2024 Lagoa Travel Guide: Must-see attractions, popular food, hotels, transportation routes (updated in November)

Amazing Praia da Marinha Beach

The beach is absolutely stunning, framed by high cliffs and adorned with sea stacks, grottos, and small secluded beaches. It's no wonder this beach consistently ranks in the top 5 beaches in Portugal. Parking can be a challenge as the car park was crowded, so I recommend arriving early if you're driving. We took a small hike along the cliff tops, and the views were simply breathtaking. The emerald green waters below were a sight to behold.

Portimão, the blue legend of southern Portugal.

Portimão in southern Portugal hides a continuous and fantastic cliff coastline. At the junction of the mountains and the sea, it composes the blue legend of the Atlantic Ocean. 🏝 The coast of Portimão is full of strange stones, cliffs and caves with different postures, but they are scattered and difficult to reach. I chose two easy hiking routes with concentrated essence, which can be completed in half a day. 1⃣ Hiking Route 1: Starting from Albandeira Beach, walk west to enjoy the sea Elephant Mountain Arco de Albandeira, Praia da Malhada do Baraco, Praia do Pau, Navy Beach Praia da Marinha, and the popular Heart Shape, then return to the Navy Beach along the original route, with a total distance of 3 km. ⛹🏻 The whole journey is a flat dirt road, which is very easy to walk. 📷 This route concentrates the highlights of the Portimão coast. The giant strange stones cut the coastline into a jagged shape, with various shapes. Under the cliff, there is a deserted golden beach, and the seagulls naturally become its owner. The glassy sea water rolls up thousands of snow piles, chanting the desolation and loneliness of nature. 2⃣ Hiking Route 2: Starting from Algar Seco, walk west to Carvoeiro, with a total distance of 1.5 km. ⛹🏻 The whole journey is a wooden plank road, and you can walk as long as you have legs. 📷 Algar Seco hides many sea caves, with ups and downs of tidal sounds, and a different cave. Carvoeiro is a seaside town with unique Mediterranean-style buildings and is known as the Santorini of Portugal. The check-in machine in Figure 17 is at Alto da Praia do Carvoeiro, overlooking the town bay. 🚍 Non-self-driving transportation: The bus in Portimão is expensive and the time is sparse. If you don't drive by yourself, you can only take a taxi (Uber or Bolt), even if you take a taxi alone, it is very cheap. Portimão to Albandeira Beach is about 12 euros, Navy Beach to Algar Seco is about 7 euros, and Carvoeiro to Portimão is about 10 euros. 🥘 Food: Delicious and cheap Portuguese-style seafood! 1⃣ Restaurante O Mata Porcos (Portimão city) Must eat the southern Portuguese specialty Babysquids in olive oil, fry the whole squid, and chewy in the glutinous. The House wine green Portuguese specialty green wine must be tasted with the meal, which is less astringent than white wine and has more fruity sweetness. 2⃣ Restaurante Casa Algarvia (Carvoeiro) The ideal choice after the end of the hike! Must eat Octopus a Lagareiro Portuguese-style special octopus leg, the method of boiling and then roasting makes the octopus leg crispy on the outside, but the core is extremely soft, and the taste is amazing. The side dishes are roasted sweet potatoes, roasted garlic slices, and stir-fried vegetables, full of garlic flavor.

Explore the Eye of God - Lagoa.

Lagoa, Faro District, Lagoa, a city rated as the most suitable for living in Portugal, where there is wanton sunshine, endless beaches, and flocks of migratory birds... ⛺【Must-see】: Navy Beach (Praia da Marinha/Marinha Beach) is one of the most iconic beaches in Portugal and has been rated by the Michelin Guide as one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in Europe and one of the top 100 most beautiful beaches in the world. Benagil Sea Cave If you come to Lagoa, you must go to the Benagil Sea Cave, known as the "Eye of God". Because there is no normal berth here, larger ships cannot approach, only small boats can dock, usually following the locals. The boat moves along the cliff, sailing along a waterway between the two rock walls, slowly approaching the destination. After years of wave erosion, the largest natural cave in Portugal was formed. Looking from the inside out, it is like standing on an unknown planet, exploring the light hole on the top, the rock layer is rich in color, and it changes endlessly with the sunlight. 🛬【Travel Tips】: Here you can enjoy cocktails or a few small dishes by the sea, look at the blue sky and white clouds, and feel the gentle sea breeze. The town is not like a popular tourist area, full of tourist commercial atmosphere, here you can only absorb and integrate everything locally, and feel the exotic customs. You can also follow the locals to go fishing at sea and experience a different life.

