Things to do · Algarve · Portugal
18 best things to do in Algarve
18 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: The original uploader was Husond at English Wikipedia ., CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Algarve are Benagil Cave, Ponta da Piedade and Seven Hanging Valleys Trail. Of the 18 picks below, 8 are free, 2 work on a rainy day and 6 suit children. Allow about 7 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Benagil Cave
- Free sights
- 8
- Good on a rainy day
- Capela dos Ossos, Igreja do Carmo
- Time to see the highlights
- 7 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Benagil Cave | Lagoa | 1–2 hours by boat or kayak | Mid-priced |
| Ponta da Piedade | Lagos | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Seven Hanging Valleys Trail | Lagoa | 2–4 hours | Free |
| Cape St Vincent | Sagres | 1 hour | Free |
| Fortress of Sagres | Sagres | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Ria Formosa Natural Park | Faro | Half a day | Low cost |
| Faro Old Town and Cathedral | Faro | 2 hours | Low cost |
| Capela dos Ossos, Igreja do Carmo | Faro | 30 minutes | Low cost |
| Silves Castle | Silves | 1–1.5 hours | Low cost |
| Monchique and Fóia | Monchique | Half a day | Free |
| Zoomarine | Albufeira | Full day | Expensive |
| Lagos Old Town | Lagos | 2–3 hours | Low cost |
| Algar Seco and the Carvoeiro boardwalk | Carvoeiro | 1 hour | Free |
| Loulé Market | Loulé | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Praia do Barril and the anchor cemetery | Tavira | Half a day | Free |
| Cacela Velha | Vila Real de Santo António | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Igreja de São Lourenço, Almancil | Almancil | 30 minutes | Low cost |
| Dolphin-watching boat trips | Lagos | 1.5–2.5 hours | Mid-priced |
The 18 best things to do
Nature · Lagoa
1.Benagil Cave
A domed sea cave with a round hole in its roof opening onto the sky, a small sandy beach inside and light pouring down onto the water. It sits east of Benagil village on the cliff coast and is seen from boats, kayaks or the clifftop path above.
Go early in the morning on a calm day; the boat queue builds by mid-morning in summer and the sea can make access impossible.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours by boat or kayak
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- Rules on landing and swimming inside the cave have tightened in recent years; book a licensed boat or kayak operator and check their current itinerary.
- Iconic
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
- Nature
Viewpoint · Lagos
2.Ponta da Piedade
South of Lagos, a headland of sandstone pillars, arches and grottoes stands above turquoise water, with a lighthouse and a long wooden stairway down to a small landing stage. Small boats from the landing and from Lagos marina weave through the grottoes.
Come at sunset for warm light on the cliffs, then walk the clifftop paths back towards Praia do Camilo.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Iconic
- Views
- Photo spot
- Couples
Nature · Lagoa
3.Seven Hanging Valleys Trail
This clifftop path runs about 6 km each way between Praia da Marinha and Praia do Vale Centeanes, past sinkholes, rock arches and dry 'hanging' valleys that end abruptly above the sea. It passes above Benagil Cave's roof opening, and Praia da Marinha's golden sea stacks are one of the classic Algarve views.
Walk it early in the morning or in the late afternoon; there is little shade and the cliff edges are unstable, so stay on the marked path.
- Time needed
- 2–4 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Active
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
- Nature
Viewpoint · Sagres
4.Cape St Vincent
Mainland Europe's south-western tip is a headland of high cliffs topped by one of Europe's most powerful lighthouses. The Romans called it the end of the known world, and crowds gather here for sunset over the Atlantic.
Bring a jacket; the wind is fierce even on warm days, and it gets cold quickly after sunset.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Historic site · Sagres
5.Fortress of Sagres
On a flat promontory jutting into the Atlantic, this fortress is associated with Prince Henry the Navigator and the early Portuguese voyages of discovery. Inside are a giant stone wind rose, a small chapel and a cliff-edge walk with views to Cape St Vincent.
Walk the full loop around the promontory to see fishermen on the cliffs and the blowholes on the west side.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Views
- Outdoors
Nature · Faro
6.Ria Formosa Natural Park
A protected lagoon of salt marshes, channels and barrier islands stretching about 60 km along the eastern Algarve. Boat trips from Faro, Olhão and Tavira visit the islands of Culatra, Armona, Deserta and Tavira, and the marshes are home to flamingos, spoonbills and seahorses.
Take a public ferry from Olhão to Culatra or Armona for an island beach day at a fraction of the price of a private tour.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Photo spot
Neighbourhood · Faro
7.Faro Old Town and Cathedral
Faro's Cidade Velha is entered through the 19th-century Arco da Vila gate, often topped with a stork's nest. Its cobbled lanes lead to the cathedral, a mix of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque styles whose bell tower gives a view over the town and the lagoon.
Climb the cathedral tower for the panorama over the Ria Formosa and look out for storks nesting on the rooftops in spring.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Views
Religious site · Faro
8.Capela dos Ossos, Igreja do Carmo
Behind Faro's Baroque Igreja do Carmo, a small 19th-century chapel is lined with the skulls and bones of over a thousand Carmelite friars. The church itself has richly gilded woodwork.
