The Ultimate Weekend Itinerary for the Algarve: 4 days in Western Algarve

The Algarve is an ideal destination all year round to escape the harsh cold weather, thanks to sunny winters, where day temperatures are around 18ºC. No matter what time of the year you visit the Algarve, there’s so much to do, to the point that it can be overwhelming to plan it. But don’t worry, our Ultimate Weekend Itinerary for the Algarve covers the must-activities in Western Algarve (Carvoeiro to Sagres) you must do.

Ferragudo

How to Get There, Transport and Where to Stay

Faro Airport

Faro Airport is located in Faro (Eastern Algarve) but with a car, it takes under an hour to get to Portimão, where you’ll base yourself for the next 4 nights. For this itinerary, I’d suggest flying into Faro on Wednesday evening and fly back on Sunday evening.

Transport

The Algarve doesn’t have a great public transport network, so it’s highly recommended to rent a car as it’ll be easier to visit every location in this itinerary.

If driving is not an option, you can take a bus to Portimão from Faro airport and then use a mix of taxis, buses and train. Portimão and Lagos have train stations.

Where to Stay

Portimão is the best place to base yourself in Western Algarve. It’s the second largest city in the region, there’s a train station, it’s surrounded by beautiful towns and it’s centrally located to all the places you’ll visit.

Portimão, near Zona Ribeirinha.

Day 1: Carvoeiro, Senhora da Rocha and Silves

Start your morning with breakfast at Pastelaria Fábrica in Carvoeiro - this is not a trendy coffeeshop but it’s a genuine place to have a traditional Portuguese breakfast. Order arrofada mista (sweet bread roll with ham and cheese), fresh orange juice and a galão (latte) or espresso.

Praia de Carvoeiro (Carvoeiro beach)

After fueling up, walk the streets of Carvoeiro and marvel at its quaint and coastal architecture. Once you get to the beach, ask for the next departure to the Benagil caves. There’re a lot of tour operators, so make sure to check for their reviews online. The Benagil caves have become too popular and, therefore, crowded with too many boats. In peak season, it might be worth booking ahead - check Viator or Get Your Guide.

If you have time before your boat trip (if not, do it afterwards), go up the left-sided hill towards the chapel. Take in the views before walking the boardwalk from the chapel to Algar Seco. It’s a short distance and you’ll enjoy incredible but ocean views. Once in Algar Seco, go down to explore the little cave. A fun fact, it’s called “Boneca” as, from this spot, you could see the shape of a doll’s face in the rock formations. Explore a little bit more and go back to the beach to go on your boat trip to the Benagil caves.

Benagil caves.

If you’re hungry for lunch, a short car ride will take you to Lagoa. Eat at restaurant “O Ciclo”, they have traditional Algarve food. Their menu changes every day but I’ve never been disappointed.

After lunch, head over to Praia da Marinha, considered one of the most beautiful beaches of the world. In my point of view, there are nicer (and much quieter) beaches to spend the afternoon, so I’d just admire the stunning views from above. Parking is difficult in shoulder and high season.

Praia da Marinha (Marinha beach) at sunset.

Your next stop is Praia de Nossa Senhora da Rocha (there are a lot of stairs, so might not be accessible for everyone). Spend an hour or two at the beach relaxing and on your way back to the car, check the local chapel and take in the views.

It’s probably 5 or 6pm at this point, so it’ll be cooler to visit Silves, a medieval town away from the coast. On your way there, depending on your route (choose the longer route on your GPS), you’ll see lots of citrus fruit trees along the road.

Explore Silves, visit the castle and wander its cobblestone streets. Stay for sunset, it’s breathtaking. For dinner, you can either eat in Silves at Recanto do Mouros (great for meat dishes), or you can go back to Portimão for dinner.

By now, you’re most likely tired so if staying at an airbnb, I’d pick up frango assado (piri piri chicken) for take-out and enjoy a chill dinner at home.

Day 2: Portimão and Ferragudo

Have a lie-in today, after all, you’re on vacation! Today you’ll have a cultural day for the most part! After a light breakfast, visit the Portimão Museum to learn about the fishing can industry in Portimão. It’s 2€ p.p. and takes about an hour to visit. At 12 PM, go to Mercado Municipal de Portimão for a traditional Algarve food tour for the next 3:30 hours.

