The Algarve region in Southern Portugal is known for its coastline of beautiful beaches, dramatic cliffs, and some seriously incredible coastal scenery. All along the coast, you’ll find interesting landscapes of bluffs, hidden caves, towering sand dunes, etc that will make you want to stop every few minutes just to take it all in.
It’s the perfect destination for a relaxing beach escape, but there are also plenty of adventures to throw into the mix.
From exploring sea caves and hiking along the cliffs to wandering charming towns and relaxing on some of Portugal’s most beautiful beaches, we’ve got an action-packed itinerary for you. So let’s dive into our top 10 things to do in Algarve!
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Explore Faro
First up, is spending a day in Faro, Portugal. Faro has the biggest airport in Algarve, so it’s most likely the place you will fly into. And many people might hop straight in a car and head to the more scenic parts of the coast, but Faro itself is worth a day of exploring if you have the time.
It’s got a pretty neat historic old town surrounded by barrier islands that create a maze of protected marshland.
First, spend some time wandering around the old town because the fortress walls and archway entrances are really cool.
Then, pop into the Cathedral of Faro, a unique piece of history with a lot to enjoy. For just 5€ per adult, you get access to the stunning interior of the cathedral, a small museum, the rooftop of the bell tower, and the small bone shrine made with literal human bones.
But not to be confused with the larger Chapel of Bones in town, found at Igreja da Ordem Terceira de Nossa Senhora do Monte do Carmo. This is the even more impressive and morbidly curious shrine of human remains in town. It’s only 2€ per person and worth checking out if you have the time.
The best local restaurant in town is Churrashqueira Recife. It specializes in the African-spiced Piri Piri chicken that’s become a local staple in southern Portugal. So delicious and so affordable, we got a whole bird, plus rice, salad, fries, and two beers for like 23 Euros.
Taking a boat or kayak tour of Ria Formosa is a great chance to see wildlife in these lagoons around the city. Or for a much cheaper option, you can just take the 20-minute ferry out to Faro Island. It’s just 4€ per person for a round-trip ticket.
Out on Faro Island, you can spend some time on the beach, and there are just a couple of restaurants and bars.
Afterwards, you gotta visit a rooftop for sunset. We went to the LAB Terrace, which was packed and had some pumping music to enjoy a colorful sunset over the water.
👉 Check out our full travel guide for Faro.
Praia da Falésia or Praia do Barranco das Belharucas
This is one of the most stunning coaslines in Algarve. It’s colorful sand dunes above the beach, with deep reds and golden yellows form these beautiful formations. It’s just a stunning backdrop, and the beach is a long uninterrupted stretch of sand that provides plenty of space to spread out.
There are some spots with amenities such as chairs and umbrellas for rent if you want a little bit of extra comfort.
But if you are willing to walk a bit down toward Praia do Barranco das Belharucas, you’ll find some beach sections practically all to yourself.
Seven Hanging Valleys Trail
The Seven Hanging Valleys Trail is one of the best adventures in the Algarve. It follows along the coast, overlapping some of the same things we will mention more throughout this video.
While many people jump on a boat to explore this beautiful area, hiking provides a different perspective of this beautiful coast, and it’s free.
And a quick warning: be super careful when exploring any coastal trails in Algarve. The erosion that’s created these stunning landscapes also makes the trails around here quite dangerous. Especially because it’s always tempting to get closer to the edge for a better look. The rock and sand are prone to crumbling without warning. So just use caution when getting close to edges, even if they appear solid.
The trail is 5.7 km (3.5 miles) one-way from Praia da Marinha to Praia do Valle de Centeanes. But really, you can hop on or off the trail at many different spots. And we actually started a little farther east at Praia do Albandeira, because there’s a cool arch over here too.
You can also do the hike out-and-back for about 11 km, but it’s relatively easy to hike one-way and just use a taxi, Uber, or Bolt to get back to your car or starting point.