The Algarves Unique Attraction - Benagil Caves

#naturalbeauty The Benagil Caves are one of Portugals most spectacular sights. Situated in the famous Alagrve Region in Southern Portugal these caves accessible by boat, are certainly unique. Crystal clear water meets unique rock formations, and provide an amazing spot for photo shoots! Situated just down the road from the popular tourist destination of Albuferia, the Benagil Caves are a must visit in this region!

Portugal 🇵🇹

Pure Beauty at the southern Portugal.

📍Address: Arcos Naturais da Praia da Marinha Algarve is one of the top destinations to travel to in Portugal - its coastline is full of stunning scenery. There are lots of natural arcs along the shore with a pretty good infrastructure for hiking. It is short and offers lots of spectacular views! Take some time to enjoy a calm summer day ocean breeze - I definitely recommend this spot ❤️ #Algarve #portugal #atlanticocean

The Algarve, favored by the sun and sea, hosts an endless holiday feast

The Algarve, this 'Southern European treasure' deeply cherished by the sun and the sea 😘, enjoys year-round sunshine and a pleasant climate. With its clean and soft beaches, caves and cliffs that seem to be crafted by the hands of gods, towns with a mix of cultures, quality ports, and golf courses, it's simply made for a leisurely vacation pace~ 📍Tavira: A highly picturesque town in the east, with houses featuring scissor-shaped roofs and checkered doors along the riverbank. 📍Faro: But it's the capital of the Algarve. 📍Albufeira: This place has so many beaches, with warm and shallow waters. 📍Ferragudo: A quaint fishing village with a special charm, white houses stretch all the way to the Arade riverbank. 📍Lagos: The starting point for exploring the African continent's coast, here you can still find medieval walls, churches, and fortresses. 📍Sagres: A coastal town on the western line, where the pottery shop Artesanato A Mó is a unique building decorated with ceramic plates. 📸 Time to check in at the stunning coastline 🏝️ Sagres: Cabo de São Vicente, where the rocks have been shaped into various strange forms by the waves. 🏝️ Lagos: Ponta da Piedade has a super spectacular rock formation landscape, where you can take a boat to explore the magnificent marine erosion landforms; Praia da Marinha beach is tightly surrounded by eroded cliffs and is considered one of the top 100 most beautiful beaches in the world. 🏝️ Seven Hanging Valleys Trail: This is a 12-kilometer trail that passes through 7 sea-hanging valleys created by natural forces, connecting Praia do Vale de Centeanes and Praia do Marinha, and you'll also pass the famous natural sea erosion cave - Gruta de Benagil. 🥘 Here comes the food: Portuguese seafood stew Caldeirada or Cataplana casserole; Flor de sal, a type of salt crystal that Algarve people love to sprinkle on fresh tomato slices; Dessert: Dom Rodrigo, made of egg yolk, sugar, and almonds; Aguardente de Medronho, also known as 'firewater', this spirit is made from the fruit of the strawberry tree. Safety tips 1️⃣ Rocks may weather and loosen, so don't get too close to the edge of the cliffs 😮! Safety first! 2️⃣ Respect nature and protect the environment 🌍! Best time 1️⃣ Since the visibility at the heart-shaped cave on the cliff isn't greatly affected by the tide, it's best to avoid rainy or windy days. The cliffs can become very slippery and dangerous 😨! 2️⃣ Try not to go during the peak season from June to September, when the cliff trails are more crowded. Off-peak travel often provides a better experience 👍! 📷 Photography tips: 1️⃣ Go before ten in the morning or during sunset in the evening, when there are fewer people, the scenery is beautiful, and the light is particularly soft 😍! 2️⃣ Many of those famous photos of the heart-shaped rock are taken with drones, but you can also use a camera and tripod. To get the best angle, you need to be a bit higher, so adjust the tripod to its maximum height, or lift the camera as high as possible above your head to capture the perfect image of the heart-shaped rock 🤳! 3️⃣ It seems that you need special permission to use drones for filming in Portugal 🤔.

