Portugal

The Algarve in 3 days

Three winter days around Lagos — sunset at Praia da Marinha, the steps down to Praia do Camilo, the cliffs and sea arches of Ponta da Piedade, Praia Dona Ana's shell beach and coastal walks at golden hour.

All Portugal guides
Itinerary
By Riddhi Srinivas
  • kids
  • hiking
  • beaches
  • roadtrip
  • Europe
  • Portugal

The Algarve at New Year

Duration
3 days
Season
Winter
Shape
Three days of beaches, cliffs and coastal walks around Lagos
Who travelled
2 adultsChild
Route schematic · The Algarve at New Year3 stops · not to scale
  1. 1Praia da Marinha
  2. 2Ponta da Piedade
  3. 3Praia Dona Ana

Before you leave

  • Decide how you’re getting to Lagos — fly into the region, take the train or drive (we drove in from Seville, Spain)
  • Shoes with good grip for the steep stairs down to Praia da Marinha, Praia do Camilo and Ponta da Piedade
  • Reserve dinners ahead if you’re there over the holidays — restaurants in the old town were full on New Year’s Eve
  • Expect some places to be closed on New Year’s Day, and around 40 percent of old-town shops, restaurants and hotels to be closed in December
  • In summer, book a boat tour or kayak trip to see Benagil caves and Ponta da Piedade from the water

Day 1 — Praia da Marinha and into Lagos

  • Arrive in Lagos. You can fly into the region, take the train or drive. We drove in from Seville, Spain.
  • Stop at Praia da Marinha on the way. This beach is along the A22 highway. In summer, the boat tours to the Benagil caves start in this area. There is a parking lot at the top of the trailhead. Take the steep stairs down to the small cove. In winter the beach was pretty quiet and the weather was pleasant. We highly recommend staying for sunset.

The sun setting low over the sea, with two people silhouetted on the sand beside a tall golden cliff.

Sunset at Praia da Marinha.

  • Walk the coastal hiking trail that starts at the hilltop. It goes past the sea arches, the Benagil caves and some other beaches as well.

Golden limestone cliffs and sea stacks rising out of a calm sea, seen from the clifftop trail.

The view from the trail.

  • From here, drive into Lagos town. Street parking is available outside the old town. The old town has narrow, cobblestone, pedestrian-only streets.
  • Have dinner in town.

Day 2 — Praia do Camilo and Ponta da Piedade

  • Grab breakfast in the old town or at a café nearby.
  • Drive to Praia do Camilo in Lagos. This scenic beach is a sandy cove with many interesting rock formations jutting out of the turquoise water. You reach it by a set of steep wooden steps, about 10 minutes down.

An adult and a child walking down a long wooden staircase towards a cove with rock stacks in the sea.

Taking the steps down to Praia do Camilo.

A child and an adult on the sand of a small cove below golden cliffs.

The view of the beach.

  • There are tunnels around this beach that lead to a different part of the coastline. You can get to them from the water, or from the beach at low tide.

One of us standing in front of a natural rock arch on the beach, with the sea showing through it.

The tunnel to walk through to the other side.

  • At the top of the stairs, take the incredibly scenic walk along the coastal path for a different view of the blue water and the sea stacks. This path links up with other coastal hikes in the area and can be followed for miles.

The coastline seen from the clifftop path, with rocky headlands and small sea stacks in a deep blue sea.

The coastal walk.

A parent hugging a child at a railed viewpoint, with the coast and the sea behind them.

The view from the coastal walk.

  • Drive a little outside town to Ponta da Piedade. This cliff hike has panoramic views of limestone cliffs, sea arches, hidden caves and the deep blue ocean. A boardwalk and a set of steps lead all the way down to the ocean, where rough waves crash on huge boulders.

A staircase winding down between rugged cliffs towards rock stacks in the sea.

The Ponta da Piedade staircase.

One of us standing on a concrete landing at the water’s edge, with waves washing between tall rock formations.

At the bottom of the stairs at Ponta da Piedade.

  • Optional: In summer you can take a boat tour or kayak to Ponta da Piedade and enjoy the scenery from the water.

A sea arch in golden rock, with waves churning through the channel below.

A beautiful sea arch at Ponta da Piedade.

  • Dinner: We recommend Delhi Darbaar, in the old town close to the ocean. We enjoyed a cozy meal here after a busy day of sightseeing.

Day 3 — Praia Dona Ana, the old town and a sunset walk

  • Have breakfast at a café in the old town. We went to one across from the marina.

The counter of a bakery café with pastries on display under a lit “Café Coffee” sign.

A café across from the marina.

  • Drive to Praia Dona Ana. This beach is surrounded by hotels, so it has more people. It is still beautiful, but it was our least favourite because of the amount of trash and smoking there. It is calmer than the other beaches we visited, so it is probably the best one for swimming in summer. It is still surrounded by limestone cliffs, just not as dramatic as other parts of the coast.

A sandy beach seen from above, curving between cliffs, with rock stacks offshore.

Praia Dona Ana.

A wide sandy beach with a large rock at the water’s edge and cliffs behind.

Praia Dona Ana has a large sandy beach.

  • One part of the beach is covered entirely in sea shells instead of sand. It’s fun for trying different angles for photos, and for kids to play.

A stretch of beach covered in broken sea shells, with a rock stack and the sea beyond.

So many shells in the sand.

The beach and cliffs seen from the top of the stairs, with waves rolling in.

The beach from the stairs up to the parking area.

  • Head back to the old town. Park, then walk around the shops for souvenirs, ceramics or food. Grab some lunch.

A child trying on a paper panda mask in a shop full of animal-head masks.

Just a fun shop in the old town.

  • Relax at the Airbnb or hotel for a few hours.
  • Take a sunset coastal hike to see the amber cliffs and turquoise water in warm light.

Coastal shrubs in the foreground, with sea stacks lit orange by the low sun behind.

The coastal walk.

Green clifftops dropping to the sea, with rock stacks below and a clear sky.

The view from the coastal walk.

  • Dinner: We recommend Maharaja Tasty Indian Cuisine. We were lucky to get a reservation here at short notice on New Year’s Eve. The food in this region is mostly seafood, so we were happy to find some authentic Indian restaurants with vegetarian options.

Yachts moored in Lagos marina, with a waterfront promenade and palm trees on the left.

The marina in Lagos.

Day 4 — Onward

  • Drive to the airport, the train station or out of Lagos to your next destination.
  • Optional: If you have time, visit some of the fishing villages nearby. Some specialise in crafts, such as pottery in Porches. They offer a more local experience and a chance to see these crafts in the towns where they’re made.

The sun setting over the sea behind a headland, with a wooden bench on the sand in the foreground.

Sunset in the Algarve.