The Algarve was our second stop during our Portugal Trip.

We chose to visit Lagos and Albufeira. Though there are other options we went for these two as through our research we found that these were the “more fun” stops in the Algarve and consisted of a younger crowd.

Both towns were really different but I think it gave us a general overview of the Algarve.

Lagos is definitely the more affordable/backpacker destination whereas Albufeira is more for those looking for that resort/party vibe. If you have to choose one, I would say go to Lagos for that more authentic vibe. That being said, they are close enough in proximity that you can easily do the other as day trip. There is also Faro which was highly recommended in blogs as well so I would say to look into it.

Posing for Sama accross the street of our hostel in Lagos as we wait for our taxi to take us to Ponte de Piedade.

Before we get into things any further let’s talk logistics.

Transportation

We took a train from Lisbon to Lagos. Stayed two nights there and then took a local train from Lagos to Albufeira. Please make sure you don’t book through Europe rail but directly through the Portugal transit website. We ended up making that mistake and we lost at least $40 for refunding our tickets through Europe rail.

We came accross this magical structure during our walk in Lagos.

In Lagos we walked a lot and took taxis. In Albufeira we mainly took taxis. Our resort was not central enough for us to walk.

Accommodations

In terms of accommodations we stayed at Top City Hostel in Lagos (all girls accommodations with eight beds) and then at a really nice resort as a treat to ourselves from all the hostels and Airbnbs for one night in Albufeira. The resort we stayed at in Albufeira was called Salgados Dunas Suites.

Our pool situated on the roof of our hostel in Lagos.

Now, let’s get into the rest.

A quick warning that the water in Portugal is very cold. I found it far too cold to actually swim in (and we were here in July) so we opted to just admire from afar.

Despite the fact that we did not do much swimming on this leg of our trip, we still did a decent amount of things. Among them was a trip to the Western Algarve with West Coast Lagos which was undoubtedly the highlight of my trip. This tour is led by the amazing and ever so knowledgeable creator and guide,TJ.

The best tour I’ve done so far. This experience was unreal.

Before I get into the West Coast Lagos experience in more detail, I want to quickly highlight a few other things we did while in the Algarve that you may also enjoy:

In Lagos

Ponte de Piedade

Took a couple of tries for the stairs to appear empty. But we did it!

This is where you will get that iconic Instagram shot of “the stairs” in the Algarve. It’s picturesque but crowded. We didn’t spend too much time here. Just took our photos and left.

Walking Along the Beach

We also just walked along the beach and admired the beautiful rock formations along the coast. It was so beautiful and so peaceful as we went in the late afternoon/early evening.

In Albufeira

Boat Tour to “See” the Benagil Caves

So we made the mistake of taking a boat ride to the Benagil caves which means we couldn’t actually physically enter the cave.

Our view of the Benagil caves from the boat. The boat was too big to go further in.

A lot of things I read made it seem like the swim to the cave was very long but in reality there was a beach right next to the cave that you could swim from. If you’re a strong swimmer I would suggest seeing it this way.

Our view from the boat tour in Albufeira.

That being said, the boat ride was beautiful and relaxing and we really enjoyed it. There were a lot of people on the boat but we still had plenty of space to move around.

We booked the boat tour in advance through Viator as we went in peak season. It ended up costing us around $40 Canadian.

Praia dos Pescadores

My view overlooking Praia de Pescadores.

This beach is right near all the action. There are restaurants, bars and shops all within walking distance. It’s a beautiful sight and will kind of remind you of that Amalfi coast kind of vibe.

It was beautiful both by day and by night so I would recommend seeing the view during both times of the day if you can!

“The Strip”

The Strip in Albufeira (the party area) was a lot of fun. And though we didn’t actually go to a real club, walking around the streets, it pretty much felt like one.

The vibe here for partying was definitely a sight to see. It’s a very fun and loud environment. If that’s your cup of tea, you’ll thoroughly enjoy it.

You might also observe that there are a lot British tourists in Albufeira which isn’t necessarily the case in the rest of Portugal.

And now for the Grand Finale - The West Coast Lagos Tour!

This view was from BEFORE we started our first hike.

The West Coast Lagos Tour was incredible. Please don’t be turned down by what might feel like a steep price. The experience is very worthwhile!

This is probably the coolest place I’ve ever had lunch. Perched on a cliff in the Western Algarve. This was half way through our first hike.

The trip itself includes two incredibly beautiful but equally challenging hikes across the rugged Western Algarve. It involves a lot of climbing, descending and getting out of your comfort zone. If you are afraid of heights or faint of heart I would not recommend this tour.

We had the pleasure of stopping by in this secluded beach in between our two hikes. It was so nice to share a beach with only a few people in peak season!

But, if you’re all about adventure, you will not be disappointed. TJ has spent an incredible amount of time mapping and learning the Western Algarve to develop these intense hikes that will totally get your adrenaline pumping. He will share all sorts of knowledge with you along the way and you will come out of it so grateful for the experience.

In addition to the beautiful views, the real cherry on top was the amazing tapas style dinner that we enjoyed with TJ under the stars. He showed us all sorts of constellations with his super cool celestial laser and taught us that we in fact cannot see the moon everyday. This was very very shocking news to both my friend Sama and I.

A delicious tapas style dinner under the stars.

Pick up and drop off is both from Lagos and it was my main motivation for choosing Lagos as one of our destinations in the Western Algarve and I am so glad I did because this experience was truly one of a kind.

Our amazing and ever so knowledgeable guide TJ!

So there you have it folks. This concludes my Portugal series. My two weeks in Portugal were incredible and I would definitely visit again.

See you soon!

Mahreen

P.S. If you would like to see more of what I did in Portugal through videos, you can check out my Instagram story highlights on my page @mahreendasoo.