So for the second time now, we travelled to the beautiful Algarve. This time for a certain reason: Our wedding. But more on that later!
We spent a whole week at one of the most beautiful coastlines in Europe. Time enough to see familiar places as well as exploring new ones. And just as last time, we weren’t disappointed.
Again, we had our base in Luz, which is not far from Lagos. We highly recommend everyone to rent a car at the Algarve. Without a rental car, you won’t make it too far. Portugal’s south is a really great place even for rental car beginners. The streets are in great conditions and most places are easy to find.
The Algarve is not the place for classical sightseeing. However it’s a great place for beach holidays surrounded by an impressive scenery and delicious food.
Put the following on your Algarve Bucket List!
Luz
The beach is quite nice for relaxing, though optically a little bit boring compared to other Algarve bays. It’s a cute and calm little village. If you’re searching for a few relaxed days or a nice holiday villa, this is the place for you. We stayed here with our families in a villa and can totally recommend it for that purpose. Furthermore, Luz is perfect to start trips to the surroundings.
Lagos
A really nice, touristic place. It doesn’t take long to see it and has some fabulous restaurants here. Just turn into one of the sideways and everything becomes calm and idyllic. We even used some places in Lagos as location for our wedding photos.
Praia da Rocha
What a fabulous beach. You won’t believe it at first while driving through the concrete jungle of Portimão. The sand is soft and the rocks are impressive. It’s an Algarve dream. It could possibly be really overrun in high season as beautiful as it is. But in May it was a really beautiful peace on earth!
Carvoeiro and a boat trip to Benagil
This is a village you’ll see on many Algarve pictures. It’s a pretty little holiday village. From both sides of the bay, you’ll have a fabulous view over the houses which look naturally grown in the cliffs as well to the bay and the sea. Very photogenic!
Not far from the Bay, there’s the Cliff Walk which allows you to come close to the Algarve rocks. At one place, you can walk down the sandy stairs and walk along the rocks. It’s a nice walk with a fulltime sea view.
From Carvoeiro, we started a boat tour to Benagil. Again we weren’t fortunate enough. The tour should have started by midday but the first boat didn’t work. So after 30m, we had to return and wait for a new boat. After another half an hour, we finally started our boat trip.
The sea was really rough and sitting in a little wooden boat is not everyone’s business. For that reason, it was not possible to step foot on Benagil. That was just bad luck. One day, I’m sure, we will make it. Possibly!
Alvór
Another cute village. As said before, there’s no classical sightseeing at the Algarve. Though there’s a really cute little church here. It’s all about relaxing and Alvór is one of this relaxed villages totally made for tourists. Somehow like the whole Algarve. Just more calm and relaxed as at the Turkish Riviera. Turkey in august is still one of my nightmare’s for many years now.
Praia do Camillo
What can we say about this place: Praia do Camillo is one of the most beautiful bays at the Algarve coast. It doesn’t matter if you stand up at the cliffs or down at the beach. It’s always a pleasure for the eye. The many stairs seem to frighten some people to go down. Anyway you should have seen the Praia do Camillo.
Ponte da Piedade
Right next to Praia do Camillo, there is the rock landscape of Ponta da Piedade. Left and right of it, you’ll find a few unspoilt beaches. You can also do boat trips from here. Both, Ponta da Piedade and Praia do Camillo, are very close to Lagos and easy to find.
Cabo de São Vicente
No Algarve visit should end without seeing this place. Continental Europe’s southwesternmost point with its 70m cliff line impresses on the one hand. On the other, it’s amazing watching the sunset here. Of course fewer clouds mean a better view. Anyway it’s really beautiful. You should take a jacket with you to the Cabo.
What are the Algarve Hotspots in your opinion?