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Your guide to the Algarve

Show mea quiet beach

Beaches, towns, food and things to do across the Algarve, with our own photos and notes from every place we visit.

Faro airport to LagosAlgarve in NovemberBeach flags and cliffs
Praia da Marinha from the air, with its arches and sea stacksThe sea seen through a window in the rocks at Algar SecoThe Alfanzina lighthouse on the cliffsSunset over the sea from Algar Seco
BeachesCoves, arches and long sandy shores
Things to doBoat trips, walks and rainy-day ideasComing soon
Food & drinkWhere to eat and what to orderComing soon
TownsFishing villages and lively resortsPlaces to seeLighthouses, caves and viewpointsPlan your tripAirport, cars, tides and seasons

Recently visited

Beaches, places and towns we have been to ourselves, with our own photos and the date of our last visit.

All beaches

Before you book

Straight answers to the questions people ask most when planning a trip here.

Faro Airport to LagosEvery way to get from Faro Airport to Lagos, with real journey times, current fares and the winter bus timetable that catches people out.Faro Airport to AlbufeiraHow to get from Faro Airport to Albufeira, with Aerobus times for summer and winter, the evening bus most people miss, taxi and Bolt fares, and why the train is a poor fit.Faro Airport to TaviraThere is no direct bus from Faro Airport to Tavira. Here is how to get there by car, by bus and train via Faro station, or by taxi, with current fares and the last trains.Do you need a car?Yes, for most trips. Here is why public transport works poorly for beaches, how the buses and trains really perform, and how to rent a car at Faro Airport without nasty surprises.Toll roads in the AlgarveThe A22 Via do Infante has been free since 1 January 2025. Here is the law behind it, why the toll gantries and cameras are still standing, and when you still need a toll device in Portugal.Where to stayThe Algarve is smaller than most people expect, so you cannot really get it wrong. Here is how the main bases compare, from Lagos and Carvoeiro to Albufeira, Faro and Tavira, and who each one suits.The Algarve in NovemberNovember in the Algarve brings mild days, quiet beaches and lower prices, but how much rain and wind you get depends on the year. Here are the averages, recent examples and our honest advice.The Algarve in DecemberDecember can be bright and mild or wet and windy in the Algarve, and the last four years show both. Here are the averages, real recent Decembers, and why we would usually pick October or November first.
All planning guides

Four very different coasts

A couple of hours of driving takes you from wild Atlantic surf to calm lagoon islands on the Spanish border.

AljezurSagresLagosCarvoeiroAlbufeiraFaroTaviraSpain

West coast

Open Atlantic, big waves and long, empty beaches under tall cliffs between Odeceixe and the cape.

Lagos and Sagres

Small coves under golden limestone cliffs and boat trips into the grottoes.

Central

Benagil, Carvoeiro and the long, busy beaches around Albufeira.

East

Flat sandy coast and the Ria Formosa islands, reached by ferry, with calmer water.