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Portugal is THE road trip country in Europe par excellence – especially if you love routes along the coast. One of the most beautiful routes runs along the cliffs of the Algarve in the south of the country from Faro to Lisbon. In this article, I’ll give you tips on this Algarve route and reveal which highlights you shouldn’t miss here. This will give you a good basis for planning your individual Algarve road trip.
For me, the Algarve is one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline in Europe, stretching from the Spanish border to the western part of the Atlantic. While steep cliffs with hidden beaches await you in the south, you will discover wild, endless beaches in the west.
You can also see how beautiful the Algarve is here in the video:
I drove the route myself in 5 days by van. Theoretically, you can also do it in much less time, as there are just 278 km between Faro and Lisbon. By car, you only need about 3 hours along the highway.
But just driving along the highway is not a road trip along the coast. And you’ll need at least 5 days for that.
However, I would recommend spending even more than just 5 days here. Because there are many places to explore along the way and a hell of a lot of fantastic beaches. Especially in the less crowded west of the Algarve, there is one brilliant surfer beach after another.
I always slept in the van on my road trip, except once in a hotel. That’s why I always give you tips on good pitches for each spot, as well as hotels and other accommodation nearby.
By the way: You will find a few of the most famous Portugal sights in the Algarve. But Portugal is big and there is more to discover. Have a look here:
Road trip Algarve with van?
Portugal is one of the countries in Europe (along with Norway) where many vacationers park their vans on the side of the road. It’s especially cool when you can spend the night on the beach in your van, enjoy the glowing red sunset in the evening, wake up in the morning and drink your hot coffee to the sound of the sea. But is that really allowed?
Wild camping in Portugal?
Spending the night in a car and wild camping are two different things. As a rule, that’s what counts: If you only sleep in the car, everything is okay. But as soon as you put chairs in front of it and maybe even start a campfire, then that counts as camping and it can lead to problems with the authorities. Because wild camping is generally prohibited in Portugal. Especially in summer and in the tourist regions in the Algarve, this is often checked.
However, the locals generally have a rather relaxed relationship with campers. As long as you don’t attract attention, i.e. don’t make any noise or pollute the environment, everything should run smoothly.
An anecdote from my trip: When I spent the night on the beach in Sagres, a few other long-term campers made a campfire and we joined them in the evening. After about 20 minutes, law enforcement officers came and warned us that camping was actually forbidden here. But then they drove away again and left us our campfire.
That was out of season. During the season, you may be asked to drive away or even have to pay a fine. It can be particularly expensive in nature zones or national parks. You should avoid these for overnight stays.
To find wild campsites where others have already spent the night, I recommend the following app:
As a rule, you will find free parking spaces on the beach but also more hidden places further inland – usually without showers, toilets or other everyday things. The tips from previous visitors are also very helpful.
You are on the safe side at official campsites. These offer electricity, showers and sanitary facilities, but often cost as much as an overnight stay in a hotel.
Rent a van or car in Portugal?
If you want to experience the typical vanlife and don’t have your own van or don’t want to drive thousands of miles to Portugal, then rent a van locally.
Here you will find a list of commercial providers for renting vans on site:
- The Getaway Van – Here you’ll find vans with a cool design that are equipped with everything you need for an Algarve road trip
- Siesta Campers – Here you will find new camper vans as well as classics such as the VW T2
- Indiecampers – A larger search engine to rent vans in 50 destinations
- Portugal by Van – A small campervan rental company in Portugal
Alternatively, you can of course also undertake the road trip in a smaller and cheaper car. However, you won’t be able to sleep in it and will still have to look for additional accommodation. I can recommend a price comparison search engine such as Check24 or billiger-mietwagen.de. You may even be able to find a van or motorhome through them.
Search for a rental car in Faro directly here:
Refueling in Portugal
Refueling in Portugal is basically the same as in Germany. The only difference is that there are often facilities where you have to pay in advance (e.g. by credit card) and only then can you refuel.
However, you should pay particular attention to the different designations for the fuel:
- “Gasoleo” is diesel
- “Gasolina” is gasoline
Flights to Faro and from Lisbon
Depending on where you live, there are cheap flights to Faro or Lisbon and back again. From my home, for example, there were a lot of cheap flights to Faro, but not to Lisbon. In principle, these are the only two airports that come into question for an Algarve road trip.
