The Algarve itinerary, day by day

Ochre cliffs, sea caves and white towns, from Lagos in the west to Tavira in the east, one cove at a time: the map, what is worth booking, everything that costs nothing, and where to sleep at three budgets.

🗓️ 4 or 7 days📍 4 stops☀️ Best time: May to June and September to October

Praia da Marinha · Photo Victoria Benson / Pexels

Route map (numbers = order of the stops).

The Algarve in 4 days

2 stops · 11 things to do · ≈ 70 km

1Lagos

Days 1-2

The best base for the western Algarve: a walled old town, a marina, and the golden sea stacks of Ponta da Piedade just to the south.

🎟️ Worth booking

Boat trip to the Ponta da Piedade grottoes2h by boat · from €30
A small boat along the foot of the cliffs, slipping in and out of the grottoes carved into them.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Sea-cave kayaking2h30 · from €45
A guided paddle among arches and grottoes that can only be reached from the water.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Ponta da Piedade · Praia Dona Ana · Lagos old town

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Lagos Central Hostel (€22 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Marina Rio (€120 a night) · Luxury: Cascade Wellness Resort (€290 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

CIUCCIO - Italian based kitchen and International food. ★ 4.9 · 1326 reviews
Pearl Food Trailer ★ 4.9 · 780 reviews
Búteo ★ 4.9 · 621 reviews
Eattico ★ 4.8 · 1516 reviews
Restaurante Azimute Lagos ★ 4.8 · 954 reviews

Photo Pexels

🚗 Car · 55 min · 60 km

2Carvoeiro and Benagil

Days 3-4

The heart of the sea-cave coast: the Benagil cave, Praia da Marinha, and the clifftop Seven Hanging Valleys trail that links them.

🎟️ Worth booking

Benagil cave boat trip1h · from €30
The cave with a hole in its dome, seen from the water. Landing on its beach is no longer allowed, so go early, when the light is best and the boats are fewer.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Stand-up paddle to Benagil2h · from €35
A slower approach to the cave on a board, now only allowed with a licensed guide.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Praia da Marinha · The Seven Hanging Valleys trail · Algar Seco · Carvoeiro beach

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Algar Seco Parque (€50 a night) · Mid-range: Tivoli Carvoeiro (€145 a night) · Luxury: Vale d'Oliveiras Quinta Resort & Spa (€150 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Alegria, Good Mood Food ★ 4.9 · 369 reviews
Le Crô - Wine & Tapas Restaurant ★ 4.8 · 823 reviews · €€
Jota Lita ★ 4.8 · 732 reviews · €€
Happy's Restaurant ★ 4.8 · 393 reviews · €
Restaurante ETXEA ★ 4.8 · 299 reviews

Photo Pexels

The Algarve in 7 days

4 stops · 20 things to do · ≈ 210 km

1Lagos

Days 1-2

The best base for the western Algarve: a walled old town, a marina, and the golden sea stacks of Ponta da Piedade just to the south.

🎟️ Worth booking

Boat trip to the Ponta da Piedade grottoes2h by boat · from €30
A small boat along the foot of the cliffs, slipping in and out of the grottoes carved into them.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Sea-cave kayaking2h30 · from €45
A guided paddle among arches and grottoes that can only be reached from the water.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Ponta da Piedade · Praia Dona Ana · Lagos old town

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Lagos Central Hostel (€22 a night) · Mid-range: Hotel Marina Rio (€120 a night) · Luxury: Cascade Wellness Resort (€290 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Pexels

🚗 Car · 40 min · 35 km

2Sagres and Cape St Vincent

Day 3

The south-western tip of mainland Europe, where the cliffs take the full Atlantic swell. A fortress on the headland, a lighthouse on the cape, and some of the best sunsets in Portugal.

