"Look, clear sky! And the ocean!", exclaimed Isheeta. We had been driving along the oh-so-expensive A2 toll road and had just cleared the last mountain on our way to Algarve - the place that we would soon fall in love with and acknowledge it as one of the most gorgeous coastlines we have ever visited.
This was our last hurrah on our 2+ week Portugal work-cation. Five days of no work, only sun and beaches! After maneuvering a few tricky roundabouts (oh Portugal, you and your roundabouts!), we soon reached our hotel - Tui Blue Falesia resort. The resort exceeded our expectations, from the beautiful sea view room, to the expansive breakfast each morning. But the most amazing aspect of the hotel is that it is located cliffside, right next to the Praia da Falesia (or for the muggles here, Falesia beach).
Don't miss out on staying in one of the hotels (like Tui Blue Falesia) that is right on the edge of a cliff !
Since we don't plan our trips except our must-dos and must-visits, I'll go over our recommendations in no specific order for each must-visit city along the gorgeous Algarve coastline.
Albufeira
Closest to our hotel, and the perfect place to begin our trip, Albufeira is truly the best place to explore Algarve from. It is roughly in the middle of the entire southern coastline, and is active during the off-season as well. We explicitly chose Albufeira because we visited in February (about the best time to visit Portugal, believe me!)
Praia da Falesia/Praia da Coelha
Skip going to the town's main beach (which is good, but does not do justice to the Algarve coastline). Instead head to either the Falesia beach or the Coelha beach. Set between towering cliffs (see image above), and a short hike down, both these beaches are sure to stun you into your swimsuits.
Miradouro do Pau da Bandeira
When in town in time for sunset, head out for a walk to this viewpoint (or take the escalator from the beach up). It has surreal views over the town, the beach and the ocean. And if you are in the mood for a yum-italian dinner, look no further than Trattoria Toscana.
Old town/The strip
We personally did not find the old town of Albufeira particularly interesting, but if you are looking for a chill vibe with some great italian restaurants, definitely head over here. The strip is great if you are in the party mood, but we were here to chill out (plus it was February), so we didn't spend a lot of time here.
Vilamoura
On our way out to Faro, we thought of swinging by Villamoura. There is nothing too distinctive about it, as it is a resort town with golf courses and a marina. However, there are a ton of restaurants around the marina, which make it a fun and pleasant place to spend an afternoon. If you find yourself here, try out the Mayflower for some delicious food.
Faro
One of the largest cities in the Algarve (with an international airport of its own), Faro has a charm of its own if you visit the old town!
Old town
Enter the old town via Arco da Villa and stroll through the quaint plaza lined with orange trees. It is a world apart from the city itself. Check out Ingreja de Santa Maria as you walk through town.
For a perfect dining experience (or for a night of partying) head over to O Castelo. Great food, great drinks and a decent view! Also, if you like airplane watching, this is a great spot as the flight path is right above the restaurant!
Infante Panoramico/Guarita Terrace
Ok, first up, this is not truly in Faro. In fact it is 30 minutes away from Faro towards the Spanish border. But it is WORTH going to. If you want a terrace with a perfect view of the Atlantic and admire all the hues that it can throw at you, this restaurant or tapas bar is the place to go to. You are high above Praia da Verde, with a bird's eye view which gets more and more dazzling as the sun sets. Tip - Make sure you get here early if you want a seat for sunset.
Carvoeiro
This town has to be the most unique one in Algarve. If viewed from the ocean (we'll get to that soon) you'll see a beach (Praia de Carvoeiro) with the town rising on both sides of it on cliffs. If viewed from one of the cliffs, one can easily mistake it with a Grecian seaside town. Just driving through the town, along the cliffside is an experience in its own.
However, let us talk about the elephant in the room.