You also need to bear in mind that your arrival and departure points are different. Theoretically, you could also fly back from the same place where you arrived, but then you would definitely need another day to drive from Lisbon to Faro or vice versa.
I recommend you check the prices for your travel dates in a flight search engine like Skyscanner beforehand. According to their data, the cheapest flights to Faro are available in May and June.
Route from Faro to Lisbon
Although I drove the route from Faro to Lisbon, you can of course do it the other way around – depending on where you get the cheapest flights.
If you have enough time, it is also worth visiting both Lisbon and Faro. About 1 day is enough for Faro. For Lisbon, I recommend at least 2 days. I have written separate articles on both cities, with lots of extra tips.
You can also find all the places mentioned here on the map:
Map in full screen
1. Faro
Your road trip begins in Faro. Either spend half a day exploring the city or continue straight to the next spot.
2. The cliffs of Falésia beach
Praia de Falésia is located in the small fishing village of Olhos de Agua and is one of the most famous and beautiful beaches in Portugal. You should at least make a stopover here. The red, pine-covered cliffs are particularly impressive and you can hike along them and enjoy the view over the beach.
Another cool thing is that the sandy beach itself is 6 km long and large enough that you will find a free spot even on busy days.
3. Albufeira
Albufeira is one of the more touristy resorts in the Algarve. That’s why I tended to avoid the town. However, Albufeira is still a great stopover for lunch or dinner in a restaurant or if you are looking for accommodation in a hotel.
In addition to the many beaches, Albufeira is also known for its nightlife. There are many bars and clubs, especially in the east of the city on Avenida Sá Carneiro.
Accommodation in Albufeira
There are many hotels in Albufeira and the surrounding area.
4. Benagil Cave
The caves near the village of Benagil are an absolute highlight on your road trip. You should definitely go here and swim or paddle on the beach in the cave.
How do you get to Benagil Cave?
You cannot reach the cave on foot, but only via the water. There are several options.
- By boat: The easiest way is to book a boat tour. Depending on the provider, this costs around €30 per person. There are usually other spots on these tours. It’s a good option if you don’t want to swim into the cave. This is because the boat usually only takes you inside the cave for a short time, but you usually don’t have time to get out and spend some time there.
- By stand-up paddle board: In my opinion, the best option is to hire a stand-up paddle board (€30 per board for 45 minutes). This is the easiest and quickest way to get to the cave and the board is also great for 2 people. I’ve never done stand-up paddleboarding myself before and it was easy to do sitting down. It only takes about 5 minutes to get from the beach to the cave. Just watch out for the motorized boats that keep entering the cave. You will then have about 30-35 minutes in the cave itself. However, none of the rental companies will stop the clock and nobody will say anything if you hand in the boards 10 minutes later.
- By kayak: You can only hire individual kayaks in summer. Off-season, however, there are guided tours where you can explore the coast up to the caves with a group and guide
- Swimming: The cheapest option is to simply swim to the cave. Some people did this when I visited the cave. However, I can only advise against doing this, because nobody can predict the weather and the sea 100%. The situation can change from one moment to the next and then you might have problems getting out of the cave, for example.
If these options are too time-consuming for you, you still have the option of taking a tour to reach the caves:
- Caves, beaches and secret places Guided kayak tour
- Boat trip from Portimão
- Portimão: Benagil Caves speed boat tour with sunset option
- Pirate ship cave cruise
There is also a hiking trail along the cliffs above the cave.
Accommodation in Benagil
There is a great camping spot near Benagil, directly above the cliffs (spot on the map: https://goo.gl/maps/SxA66woyCa52o3Z3A).
If you prefer more luxurious accommodation, then try one of the vacation homes in Casa Sereno a little further inland (around 5 minutes’ drive from the beach). The garden area with pool in particular is a little paradise. A little closer but also with a pool in the garden is the B&B Montinho Boutique.
5. Storks & Restaurant Chico Zé
Just before Lagos, the next largest town on your Algarve road trip, there is a restaurant that is popular with tourists and locals alike. The price-performance ratio here is unbeatable. For 30€ you can easily feed 2 people. There is fresh fish, which you can also choose yourself, and local specialties.
On the way to the restaurant, you drive along a road where many storks settle in their nests. During my road trip, there must have been around 40 storks nesting here. The Algarve is generally a popular wintering destination for many migratory birds.
