To be honest, Portugal wasn’t really on my bucket list. However, we had to go to a trade fair in Quarteira for a few days on business and thought … why not?
We extended our stay in Portugal with 5 days at the Algarve as well as Lisbon and Porto. The starting point for our exploration tours at the Algarve was the Hotel São Rafael Atlântico in Albufeira.
The resort had private access to the beautiful Praia de São Rafael. Since it was off-season, we had the beach as good as to ourselves. However, you had to be brave to swim in the sea (17 degrees), and the cool wind didn’t encourage us to jump into the water 🥶
beach access – Praia de São Rafael
As idyllic as the beach was, we weren’t just here to relax. The next day we sat in our rental car and wanted to go to the most south-westerly point of mainland Europe – Cabo de São Vicente.
view of the fortress “Fortaleza de Sagres”
A little further south was the fortress “Fortaleza de Sagres” on a one kilometer long cliff called Ponta de Sagres.
On the way back we made a stop in the port city of Lagos. After a delicious lunch we decided to take a boat tour to Ponta da Piedade. The breathtaking rock cliff landscape of Ponta da Piedade is one of the most beautiful formations at the Algarve. It’s best explored from the water.
Lagos
We went on another excursion to the coastal town Albufeira, about 5 km from the hotel. However, we found it a bit too touristy there and therefore went back after lunch and a walk on the beach to our lonely and idyllic hotel beach.
Albufeira
5 days passed quickly, now we were looking forward to the Portuguese capital Lisbon. At the end of our visit at the Algarve, however, we enjoyed the sunset on the cliffs right near the hotel.
Our personal opinion about the Algarve:
- beautiful coastal landscapes
- our highlight was the boat tour to Ponta da Piedade
- you shouldn’t be too squeamish for a beach holiday, the Atlantic is relatively cool
- at the Algarve it is usually very windy
On the following page you can get a very good overview of Portugal:
Best travel time:
If you are looking for that summer feeling and bathing temperatures, we recommend the period from July to September. However, this is also the time when the beaches are best visited. If you want to avoid the high season and it doesn’t have to be a pure beach holiday, you should consider the months of May and June.
Hotel recommendation:
Hotel São Rafael Atlântico in Albufeira
More tips & recommendations:
We recommend a rental car for the Algarve. There are so many great beaches and destinations that would otherwise be difficult to get to. If you are only staying in the hotel you are missing out a lot.
Our highlight was the boat tour in Lagos to Ponta da Piedade. An absolute MUST at the Algarve.
Here is our travel route through Portugal, we were on the road for 10 days.