At 12:30, you’ll join a food tour where you’ll taste over 10 Algarve dishes and learn about the culture from a local guide from Portimão. As this is your second day, this tour will introduce you to Algarve cuisine and flavours, as well as receiving a special guide on the must eat dishes in Algarve. Go hungry - you’ll leave with a full belly and full heart :)

Cataplana de Marisco e Tamboril in Portimão.

The tour will finish at 4 PM and your next stop will be Ferragudo. It’s a quick 10min drive from Portimão city centre. Park the car in Ferragudo town and stroll its quaint streets. If you want a picture in the famous pink flower street in Ferragudo, this is it. After an hour, head over to Praia Grande for a dip in the ocean and/or for a drink at Club Nau. This beach bar/restaurant is great to spend the late afternoon or evening, overlooking the ocean, listening to good music and sipping delicious cocktails!

If you’re not too full after the food tour in Portimão, you can eat there or go to town centre to eat traditional Algarve food in one of the authentic restaurants in Ferragudo. You’ll have the special guide to help you order and try new dishes!

Rua Dr. Luiz António dos Santos, in Ferragudo.

Day 3: Lagos and Sagres

Pack your water, suncream and beach towel to head over to Lagos for a full day.

Start your day at Meia Praia beach. It’s a long strip of golden sand beach with clear blue water. On a not-so windy day, it’s the best beach to swim in Lagos.

Meia Praia in Lagos

After the beach, cross the small bridge to Lagos city centre and spend a few hours there. It’s a great spot for shopping in the Algarve, you’ll find nice little souvenirs to take home. There’re plenty of restaurants to choose from, whether you’re looking for Portuguese or international food.

Now that you’re fueled up for next leg of your day, it’s time for beach hopping in Lagos. First, drive to Praia Dona Ana for breathtaking views. After Praia Dona Ana, go to Praia do Camilo, where you’ll spend an hour or so, sunbathing and swimming. If the weather isn’t great, you can just admire it from above. Next stop is Ponta da Piedade. There are LOTS of steps, so please be mindful.

By now, it should be around 4:30 PM, so it’s time to drive towards Sagres, to visit the most southwest point of Europe, Cabo São Vicente. The journey takes about 45 min driving from Ponta da Piedade. I’d suggest waiting for sunset.

If sunset is only in a few hours, you have a few suggestions. 1) park the car in Sagres town and explore it; 2) go to Praia da Mareta for a dip; or 3) on your way to Sagres, stop in Burgau, a small fishing village to enjoy its beach and a quick stroll.

Cape Vincent, Sagres, at sunset. Photo credit: ajcabeza

Thirty minutes before sunset, arrive to Cabo São Vicente (Cape St. Vicent in English) for an unmissable sunset. You can thank me later :)

Day 4: Portimão, Porches and Last Day

On your last day, spend the morning in Alvor, a cute fishing village, only a very quick short drive from Portimão.

Start at Passadiços de Alvor, a 6km extension boardwalk that runs through dunes and small beaches, where you can marvel at wildlife. You don’t need to do the 6km, you can just do the first kilometer and come back to visit the Alvor village. The village is quite small, so won’t take you long to explore its streets. Have an early lunch at one of the riverside restaurants - their fresh fish and seafood is to die for, and the perfect Algarve food to finish your trip :)

Alvor Boardwalk. Photo credit: Jacek_Sopotnicki

On your way to the airport, I’d suggest two stops.

First, grab some pastries to take home from Casa da Isabel, in Portimão. All desserts are homemade with local ingredients from the Algarve.

Secondly, stop at Olaria de Porches, if you fancy buying some ceramics to take home. Their selection is to die for and all the ceramics are painted in-house.

Final thoughts

You probably have noticed I didn’t include Albufeira in this itinerary. As someone who’s from the Algarve and knows every little corner of the region, I know there are far more interesting, authentic places for you to visit. Albufeira has become too touristy, inauthentic, and my intention with this blog post is to help you see the wonderful places Western Algarve has to offer.

There’re so many other activities and places that are worth visiting but, for a first visit, this is the ultimate weekend itinerary for the Algarve.

If you’re visiting the Algarve soon, I invite you to book a food tour with us in Portimão. We offer a complete introduction to Algarve food as well as local insight from a guide from the Algarve. You’ll taste over 10 authentic food tastings, as well as drinks, in 6-7 unique locations. You can book a food tour here.

You can follow us on social media for more local insights and tips. Any questions, feel free to send us a message on Instagram or Facebook - we’re more than happy to help you!