The easiest place to start the hike is at Praia da Marinha, because there is a large parking lot with free bathrooms. And if you plan on shortening the hike at all, this area is arguably the most stunning and not to be missed.
Additionally, this is a good starting point for a morning hike because the sun will be at your back, lighting up the scenery. But obviously, reverse this advice if you start your hike in the late afternoon or evening.
The tricky thing about this trail is that it can sometimes be difficult to follow. Not only does it split into many different paths along the cliffs, but there are a couple of breaks in the trail. We like using something like AllTrails to help keep us on track for the more confusing sections.
If you are hiking during the hot months, we recommend going early or late in the day to avoid the heat. Or you can bring a swimsuit and hop in the ocean. Some of the most beautiful cove beaches in the Algarves, are along this stretch.
The best swimming beaches along the way are:
- Praia do Marinha
- Praia do Carvalho
- Praia do Benagil
- Praia do Vale Centeanes
The only negative of these cove beaches is that they can trap seaweed at certain times of year, making the water less inviting.
While this trail does pass by the famous Benagil Cave, seeing it from above is really nothing special compared to being on a boat or kayak. So another good option is to add in a kayak tour or rental from somewhere along this trail.
Marinha and Benagil Beach are two of the best places to start a kayak tour.
Or for another way to cool off along the trail, we stopped at the Benagil Beach Club, for a swim in their pool and lunch with a stunning view.
Carvoeiro
This is one of our favorite towns along the coast. It has a colorful Santorini vibe to it, and no ugly high-rise developments either.
It’s got a nice beach, good restaurants, plus a few other cool landmarks that make it a worthy destination. Or even a good home base for your time in Algarve.
Right along the coast, there’s a wooden boardwalk to explore some classic Algarve scenery. Unlike uneven sandy trails, the wooden boardwalk is safer and more accessible, especially for people with kids, strollers, or mobility issues.
At the end of the boardwalk, you reach Algar Seco, a really cool spot with several interesting landmarks. And there is some parking near here if you just want to drive straight here instead.
One of the most famous spots here is Algar da Boneca, a cave with two holes, like natural windows to the sea. It’s a very photogenic spot, but obviously the downside is that it only takes like 3 people to feel crowded in here. So sometimes you need to be patient, or visit at an odd time if you want the chance of having it to yourself.
And the Boneca Bar right outside is tucked in the coolest setting within the rocks.
If you are a little more adventurous, right around the corner is a little swimming hole and a cliff jumping spot. We went at low tide, so the natural pool wasn’t really swimmable. But still, the tide pools are full of marine life. And the cliff jumping spot was Jake’s favorite spot! But getting back up can be a little dangerous. You kind of need to time it in between the waves.
Back in the town of Carvoeiro, the scenic cove beach has everything you could need for a comfortable beach day. Bathrooms, showers, chair and umbrella rentals, toy rentals, and plenty of shops and restaurants nearby.
The only issue is that parking near Carvoeiro Beach is difficult. But there are more options near Algar Seco.
One place we loved is the Pani Restaurant. Their Indian cuisine was delicious, and the views can’t be beat. It was just the most perfect way to cap off a day in Carvoeiro.
Ferragudo
This cute little fishing village is worth an afternoon of exploring. The Ferragudo historic center is famous for its narrow cobblestone streets of colorful houses. And a waterfront that’s still active with small fishing boats.
There are some touristy restaurants along the waterfront. But wandering into the streets above, we were surprised by how empty and peaceful it was. This gave us time and space to just admire.
The most famous street is probably Bougainvilleas Street, named for the gorgeous vining flowers that add even more color.
But there’s no shortage of charming views. And towards the west end above town, find your way up to the church, Igreja de Nossa, for awesome views.
There are beaches here along the mouth of the river, so they offer calm, protected water for swimming. But it’s a little close to the city of Portimão for my taste.
And just south of town is a cool castle along the river: Forte de São João do Arade. But it’s just for admiring, because it’s actually privately owned and not open to visitors.