Visit the gilded church first, then the chapel, which is small and takes only a few minutes.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Castle · Silves
1.Silves Castle
The red sandstone walls of Silves Castle crown the hill above the town that was the Moorish capital of the Algarve, then called Xelb. Walk the ramparts for views over orange groves and the Arade river, then visit the Gothic cathedral just below.
Visit in the morning before the heat, and come in August for the town's medieval fair if your dates allow.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Kids
- Views
Nature · Monchique
2.Monchique and Fóia
The Serra de Monchique rises to 902 metres at Fóia, the Algarve's highest point, with views on clear days to the coast and Cape St Vincent. The market town of Monchique below is known for medronho brandy and folding chairs, and the spa village of Caldas de Monchique sits in a wooded valley nearby.
Drive up in the late afternoon for the light, then eat piri-piri chicken or chouriço in Monchique's restaurants on the way down.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Nature
- Outdoors
Theme park · Albufeira
3.Zoomarine
Near Guia, this marine-themed park combines animal presentations, an aquarium, rides, pools and a beach area. It is one of the Algarve's biggest family attractions, especially for younger children.
Arrive at opening in summer to find shade and good seats for the first shows.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Expensive
- Kids
- Outdoors
Neighbourhood · Lagos
4.Lagos Old Town
Inside the 16th-century walls, Lagos has cobbled squares, the gilded Baroque Igreja de Santo António and the Mercado de Escravos, a museum on the site of what is recorded as the first slave market in Europe in 1444. The town's waterfront and the Ponta da Bandeira fort face the marina.
Visit the Mercado de Escravos museum in the morning, then lose yourself in the lanes around Praça Gil Eanes before lunch.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Food
- Shopping
- After dark
Viewpoint · Carvoeiro
5.Algar Seco and the Carvoeiro boardwalk
A wooden boardwalk runs along the clifftops east of Carvoeiro to Algar Seco, a maze of eroded rock arches, pools and grottoes, including a 'window' in the rock framing the sea. Steps lead down into the formations.
Come at low tide on a calm morning to explore the rock pools below; there is a small bar built into the rocks.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Photo spot
- Kids
- Outdoors
Market · Loulé
6.Loulé Market
Loulé's red-domed, Moorish-revival market hall sells fish, cheese, honey, figs, almonds and local crafts daily except Sundays, and on Saturday mornings a large open-air market spreads across the surrounding streets.
Go on a Saturday morning when the weekly market adds hundreds of stalls, and try local almond and fig sweets.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Food
- Shopping
- Rainy day
Beach · Tavira
7.Praia do Barril and the anchor cemetery
On the Ria Formosa barrier island near Tavira, hundreds of rusting anchors from the old tuna-fishing industry are lined up in the dunes at Praia do Barril. The former fishermen's cottages now hold cafés, and a long sandy beach stretches either side.
Cross the footbridge from Pedras d'el Rei and take the miniature train or walk 1 km across the lagoon to reach the beach.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Photo spot
- History
- Outdoors
Viewpoint · Vila Real de Santo António
8.Cacela Velha
A tiny whitewashed village with a fort and church on a bluff above the Ria Formosa, looking over turquoise lagoon channels to a sandbar beach. At low tide you can wade across; at high tide small boats ferry people over.
Visit late in the day for the sunset and a seafood dinner in the village; it is very busy at midday in August.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- Couples
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
Religious site · Almancil
9.Igreja de São Lourenço, Almancil
This small Baroque church near Almancil is lined almost entirely inside with blue-and-white azulejo tiles from the 1730s depicting the life and martyrdom of St Lawrence, among the finest tile interiors in Portugal.
Combine it with a visit to Loulé's market, about 10 km away.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
- History
Experience · Lagos
10.Dolphin-watching boat trips
Common and bottlenose dolphins are regularly seen off the Algarve coast, and fast RIB boats or larger catamarans head out from Lagos, Portimão, Albufeira and Vilamoura marinas, often combined with a pass along the cliffs and caves.
Choose an operator that follows responsible-watching guidelines, and take seasickness tablets if the swell is up.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
- Couples
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Igreja de São Lourenço, Almancil |
| History | Fortress of Sagres, Faro Old Town and Cathedral, Capela dos Ossos, Igreja do Carmo and Silves Castle |
| Views | Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, Ponta da Piedade, Cape St Vincent and Fortress of Sagres |
| Outdoors and nature | Benagil Cave, Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, Fortress of Sagres and Ria Formosa Natural Park |
| Food and markets | Lagos Old Town and Loulé Market |
| After dark | Lagos Old Town |
| With children | Ria Formosa Natural Park, Silves Castle, Zoomarine and Algar Seco and the Carvoeiro boardwalk |
| On a rainy day | Capela dos Ossos, Igreja do Carmo and Loulé Market |
What to book ahead
- Benagil Cave: Rules on landing and swimming inside the cave have tightened in recent years; book a licensed boat or kayak operator and check their current itinerary.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Algarve?
Benagil Cave. A domed sea cave with a round hole in its roof opening onto the sky, a small sandy beach inside and light pouring down onto the water.
+What can you do for free in Algarve?
Ponta da Piedade, Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, Cape St Vincent, Monchique and Fóia and Algar Seco and the Carvoeiro boardwalk. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Algarve when it rains?
Head indoors to Capela dos Ossos, Igreja do Carmo and Loulé Market.
+What is there to do in Algarve at night?
Lagos Old Town are best after dark.