Portugal's Most Breathtaking Beach

#beachlife Praia da Marinha – Portugal's most breathtaking beach – is tucked away on the dramatic, sunkissed cliffs between Armação de Pêra and Carvoeiro. As well as taking in the view from down at beach level it’s well worth walking 5 minutes west on the footpath at the top of the beach to take in views. The views are amazing. The car park was crowded. Loved the emerald green waters beneath.

Heart-shaped cliff + Eye of God + Cave

Portugal, Heart Cliff + Eye of God + Cave At the end of September, the weather in southern Portugal is already slightly cool. Compared to the peak summer season, there are much fewer tourists... At a specific angle, you can see the famous Heart Cliff, which is one of the 100 most beautiful beaches in the world! How to find the heart? Don't go to the beach. The entrance to the beach is on the left side. Walk up along the scenic cliff on the right side. It takes about three to four minutes to walk. (Found a glass observation deck built by humans, walk forward about 5 meters, there is a V-shaped, bald stone) The source of God's eye. You can rent a kayak or swim to get there. Don't want to wear a swimsuit? Bring a waterproof bag and a little skirt, and you can take photos in minutes. The best time to take photos is between 2pm and 5pm when there are fewer people and no need to queue for photos on the big rocks. The viewing time can be chosen at noon, when light will shine in from the cave's overhead hole. 8. About other cave attractions Personally, I think it's a good idea to spend a day at the beach sunbathing and renting a kayak (1.5-2 hours) to experience the joy of paddling on the sea. ◆Another day, you can book a speedboat online. There are many speedboat companies to choose from. The advantage of renting a speedboat is that it is fast and you can see all the caves, big and small. When arranging for speedboat trips starting from mid-September, be sure to bring a thicker jacket (the sea breeze is very cold). In autumn, it's no longer possible to see dolphins in the Dolphin Bay (even in summer, it's only a matter of luck). However, visiting the cave and Dolphin Bay together costs only 35 per person, which is still very cost-effective. 4 transportation. Arriving in Lisbon, it is recommended to rent a car to visit South Pu (local buses to scenic spots are really inconvenient, the last bus is around 6pm, so having a car to eat seafood and return to the hotel is much more convenient). #SouthPortugal #TravelToPortugal #LifeInPortugal

#2023travelwish #tripblazers #portugal This year's trip to Algarve Portugal was beautiful. Portugal's southern coastal region really surpised me how different it was to the capital. Having only one airport in the region we found it easy to travel from the Faro airport city to our final destination in Lagos- a 2hour train journey but it was well worth it! We went there for the relaxed vibe. We visited the famous Benegil cave and Carvoeiro town with lovely colourful hours. We did a crazy thing and walked 4 hours from one town to another taking the route along the cliff edges in flip flops! Highly recommend visiting there it was one of our highlights as well as Portimao's beautiful beach. Next year 2023 I hope to visit Kyoto, Japan again as it has been a while since I went to Asia as of Covid!

Cave of Benagil

The famous cave known from postcards and insta posts. You can take a tourist boat to get there, but most likely you won't be able to get off the boat and walk around in the cave. You rent a kayak or sup board (or bring your own). If you are a good swimmer, you can swim there too it's not far from the beach. But the waves in the cave can be very strong and huge, I saw people with kayak flipped over and we had to get off from the sup as well and swim when trying to reach the shore. The best time to go there is early morning, if you want to avoid the tourist crowd. Note that parking places are limited and it's not free. There is also a small buffet. #beachlife

The Benagil Cave

There are plenty of ways to reach the cave. I started off at the Benagil beach and reached the cave by kayak. It is pretty close and it took me 5 mins to arrive at the cave. I am so amazed by the beauty of the nature. #benagil #algarve

Unveiling the Hidden Gems of Algarve: The Iconic Benagil Cave 🚣‍♂️🏞️

Embark on an adventure to explore the picturesque region of Algarve. Discover hidden caves and secret spots, with the illustrious Benagil Cave stealing the spotlight. Experience the tranquility of an early morning kayak ride, as you have this natural wonder all to yourself.