You probably only need an hour to explore the whole town, maybe 2 if you stop for a meal or some drinks.
Boat Tour or Kayak Tour of the Coast
Algarve is one of those regions that is often best explored by boat or kayak. Quite simply, lots of the scenery isn’t accessible by land.
And there’s really no substitute for seeing the coast from the water. Where you can go inside sea caves, through arches, and more.
We took a boat tour from the city of Portimão, though tours start from many different spots along the coast. But probably the best place to see is the coast between Ferragudo and Albandeira Beach. This stretch of coastline has a really high concentration of stunning cliffs, arches, caves, and cove beaches. So there are cool natural features around every corner.
But the most iconic single spot is Benagil Cave, with its porthole opening and double archway openings. We were excited to see it, but honestly, this spot ended up being a bit of a letdown for us.
To help organize the chaos at this busy spot, it seems like kayaks are only allowed to enter the right archway and motorboats take turns entering the left archway. And I don’t think anyone is allowed to get off their boats or kayaks, so your ability to experience the cave is rather limited.
And specifically, when we visited mid-morning, the sun just happened to be beaming right on us, like a spotlight through the hole in the roof. And that made it almost impossible to see the cave itself illuminated like you see in the photos. And being on a boat tour, we were sanctioned to just that one spot, and moved on quickly.
But luckily, while Benagil Cave is the most famous spot, there’s plenty of other lesser-known caves and archways that we enjoyed even more.
If you’re trying to decide between a boat tour or kayak tour, here are some things to consider. On a boat tour, you will be able to see more in a shorter time but with less flexibility. And you’ll cover less ground kayaking, but you can get into smaller places that some boats cannot go. And it’s just a slower, more relaxed pace.
Though if you go in the middle of the day, you will be surrounded by lots of other kayaks and boat tours.
And when it comes to boat tours, we think the smaller boats are best. They are more nimble and can actually take you inside of caves and through arches. We saw the larger boats just kind of cruising along, observing the coast from farther away. Which misses a lot of the coolest experiences, in our opinion.
So ultimately, we’d recommend the tour we went on, especially for the value. For months it’s been half price, and available for about 13€ per person for a half-day excursion.
If you want a more relaxed pace, I would recommend doing a kayak tour. But if it’s during summer, go early or late to avoid the midday crowds.
👉🚤 Book The Same Boat Tour We Went On
Ponte João de Arens
The Ponte João de Arens area has some of the best classic Algarve scenery. It’s located between Portimão and Alvor, and sandwiched between two long sandy beaches.
But hiking out on the rocky point is really the best way to experience it.
There are just a couple of kilometers of trails to explore, and not really a single trail to follow, but more of a web of paths to explore around the cliffs.
And again, be very careful approaching edges, the hazards here are not always marked or sufficiently closed off. So use caution.
You can park along this road, Caminho da Praia João d’Arens. And then it’s just a short walk out to the point.
Or, we parked over at Praia do Alemão, which in itself is a very cool beach to check out. And from the parking lot you can easily get on the trails over to the point.
But this beach has some of the cool caves to explore and just nice scenery. So it’s a worthy stop before or after.
Ponta da Piedade
This is another area along the southern coast with a high concentration of iconic cliffs. The rocky headlands come to a point, and it’s an excellent place for a hike, or boat and kayak tours.
There’s ample parking and wooden boardwalks, making this one of the more accessible places to admire the scenery.
Praia do Camilo is known as one of the more scenic beaches in Algarve.
Sadly, a landslide had reclaimed the stairs down to the beach here. So it was not accessible by land when we visited.
And I think they tried a little too hard to future-proof the boardwalks from erosion. Because most are not very close to the edge, so to truly see the extent of the cliffs, you’ll be tempted to explore beyond the safety of the boardwalks.
There is one staircase down to sea level and you can actually get on boat tours right here. Or there’s a bunch that leave from the nearby city of Lagos.
Like a lot of Algarve, I would argue this place is much better experienced by kayak or boat tour.
