Our final stint in Portugal was a road trip to the Algarve region along the Southern coast. I have been looking forward to seeing this region for decades — ever since I saw my first picture of kayakers near Lagos in beautiful green water weaving through coastal archways. With its gorgeous coastline and beautiful beaches, the Algarve did not disappoint. Aside from Porto, our favorite place in Portugal, the Algarve is a close second.
Driving in Portugal
We rented a car at the Lisbon airport and drove the 2.5 hours down to Caroveiro. It was incredibly easy to book a car using our existing US driver’s licenses. The major highways in Portugal are wonderful. They are well-maintained and the service stops are clean and filled with delicious food — far fancier than our fast food and junk food-littered service stops in the US. In Portugal, you can get anything from ketchup-flavored chips, to soup, salad, or full plated meal at their service stops.
The view on the way to the Southern coast was filled with farms, orchards, and cork trees. It was a quick, gorgeous drive, but nothing could have compared to how pretty the coast is.
Portugal’s Gorgeous Southern Coast
A lot of tourists come to Portugal specifically for its beautiful beaches and nice resorts. The Southern coast is basically one large cliff edge punctuated by tiny beaches, some of which you can only get to via boat or hidden stairway. Resorts are everywhere and we decided to stay at the Tivoli Caroveiro, which had this lovely view.
I don’t know how this resort compares to the others nearby, but this one was relaxing, yet expensive. We absolutely loved spending hours near the pool, reading and enjoying the perfect weather. However, I yearned for the all-inclusive resort life of our Mexican diving vacations as the Tivoli seemed to nickel and dime us everywhere we went. Would you like to do yoga in the garden? 15 euros. Would you like some sangria? Oh, well, we don’t sell it by the glass, so that’ll be 40 euros per pitcher.
Did we have a great time? Yes! Did we wish we’d gone into town for dinner more nights instead of trying the restaurants on site? Very much yes! Those restaurants are certainly not worth the price tags. We highly recommend the Alegria Good Mood Food Thai Restaurant in Caroveiro, which is family owned — the wife cooks and her husband waits the tables.
Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos
The very best thing we did in the Algarve was a hiking trail called the Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos (the Seven Hanging Valleys Hike). The hike is one-way 5.5 miles or out-and-back 11 miles and sticks to the tops of the cliffs. Along this hike you pass the famous Benagil Cave from above, see amazing rock formations, caves, arches, and have the option to dip down onto cute little beaches with very few tourists. The whole trail is a feast for the eyes and, in my opinion, is a must-do on your trip to the Algarve.
We hiked from Praia Marinha to Praia do Vale de Centeanes, then we took an Uber back to the Praia Marinha parking. This was an excellent way to approach the hike for a couple of reasons. First, Praia Marinha parking gets crowded so it’s important to get there early. Luckily, the Portuguese are not an early-rising culture and we found that that getting places before 10am tended to beat the crowds. Then, you begin the hike with a stunning view of a double arch.
These arches are followed by coastline views galore and beach after amazing beach (many of which you can stop at and relax in the warm water).
At the very end of the trail, on Praia do Vale de Centeanes there is a little beach bar, which is the perfect place to relax and enjoy some fish & chips or a sangria after your hike.
Tavira
The Algarve is filled with cute little towns and I’d read that one of the least tourist-filled is Tavira. On our last full day in the Algarve, we decided to venture over with no agenda to wander through the town. We were in no way disappointed. Tavira has great, windy streets, an old bridge, a sleepy atmosphere, beautiful public spaces, a large indoor market, and a castle on a hill. I’ll let the photos does the talking for me here.
After the excitement of Lisbon and Porto, Tavira seems a little too sleepy, but we enjoyed our day there and would definitely visit again.
Returning to the Algarve
We’re definitely going to return to Portugal and the Algarve soon. I can’t wait to bring the kids, let them play on the various beaches, and take them on a kayaking trip through the many coastline caves. Since Portugal is so small, you should be able to add a couple of days to your trip to visit the Algarve, but let me just warn you now, that won’t feel like enough.
If you’d like to see more from our trip to Portugal, check out the Lisbon, Sintra, Porto, and Douro Valley blog posts too. Perhaps we’ll see you there next time?!