6. Lagos
Lagos is one of the most popular vacation resorts in the Algarve. The city offers numerous beaches typical of the Algarve, but also has probably the most active nightlife in the entire region. There are many backpackers here.
Here you can chill out during the day on beaches such as Batata with its Roman bridge or Praia Dona Ana with its turquoise waters.
In the evening, you can either let it rip in hip bars like Three Monkeys Bar (with a pool table) or in wicked clubs like Club Nox. The Mellow Loco, a cocktail bar with relaxed music, is more chilled out. If you want to find out where the action is, just ask the locals on the street. The party crowd usually moves from one area of the old town to the next, depending on the time of day.
Accommodation in Lagos
Lagos offers a huge selection of accommodation ranging from luxurious 5-star resorts to party hostels. In my opinion, the Canavial Apartments, where I stayed, are a good mix in between. Here you stay in spacious rooms with a kitchenette and there is also a chilled-out pool. The good thing is that the accommodation prices are reasonable and it’s only a stone’s throw from the natural and less crowded Praia do Canavial. The staff are also very friendly and courteous.
7. Sagres
The southwest is one of the most beautiful regions in the Algarve, as there are fewer tourists and endless long sandy beaches with their red cliffs along the Atlantic coast invite you to dream.
One of the most famous Portuguese sights is located near Sagres: The Fortaleza de Sagres. Henry the Navigator once started his adventures from here.
A little further west is the Sagres lighthouse. You should also pay at least one visit to this attraction.
As in the rest of the Algarve, the beaches in Sagres are also phenomenal. Portugal’s west coast is a paradise for surfers in particular.
8. Praia do Amado
One of the most famous surfing beaches along the west coast of the Algarve is Praia do Amado near Carrapateira.
There is a snack bar right on the beach and the Algarve Surf School has also set up shop here. You can book day trips with 2 surf units or entire surf weeks there.
Accommodation at Praia do Amado
If you are traveling by van, you can spend the night in the parking lot in front of the beach. There are usually lots of campers here and it is easy to make contact with like-minded people. There are also simple sanitary facilities with running water at this parking lot (location on the map).
There are no hotels in the immediate vicinity, but there are vacation apartments such as the Casa da Praia do Amado in Carrapateira.
9. Praia do Malhão
Another popular beach for surfers is Praia do Malhão. It is huge and actually consists of several individual bays, all of which can be reached via their own access points. You will most likely always find a secluded spot here where you can enjoy the peace and quiet and the sound of the sea.
Accommodation on Malhão beach
There is a parking lot and toilets on the beach, but they are not always open. You can still spend a great night here with the van (spot on the map).
10. Parque Natural da Arrábida
To be honest, there is not much to see between Villa Nova de Milfontes and Lisbon. Larger towns and above all industry are the most pronounced landscape features in this part.
However, the Arrábida Nature Park just south of Lisbon is an exception. In addition to numerous white sandy beaches with crystal-clear water, you will find exciting hiking trails through densely overgrown forests and great views over the entire coast.
The most beautiful viewpoint is at the Convento da Arrábida, the monastery of the Fransiscan monks.
11. Lisbon
Depending on how much time you have on your road trip, you can also plan a few days for Lisbon. As there are so many great things to do in Lisbon, I have written a separate article for this.
Cool Algarve activities
Perhaps you don’t always want to plan everything on your own during your Algarve road trip? No problem, because there is a huge selection of cool activities throughout the region that you should definitely check out.
There is everything from adrenaline action and foodie tours to water and nature experiences. Maybe there’s something for you:
- From Albufeira: explore the Benagil caves by kayak or SUP
- Lagos: Dolphin watching half-day tour & water activities
- Portimão: Cave boat trip with the pirate ship
- Albufeira: 6-hour boat trip and barbecue on the beach
- Albufeira: 2-hour surf course at Praia da Falésia
- Albufeira: Jet ski hire
- Lagos: Guided, scenic quad bike tour
- Faro: Parque Natural da Ria Formosa Segway Tour
- From Albufeira: 4×4 off-road safari and wine tasting in the vineyard
- Lagoa: 2.5-hour vineyard dinner with wine tasting
- Zoomarine Algarve: Ticket for a dolphin experience
Which stop along an Algarve road trip have I forgotten? Write me a comment.
Tools & services I recommend for your trip:*
🚁 My drone for aerial photography
🚗 Find and compare cheap rental cars
🎟 Find and book cool activities
🔒 Secure Internet connection with NordVPN
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