🇵🇹 Algarve road trip: our 6-day itinerary, map and real budget

The air is still heavy with rain when we step onto the tarmac in Lisbon. Portugal is just emerging from a historic cyclone. February, then — but we did not regret it: six days on the road were waiting for us along the southern coast, between golden cliffs sculpted by the Atlantic, sea caves, wild beaches and whitewashed villages.

Our itinerary, day by day

We travelled along Portugal’s southern coast by car, looking for the most striking viewpoints, many of them captured by drone. Here is our detailed day-by-day route, together with the practical tips and logistics that helped us prepare the trip.

Our interactive Algarve map

This is the map we actually prepared before leaving, with the beaches, coves, viewpoints and stops we wanted to explore. We are sharing it here so you can see where everything is, understand the distances between stops and build your own Algarve itinerary more easily.

Main driving legs: distance and time

These are the main driving legs between our overnight stops. Distances and times are approximate and do not include detours to beaches, viewpoints, restaurants and other stops during the day.

*Day 4 includes several coastal stops, so the actual distance driven that day was longer than this direct leg. The overall trip mileage is also higher once all detours to beaches, viewpoints, restaurants and other visits are included.

Day 1 – Tavira and our first taste of the Algarve

We had a very early start from Basel-Mulhouse for our morning flight. To avoid buying a Swiss motorway vignette and to leave rested, we stayed the night before at Carahotel Mulhouse, about fifteen minutes from the airport.

After landing in Lisbon, we collected our hire car. We chose Sunny Cars after going through plenty of reviews: it gave us a lower deposit without an excessive price, and the electronic toll tag was included.

We headed east towards Tavira, stopping first at O Gaio for lunch. The setting may look a little surprising at first, but the local food is good and prices are reasonable. We then checked into Cabanas Beach, a pleasant surprise with a very enjoyable spa.

Late in the afternoon we headed to Praia do Barril, reached by a small train crossing the lagoon of the Ria Formosa Natural Park. We finished the day in Tavira’s historic centre with dinner at Taska Madeira, a good address if you enjoy meat dishes.

Read more: Ria Formosa · Praia do Barril

Day 2 – Tavira, a hidden waterfall and Faro

We started slowly with a little time at the hotel spa before exploring Tavira. Its old bridges and cobbled lanes are worth taking time over.

Next came the Pego do Inferno waterfall. We were there in February just after a major cyclone, and the flow was impressive. In summer, the same place can be almost completely dry.

We also gave ourselves a proper recovery break at Seven Spa Vilamoura. Dynamic pools, jacuzzis, sauna, steam room and relaxation areas: after several busy days and still-unsettled weather, it did us a world of good. It is exactly the kind of stop we would not necessarily have imagined including in an Algarve road trip, but one we would happily do again.

The afternoon was devoted to Faro: the old-town walls, the church and its bone chapel, then a walk along the vast beach. We had dinner in a local churrasqueira for traditional grilled food, before spending the night at Ibis Faro — simple, but practical for breaking up the journey.

Read more: Pego do Inferno · Seven Spa Vilamoura

Day 3 – The red cliffs of Praia da Falésia

After breakfast at the Ibis, we headed west. Our first stop was the Seven Hanging Valleys trail, following the rough Atlantic above the cliffs. Then came Praia da Falésia, famous for its huge red and ochre cliffs dropping towards the ocean.

We ended the day in Olhos de Água, a fishing village that has kept plenty of its character, before staying at the Aqua Pedra dos Bicos Design Beach Hotel.

Read more: Praia da Falésia

Day 4 – Natural arches and Benagil Cave

This day was entirely devoted to some of the Algarve’s most photographed rock formations.

Praia dos Arrifes came first, a small cove framed by massive rock stacks. Farther along the coast, Praia de Albandeira has a natural arch sculpted by erosion, which can be admired safely from the clifftop viewpoints.

Between the coves and Benagil, we stopped at Nossa Senhora da Rocha, near Porches. A small white chapel sits at the end of a narrow rocky promontory with the Atlantic on both sides. The stop is short, but the view from the cliffs is well worth it — and from the air, the geometry of the headland is even more striking.

Then came the Algar de Benagil, often nicknamed Portugal’s marine cathedral: its natural skylight gives the interior a very distinctive atmosphere. We then continued to Praia da Marinha, famous for its golden double arches. At the end of the day, we headed to Portimão for the night.

Detailed articles: Arrifes & Ninho de Andorinha · Nossa Senhora da Rocha · Benagil Cave · Praia da Marinha · Praia de Albandeira

Day 5 – Ferragudo, Lagos and Ponta da Piedade

We started in the whitewashed village of Ferragudo, overlooked by its medieval seaside castle, before taking a boat trip to follow the coastal fissures and rock formations as close to the water as possible.

After a seafood lunch at Bar Oyster, we drove to Lagos. Our first stop was Praia dos Estudantes, a small beach known for its stone bridge between two rocky walls. We reached it through the rock-cut passages from Praia da Batata; it is an unusual little spot, especially when the tide is low.

We then continued to our favourite place of the trip: Ponta da Piedade. It is a maze of rock pinnacles, caves and natural arches, with superb viewpoints from the paths — particularly in the warm light towards sunset.

Read more: Praia dos Estudantes · Ponta da Piedade

Day 6 – Final views before returning to Lisbon

A weather alert announced a large storm. To make the most of the morning, we returned to Ponta da Piedade at dawn to photograph the low light across the rock.

It was then time to head north and close the loop towards Lisbon. Our final night was at Evolution Cascais, a modern hotel with a panoramic spa — a very good place to decompress after six days on the road.

Read more: Ponta da Piedade

Our real budget for 6 days in the Algarve

We travelled as two people in February, usually choosing hotels with breakfast included. At lunchtime we ate quickly so we could keep exploring; dinner was when we slowed down and enjoyed a proper meal.

Other episodes in the Portugal series

• Lisbon & Sintra
• Episode 1 — Ria Formosa
• Episode 2 — Praia do Barril
• Episode 3 — Pego do Inferno
• Episode 4 — Seven Spa Vilamoura
• Episode 5 — Praia da Falésia
• Episode 6 — Ninho de Andorinha
• Episode 7 — Nossa Senhora da Rocha
• Episode 8 — Benagil Cave
• Episode 9 — Praia da Marinha
• Episode 10 — Praia de Albandeira
• Episode 11 — Praia dos Estudantes
• Episode 12 — Ponta da Piedade
• Guide — 6-day Algarve road trip