Lagos is a town in the Algarve region on the southern coast of Portugal. I decided to stay here after other travelers recommended it. I was blown away by how gorgeous it is! There are beautiful beaches, rock formations, and caves along the Algarve coast. The Old Town in Lagos is small but charming with lots of murals and traditional Portuguese tiles and sidewalks.
Here are my favorite recommendations for things to do in Lagos, Portugal.
1. Go swimming at Praia dos Estudantes.
There are several beaches in Lagos. When I was there in May, the beaches weren’t crowded and the water was cool but warm enough to swim. Praia dos Estudantes was my favorite. There are three beaches separated by caves. The caves made it feel more special and secluded. From the last beach you can see a Roman bridge connecting two cliffs.
2. Relax at Praia de Dona Ana.
Praia de Dona Ana was recommended as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. The view and rock formations were spectacular. There was a lot of seaweed when I was there, so I preferred swimming at Praia dos Estudantes. But you can’t go wrong with any of the beaches in Lagos.
3. Walk the walkway to Ponta da Piedade.
A beautiful wooden walkway lines the coast in Lagos. This is the best way to walk to Ponta da Piedade. If you want a longer walk, the walkway also continues to Luz and goes along much of the Algarve coast.
I recommend doing this walk early in your visit. It’s a great way to see a lot of the rock formations and beaches, so you can decide which spots to revisit later.
It can be a bit of a hike instead of a casual walk, but the views are definitely worth it. Most of the walkway is not shaded, and parts are uphill. So wear sunscreen and bring plenty of water. There are several benches along the way if you want to stop and have a picnic. The walkway also passes some beaches if you want to stop for a swim.
4. Take a kayak tour.
The kayak tour was my favorite thing I did in Lagos. It was more challenging than other kayak tours I’ve done because there were a lot of sharp turns through the caves. Our guide gave us thorough instructions and a boat followed us in case anyone had trouble.
The tour I did was €40 and absolutely worth it in my opinion. If you’re trying to save money and only want to pay for one tour, I’d recommend the kayak tour.
5. See the caves up close with a boat tour.
A boat tour is another way to see the caves in Algarve up close. I did a boat tour from Portimao that went to Benagil cave and some other caves along the way.
When you pick a boat tour, check what kind of boat the tour uses. My tour used a very small boat which allowed us to get further inside the caves, but we also got soaked from the waves. A catamaran might be more comfortable and should still be able to go close enough to get a good view.
6. Explore the Old Town.
The Old Town in Lagos is very small and easy to walk around. This is where most of the shops, bars, and restaurants are in Lagos. There’s also a flea market along the river at the front of the Old Town.
I liked walking around the Old Town without looking for anything in particular. The Portuguese tiles on the buildings and traditional limestone sidewalks are so pretty. There were also a lot of beautiful flowers and murals.
If you’re looking for souvenirs or beach supplies, most of the stores have the same products. So you can check around for the best prices. Atlantic Shop had everything I needed at a good price.
7. Grab a drink at one of the many bars.
There are plenty of bars in Lagos, especially considering how small the Old Town is. Bon Vivant, 3 Monkeys, Inside Out, and Muchacha were my favorites. Bon Vivant has 4 floors and was the busiest on the Saturday I was there. 3 Monkeys seemed to be where the pub crawls start, and then people go to Inside Out. I also liked Muchacha because it had a pool table and murals on the walls.
One tour guide said Albufeira is better for nightlife, but I didn’t check it out myself. I had plenty of fun in Lagos anyway.
8. Watch the sunrise while paddle boarding.
I didn’t wake up early enough for the sunrise, but a friend recommended the sunrise paddle
boarding tour. The pictures look gorgeous.
9. Watch the sunset from Sagres.
Most of Algarve is better for a sunrise view than sunset, but one of my tour guides recommended Sagres to watch the sunset.
Other tips for visiting Lagos, Portugal.
1. Great prices for Airbnbs, but restaurants are more expensive.
I booked an Airbnb for my stay in Lagos and it was easy to find a great deal on a full apartment. So I thought everything in Lagos would be inexpensive, but was surprised that the restaurants were more expensive than I expected. So I ended up cooking a lot in the Airbnb.
2. You might need a dinner reservation.
When I did go out to eat, it seemed like the popular places were booked and required a reservation made days in advance. So if there’s a restaurant you want to try, make a reservation early in your trip.
3. It’s better to visit in the Spring or Fall.
When I visited in May it was not crowded at all. It was so nice going to the beaches or walking around without it being too busy. But some of the tour guides said it gets a lot busier in the summer. May seemed like the perfect time to avoid the crowds while also being warm enough to swim and lay out at the beach.
4. Transportation in Lagos.
How to get to Lagos from Lisbon.
I got to Lagos by taking the train from Lisbon. A high speed train goes from Lisbon to Tunes. In Tunes you transfer to the regional train that goes to Lagos (and other towns in Algarve). I booked my train tickets with the CP app, the app for all trains in Portugal. You can also take the bus from Lisbon.
How to get to Lagos from Faro airport.
If you’re coming from the Faro airport, the cheapest option is to take the bus. When I went from Lagos to the airport, the 56 bus didn’t run at the time I needed, but there was another bus available. I bought my ticket online through Alsa, but an Eva bus picked us up. You can ask for information at the bus station if you’re not sure which bus to get on. It’s a small station and the employees speak English. Figuring out buses can be stressful for me, but it was easy to figure it out in Lagos.
Taking the train in Algarve.
A train goes through Algarve and Lagos is the last stop. The train also goes to Faro, but not the Faro airport. When I was there the times were irregular, about an hour and a half apart. So it’s better to plan this ahead of time. At the Lagos train station, there isn’t a machine to buy tickets, and the line to buy tickets in person was very long. Another option is to buy tickets in the CP app.
Renting a car in Algarve.
A lot of people rent a car when visiting Algarve. While Lagos is very small and walkable, a car would make it easier to see other towns and get to the airport. It seemed like parking was easy to find when I was there in May.