Beautiful Beaches in south Portugal and Lisbon
Meet the main attractions of Lisbon for two days. Then spend a few days on the beaches of the Algarve, enjoying the best views in south Portugal!
In Lisbon, you will fall in love with its little streets, its neighborhoods, its people and its views. We will visit the beautiful Belem Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery.
We will continue by a visit to Algarve, one of my favorite regions in Europe. It is a trip that I can not describe how in love I am with that place. I recommend not only lie down to sunbathe on the beaches, but travel the region. The south coast of Portugal has incredible beaches, spectacular cliffs, indescribable landscapes, limestones, blue and turquoise waters. We will end our trip in one of the main cities of south Portugal, El Faro.
The prices that appear per day are referential and correspond to the sum of activities that were made that day
May the first day be to know the heart of Lisbon. Book the three hour Free Tour. If you’re not satisfied afterwards, walk through the Baixa and Chiado neighborhoods: do not miss the Plaza del Comercio, Rua Augusta, the Carmo Convent, the A Brasileira café and the Plaza Luis de Camoes. Then, go to the Santa Catalina viewpoint in the Barrio Alto. Arrive before it gets dark so you can see all the colors of Lisbon. In the night, get lost in the streets of the Barrio Alto. There are so many bars and restaurants you can go.
You have to go to know the famous Belem Tower; A symbol of Lisbon postcards. When you get to Belem, walk in front of the Jerónimos Monastery. Then go to the Tower of Belem (the two tickets together are € 12). Back to the center of Lisbon, walk to the Alfama neighborhood and through the San Jorge Castle and the Lisbon Cathedral. I recommend this area to eat, it’s very cheap! Do not miss the view from Mirador Portas do Sol.
Get out on the first train (8:23 am) to Lagos, so you arrive at noon. After leaving your things in the hotel, go to the beaches that are south of Lagos. After taking the beach, go to Ponta da Piedade. Go to see the sunset! The view is spectacular. In the evening, walk through the center of Lagos.
The beaches of Lagos are so beautiful that you will want to spend the day there. I recommend going to Praia Dona Ana or Praia Do Camilo. Praia Dona Ana was chosen in 2013 as the most beautiful in the world. The bad thing is that it gets crowded, so, if you want a little more quiet, you can go to Praia Do Camilo (it is next to it). Take note that this two beaches are not easily accessible: you need to go down several stairs and you can not walk from one to another.
Rent a car and drive for an hour to Benagil beach. To go to the cave on the beach, take a tour where you can see the spectacular rock formations of the Benagil caves in a boat for 2.5 hours. You can go swimming (it is between 5 and 10 min swimming). But I only recommend that you go swimming if you really trust your abilities. Sometimes, there are big waves at the entrance of the cave and it is not very easy to get out. After Benagil, drive for half an hour to Albufeira to sleep there and at night you can go down the strip to eat or drink.
On the way from Albufeira to Faro, stop at Praia da Falesia and spend the day there. Try to get to Faro to see the sunset from La Marina. Faro is an important city because it is close to the airport, but it is not so beautiful, so with only one night there, it is perfect. In the evening, walk through the streets and squares of the historic center.
The lodging that is shown in the list of each night is recommended by the traveler, you can find more similar options. The cost is per person in a double bed room.
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The best time to visit Portugal is from April to July and from September to October. This will allow you to enjoy its beaches and at the same time it is not so hot and there are not so many people. Nor will you find cold in those times.
Go to the Jerónimos Monastery as early as possible, because it is always full of people. It opens at 10am and to getting from the center it will take you 30 minutes.
If you buy together the tickets to the Jerónimos Monastery and Belem Tower, it costs 14 $.
If you like sweets, when you’re in Belem you can not stop trying Belem cakes.
I recommend arriving before noon at Benagil; If the tide rises you will not be able to go to the cave (and the cave is the coolest thing on the beach).
In Lisbon, get ready to exercise. Because of the geography of Lisbon, you will go up and down a lot of stairs or steep streets. If you do not like to walk, you can buy the unlimited public transport pass, which costs $ 7.50 and can be bought at the subway stations.
To get to Belem, you have to take tram 15 or bus 728. I recommend taking them in the Figuera Square; there are plenty of places to have breakfast there.
The beaches of southern Lagos are between 2km and 3km from the center of Lagos. The furthest place is Ponta da Piedade. You can get there by walking from Lagos or you can take a taxi.
The beaches of southern Lagos are surrounded by cliffs, so to get there you have to go down several stairs. And they are not connected; If you want to go to different beaches you have to go up the stairs and then go down others.
Some places of Algarve (like Benagil) can not be reached if you do not go by car.
The value of the car rental is divided between two people for 2 days. The total for the rent is US $ 76 dollars (US $ 38 x pers). An additional cost of US $ 30 in gasoline must be calculated. If there are two people, it is US $ 15 additional per person.
Faro Airport (FAO) only connects with European cities. If you are going to leave Europe, it is necessary that you have to go to Lisbon or some other city that connects with your city of origin.
