sunset and dinner. It's less than a 10 minute drive, but if you prefer, you can call an Uber or Bolt. Grab a bottle of wine from the nearest market (and some reusable cups) and head over to our favorite sunset spot in all of Lagos (and maybe all of Portugal!). If you have some extra time before sunset, you can explore a bit around Ponta da Piedade - there’s tons of boardwalks and well marked trails.
For dinner, it’s off to our favorite seafood spot in Lagos, O Mexilhao. Be sure to make a reservation beforehand especially if you’re coming on a weekend. Order the razor clams and grilled sea bass and thank us later!
If you’re up for some cocktails after dinner, stop by Peppers Bar in Lagos.
Day 3 - Western Algarve Beaches
Today, you’re grabbing the car and exploring the beaches west of Praia da Luz - this is overall a much less touristy area than east of Praia da Luz and you may get lucky enough to have some beaches and coves all to yourself! In the morning, we recommend checking out the beaches between Sagres and Salema Beach. A few we recommend are Praia do Zavial, Praia das Furnas, Praia da Figueira, and Praia Santa.
For lunch, drive to A Bóia on Salema Beach for some grilled fish. After lunch, you can hang out for a bit at Salema Beach and then head over to Praia do Burgau. Once you’ve finished up, drive back to Praia da Luz and get ready for the evening.
We recommend spending the evening by the boardwalk. You can grab a drink around sunset on the roof deck of ZaZu Beach Club and then walk just down to boardwalk for some tacos and margaritas at Puerto Escondido.
Day 4 - Coastal Hike & Carvoeiro
Hiking day! Full disclosure, we are not big hikers - we will only hike if the payoff is incredibly worthwhile (this means the views must be stunning). And let me tell you, this hike is STUNNING! Aim to leave your Airbnb by 8am to arrive at the parking lot for the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail Hike no later than 9am. You’ll start the hike at Praia da Marinha and walk until you hit Praia do Vale de Centeanes. Bring plenty of water, sneakers or hiking shoes, SUNSCREEN, and a few small snacks. The roundtrip hike is 12km and will take 4-5 hours, however the great thing is you don’t have to commit to this entire hike. Once you hit Praia do Vale de Centeanes (or even earlier), you can call an Uber/Bolt to bring you back to your car - now that’s our kind of hiking! The hike is relatively easy with only a few moderate uphill climbs.
If you opt for the Uber/Bolt option, you’ll finish the hike just in time for lunch and can drive over to a super cute beach town called Carvoeiro and have lunch at Vimar Restaurante. After lunch, you’ll stay in Carvoeiro and take a leisurely stroll along the Carvoeiro Boardwalk and stop at Algar Seco - these are some beautiful natural rock formations along the coast.
After this packed day of activities, you can either stay in Praia da Luz for dinner, or go into Old Town Lagos to one of our favorite restaurants - Ciuccio (call a few days before and make a reservation). Ciuccio is owned by a German guy, and technically it’s an Italian restaurant, but the menu is a bit all over the place (there's teriyaki salmon, there's tacos, there's tzatziki). This guy is an amazing chef and just makes what he likes. Hands down the best pasta we’ve had in Portugal.
Day 5
It’s the last day in the Algarve, and we recommend you make the most of it! Enjoy the morning at the beach in Praia de Luz, or head over to Lagos for a leisurely walk around Praia do Camilo and Ponta da Piedade. The sun should be hitting the cliffs just right for optimal photo taking opportunities!
On the way back to Lisbon, stop in Armação de Pêra for one last grilled fish lunch by the water at Restaurante Estrela do Mar - sit on the patio by the beach and order the sea bass for two people. After lunch, it will take about 2.5 hours on the highway back to Lisbon.
If you want to extend your trip or combine the Algarve with another area of Portugal, we highly recommend you check out our itineraries to Lisbon, Alentejo, and Porto.
Cost Breakdown (2 people for 4 nights)
Note: Flights to/from Lisbon are not included in this cost breakdown.
Uber to and from Rental Car Agency in Lisbon | $20 |
Hotel | $450 |
Rental Car (includes gas, tolls, parking) | $260 |
Breakfasts - $5 per breakfast | $20 |
Lunches - $40 per dinner | $200 |
Dinners (2 entrees, 1 app, bottle of wine) - $60 per dinner | $240 |
Cocktails (1 cocktail per person per day) - $10 per cocktail | $80 |
Boat Trip | $60 |
Total | $1,330 |
Daily Cost for 2 people | $296 |
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