👉Book A 🚤 Boat Tour or A 🛶 Kayak Tour of Ponta da Piedade
Explore Sagres
This town on the southwestern most tip of Europe is a great destination to check out if you have the time.
The landscape is dominated by these massive plateaus that jut out into the ocean. The weather can be a little unforgiving over here, especially the wind. But that raw power of nature is kind of what’s so impressive about it. Well, the waves were actually pretty small when we visited. But when the swell is up, it can be like nature’s firework show against the rocks.
Cape St. Vincent and Sagres Point (Cabo de São Vicente and Ponte de Sagres) are awesome spots to check out. Cape St. Vincent has a lighthouse at the tip, and Sagres Point has this old fortress. Both are interesting places to go for a walk.
Starting over in Sagres and up the west coast, you will find much bigger waves than on the southern coast of Algarve. So the beaches trend more towards a surfing crowd, especially in the winter. However, some protected coves can still be good as swimming beaches.
Two of the best beaches are Tonel and Beliche Beach. They both have little beach bars to get some food and drinks while watching the surfers.
The Tonel Beach Bar was just such a cool spot. And when in Sagres, you gotta get a couple of cold Sagres beers! (Although, if you’re like us, you’ve probably already had a bunch of these on your trip).
Explore the Algarve’s West Coast (Estrada da Praia)
If you want to explore more off the beaten path, heading up the west coast brings you to some of the most undeveloped and raw landscapes in Algarve.
Here you can find some of the least crowded beaches and coastal trails.
And most beaches here are popular surf spots. So if you surf, you’ll definitely want to spend some time catching waves on the west coast.
There are so many beaches on this coast, practically too many to name.
But here’s a list of the most popular ones…
- Praia do Telheiro
- Praia do Casteljo
- Praia do Cordoama
- Praia do Amado
- Praia da Bordeira
- Praia da Arrifana
- Praia do Odeceixe
We drove out a long, bumpy dirt road to Praia do Telheiro and had it practically all to ourselves. But sadly, it wasn’t exactly beach weather when we visited. Also, don’t expect any facilities.
But hiking the coast north from here was wild, scenic, and totally uncrowded.
Or heading further up the coast, Bordeira’s Beach was one of the most unique beaches along our trip. It’s where giant sand dunes meet the ocean. Plus, there were tons of surfers here. So it was fun to watch them all try to catch the next biggest wave! But it’s also a great place for kids to swim, because there’s the river that flows out around the dunes.
1-Week Algarve Itinerary
Here is what we’d suggest if you had a week to explore the Algarve area. This can easily be condensed if you are willing to do more things in one day.
- Day 1: Explore Faro
- Day 2: Praia da Falésia
- Day 3: Seven Hanging Valleys
- Day 4: Carvoeiro & Ferragudo
- Day 5: Boat Tour from Portimão & Ponte João de Arens
- Day 6: Ponta da Piedade & Sagres
- Day 7: Estrada da Praia
Helpful Map Of Algarve, Portugal Area
Use this helpful map below to see where all the top things to do in Algarve Portugal are located.
Where To Stay In Algarve, Portugal
This can be a bit of a loaded question because the Algarve area is quite large, and the best place to stay really depends on how long you have and what type of trip you’re looking for.
If you’re short on time and want to see as much as possible, we’d suggest staying in Faro for one night, choosing a town somewhere along the central Algarve coast for a night or two, and then finishing your trip in Sagres for a completely different side of the Algarve.
For a central location, we especially like Carvoeiro, which puts you close to many of the Algarve’s famous beaches, coastal hikes, caves, and viewpoints. Sagres is a great choice for a quieter, more rugged coastline, especially if you enjoy surfing, hiking, and watching incredible sunsets.
If you’re staying longer, you may prefer choosing one home base and exploring from there. Lagos is a great all-around option, while Carvoeiro is ideal for the dramatic coastline and beaches in the central Algarve.
Use the map below to explore accommodations around the Algarve and find the location that works best for your trip!
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