🎟️ Worth booking

Surf lesson at Sagres2h · from €40
Sagres has beaches facing south and west, so one side usually has a wave that suits beginners.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Cabo de São Vicente · Praia do Beliche · Sunset over the Atlantic

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Sagres Sun Stay (€38 a night) · Mid-range: Memmo Baleeira (€140 a night) · Luxury: Martinhal Sagres (€320 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

A Sereia ★ 4.8 · 2131 reviews · €
Pizzeria The Hangout ★ 4.8 · 1013 reviews
Pedra do Gigante ★ 4.8 · 638 reviews · €€
Bar restaurante Three Little Birds ★ 4.7 · 3744 reviews · €€
Laundry Lounge Sagres ★ 4.7 · 2227 reviews · €€

Photo Pexels

🚗 Car · 1h · 75 km

3Carvoeiro and Benagil

Days 4-5

The heart of the sea-cave coast: the Benagil cave, Praia da Marinha, and the clifftop Seven Hanging Valleys trail that links them.

🎟️ Worth booking

Benagil cave boat trip1h · from €30
The cave with a hole in its dome, seen from the water. Landing on its beach is no longer allowed, so go early, when the light is best and the boats are fewer.
Book on GetYourGuide →
Stand-up paddle to Benagil2h · from €35
A slower approach to the cave on a board, now only allowed with a licensed guide.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Praia da Marinha · The Seven Hanging Valleys trail · Algar Seco · Carvoeiro beach

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Algar Seco Parque (€50 a night) · Mid-range: Tivoli Carvoeiro (€145 a night) · Luxury: Vale d'Oliveiras Quinta Resort & Spa (€150 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Photo Pexels

🚗 Car · 1h10 · 95 km

4Tavira

Days 6-7

A white town on the Gilão river, with an old arched bridge, a skyline of church towers, and the lagoon islands of the Ria Formosa just offshore.

🎟️ Worth booking

Ria Formosa boat trip2h30 · from €28
Out into the protected lagoon, a maze of channels, sandbanks and salt marsh full of wading birds.
Book on GetYourGuide →

✦ Free, not to be missed

Tavira old town · The old bridge (known locally as the Roman bridge) · Ilha de Tavira beach · Igreja de Santa Maria do Castelo

🛏️ Where to sleep · Budget: Hotel Residencial Marés (€50 a night) · Mid-range: Pousada Convento de Tavira (€135 a night) · Luxury: Vila Galé Albacora (€240 a night)

🍴 Where to eat · top rated

Mesa Farta ★ 4.9 · 608 reviews
Little India Indian Restaurant ★ 4.8 · 1381 reviews · €
Restaurante Bossa Tavira ★ 4.8 · 653 reviews
Artefact ★ 4.8 · 556 reviews · €€
Primitivo Tavira ★ 4.8 · 252 reviews

Photo Pexels

Hotel prices are per room per night, activity prices per person, checked when written. Some links are affiliate links (Booking, GetYourGuide): we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.

Take this itinerary with you

The free printable Algarve guide: map, stops day by day, hotels by budget. Works offline.

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Good to know before you go

🍽️ What to eat

Cataplana: clams and pork, or fish, stewed in a sealed copper pan, the signature dish of the region.
Grilled sardines: at their best in summer, and a point of pride in Portimão.
Piri-piri chicken: chicken grilled and basted with chilli oil, a speciality of Guia, near Albufeira.
Pastel de nata: the crisp custard tart, eaten warm with a dusting of cinnamon.
Medronho: a strong spirit distilled from the fruit of the strawberry tree, in the hills inland.
Almond sweets: marzipan shaped and painted to look like fruit, sold in every pastry shop.

⚠️ What to avoid

Bread, olives and butter set down before you order are charged: send them back if you do not want them.
Do not swim or paddle into Benagil cave on your own: it has been banned since 2024 and the fines are heavy.
Keep back from cliff edges, and do not lie on the sand right beneath them: rockfalls happen.
In July and August, reach the best-known beaches early, or the car parks will be full.

Plan this trip

📒 The free printable Algarve guide→ 🗓️ Best time to visit the Algarve, month by month→ 🎟️ What to book before you go→

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