Where is Lagos Portugal:
Lagos, in the Algarve region on the southern coast of Portugal. The Algarve makes up Portugal’s dramatic southwestern coastline, dotted with towns atop the cliffs and caves of some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. If that doesn’t have you sold already, just keep reading.
What to do in Lagos Portugal:
An adventure mecca for both land and water lovers. Lagos is a small city with an adorable, tiled center of walking streets amidst shops and restaurants. It is an obvious tourist destination because of its beautiful Mediterranean climate and plethora of things to see and do.
Activities Available:
- Cave Kayaking
- Mountain biking
- Exploring the End of the World
- Beach hopping/Cliff hiking
- Paddle boarding
- Sailing
- Golfing
- Visit the Zoo
- Surfing (although this is more popular up the coast in Nazaré)
- Windsurfing
- Snorkeling
- Boating
- Horseback riding
- Scuba diving
- Culinary everything (eating, cooking, tasting)
Best time of year to visit Lagos:
This is perhaps the best part: Portugal doesn’t have an “off season” like most places. Sure, it has a high season, which is summer (June-Aug), but any time of year is a great time to be in Lagos. Around summer and the shoulder months of summer you will find more tours available, but if you can be flexible, Lagos is waiting for you as a year round destination.
Best adventure in Lagos:
Whatever you do, don’t miss the kayaking. Watch my video of kayaking through the caves of the Lagos beaches, and put it on your bucket list. It is a thrilling experience that you’ll surely never forget. If you have time to do both, I would recommend the mountain biking, too! Especially for beginners.
How long to visit Lagos:
I highly recommend staying at least three days here if not a week. We booked one night and ended up staying three, and it still wasn’t enough. There is so much to see and do (and don’t forget about lying around on the beaches doing nothing), that you need as much time as possible to pack it all in!
My personal experience and thoughts about Lagos:
We were on a budget when we visited Lagos, so we stayed at Tamar Guest House, which is an apartment hostel. The ladies their were wonderfully helpful and accommodating, as they set up our kayak tour and gave us a few fantastic recommendations for meals. Those places are Casinha do Petisco and Calhou (I went back to both six years later, still DELICIOUS!).
We had a rental car, so we also drove out to the End of the World to admire the ocean and ponder how people used to believe the sun sank into the sea there. The only tours we are able to fit in were kayaking and mountain biking, which I think are the two best ways to experience the coast.
Portugal bonuses:
- While Portugal is in Western Europe, it does not carry the same intimidating prices as most of Europe. You will be pleasantly surprised by the affordability of just about everything in this country. This adventure trip or honeymoon certainly won’t break the bank!
- Portugal has some of the most underrated cuisine in Europe. The culinary scene is thriving and booming, and incredible restaurants are not difficult to find.
- The port and wine in Portugal are some of the best in the world. Go get them.
- The entire country is less than half the size of California, making it easy to get from one end to the other. We spent so long in Lagos that we had to make it all the way back up to Porto on the last day to catch our flight out, and it only took us 5 hours driving.
Have YOU been to Lagos, Portugal? What did you think?