Carvoeiro Boardwalk
This is without a doubt, the best boardwalk ever constructed. It rests on the edge of the mind-blowing art of nature - the Algar Seco caves. After having traveled quite a lot, I have to say that it is extremely rare to find a natural wonder such as this, made accessible in such an easy way. These caves lay bare the awesomeness that is the Algarve coastline. If there is one thing you do in Algarve, it should be visiting the Carvoeiro Boardwalk.
Tip - If you are looking for a quick bite, visit the Bistro Algar Seco, right across from the boardwalk.
Portimao
Whether you are here for an F1 Grand Prix or just on a vacation, it won't matter - because you'll fall in love with the city. Roughly midway between Sagres and Albufeira, lies this historic town.
Boat trip to Benagil
Portimao is the perfect spot to launch yourself into the water for a cruise to the many caves along the limestone cliffs. These caves (featured in a Microsoft Windows wallpaper) are breathtaking and will leave you wondering how they were formed. The boat ride was one of the most exciting experiences on our Algarve itinerary. Bouncing on the waves crashing against the cliffs, and having our expert captain navigating our 4-seater boat into small caves, was the perfect trigger for a shot of adrenaline. Check out some of our photos below!
Praia da Rocha
This beach itself is HUGE. Like, massive! And you can easily fall in love with it. It seems like a beach that was made for partying on, with the ball-structured bars. But I actually fell in love with the road that hugs the clifftop and has tons of restaurants on it. While I'm sure a lot of these restaurants are great, we had a date at the Restaurante F and absolutely fell in love with it. It was a sensory overload with the sky lighting up in hues of purple after sunset and the foodgasmic grub!
Viewpoint of the Three Castles
And before you go treat yourself to so much good food that it is hard to walk afterwards, go visit this viewpoint (you might walk past it if you are wise enough to park in the lot just down the street). It gives such an awe-inspiring view of the beach, the massive cliffside and the city. I could easily imagine a bunch of painters sitting there with their canvases.
Lagos
Not to be confused with the city in Nigeria, Lagos in Portugal has a unique character of its own. Walk the streets of the fortified old town, drink a pitcher of Sangria or eat lunch at our favorite restaurant, The Green Room. There is no dearth of things to do in Lagos! But even more so when you are willing to drive 10 minutes away!
Ponta de Piedade
Probably the most unique, well-known and heavily visited places in the Algarve, and deservedly so! The towering rock formations, white-and-terracotta lighthouse, endless viewpoints along the boardwalk and the stairs down to the ocean, all come together to create an unparalleled authentic Algarve experience. You can literally spend hours around this outcrop of rock that mother nature was generous enough to bestow on us. Although difficult to do it justice in photos and videos, we'll give it a shot below!
Perfect for some objectively mind-blowing photo ops.
The Beaches
Oh my god, the beaches! Lagos is surrounded by so many beaches that all have the same setting. Towering cliffs around a sandy beach (some of them are even nudist friendly). The limestone cliffs really decided to create the most fascinating patterns all around! Walk down wooden steps to Praia Dona Ana for a beach with restaurant and facilities or a longer staircase to get to Praia do Camilo, where you'll find a lot of kayakers bobbing around. There are many others to select from, and they are all gorgeous eye-candy-beaches.
Sagres
If you keep driving West, you'll ultimately hit the southwestern-most point of Europe. And it'll actually hit you back in your face with crazy winds at almost all times.
Farol do Cabo de Sao Vicente (Cape Sao Vicente)
Start by driving out to the Cape Sao Vicente. The flora changes a lot around this part of Algarve, probably owing to the consistently strong wind. The lighthouse is right on the cliff, and you can hop around on the rocky outcrop, just be careful! There are fantastic photo-op possibilities, if you can battle the wind.
Sagres Fort
Last but not the least, if you get a chance, visit the Sagres Fort. It has a great history and some bountiful views, from what I've heard. We were unfortunately tired to the bone and decided to skip.
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And with that, we come to an end to our exciting, gorgeous, once-in-a-lifetime-experience of an itinerary for visiting Algarve. Let us know how you liked it in the comments! :)
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