Algarve Itinerary: Coastal Portugal & Lisbon

The Algarve’s southernmost city, Faro, has an elegant marina backed by a historical quarter dotted with white-washed Portuguese buildings, stately Catholic churches and age-old Moorish architecture. Its atmospheric squares and boulevards are paved with white and grey stone and lined with boutiques, designer stores, cafes and bars. There is no shortage of entertainment in this university town - it has a lively nightlife and a thriving arts and culture scene that caters to a wide array of audiences. There is plenty of opportunity for swimming and sunbathing on the area’s golden coast, and nature lovers will be in their element in the nearby Ria Formosa Reserve, with its incredibly biodiverse lagoon and coastal zone.

Located along Portugal’s breathtaking Algarve coast, a short 31-minute drive from Portimao, Lagos is a bustling city with beautiful beaches, dramatic seaside landscape and vibrant nightlife. Take a kayak tour around the coast to get the maximum effect of the region’s rose-hued cliffs, azure waters and golden sands, or spend a few hours wandering through the walled old town, with its historical churches and central piazza lined with sidewalk cafes. To explore the darker side of the city’s past, visit the Slave Market Museum, which traces the history of the slave trade in the Algarve from 1944 when enslaved people were first transported into Europe through Lagos. The city is the perfect springboard to explore Portugal’s southwest coast, with its idyllic beaches and excellent surf.

Set on Portugal’s coast in the southern Algarve region, the once-sleepy fishing village of Albufeira has evolved into one of the area’s most alluring and vibrant holiday destinations, thanks to its outstanding beaches and dramatic scenery and lively social scene. There are over 20 beaches to choose from in Albufeira, including the main beach’s vast, crescent-shaped expanse of fine, pink-gold sand fringing a turquoise bay and sheltered by rugged cliffs. The streets of the old town behind it are frequented by street performers and scattered liberally with shops, bars and restaurants. On the glittering Albufeira strip, you will find some of Portugal’s wildest nightlife venues, including the renowned Kiss club, which usually opens after midnight and pulsates till after dawn.

The beautiful city of Lisbon lies draped across a string of seven hills on the western Iberian Peninsula and is the westernmost and oldest city in western Europe. Its long and tumultuous history has resulted in an aesthetic characterised by a haphazard combination of old and new; however, the aesthetic chaos of Lisbon only adds to its appeal and its undeniable charm. Bright yellow centenarian trams rattle their way up steep, tree-lined, cobbled streets; ornate ironwork balconies overrun with bougainvillaea sit above elegant outdoor cafes housed in ancient whitewashed, red-roofed stone houses; and a flurry of detailed mosaics decorate the sidewalks. Ancient statues adorn grand squares and hidden gardens. A diverse culinary scene, a plethora of fascinating museums, and numerous castles make it easy to see why Lisbon is one of Europe’s most misunderstood and underrated cities.