A road trip through the Algarve, the south of Portugal should be on everyone’s bucket list. Portugal in general is just an amazing country and there are tons of great camping spots too! Though “wild camping” is barely anywhere allowed anymore within Europe, Portugal’s regulations are still quite flexible. This, together with the many beautiful bays, picturesque villages, easy-going people, and epic surf spots along the coast, makes the Algarve one of the best road trip destinations in Europe.
When to go to the Algarve?
If you want to beat a large bunch of the crowd, but still have good weather, May, June or September are a good option! Not too hot but still pleasant. We went at the beginning of September and for a change, we were not so lucky with the weather. Somehow rain seems to follow me wherever I go. Even the locals said we were very unlucky since the weather is usually good this time of year. So don’t let our bad luck stop you from booking your trip in September :).
Itinerary road trip 2 weeks
To help you with your planning I will share our itinerary with you. We didn’t book and plan everything in advance because the weather was fluctuating a lot. So we decided to follow the sun and see where that would bring us. We booked a camper van for the first week and then a car for the second week. This trip starts in Faro and ends in Lisbon, but you could do it the other way around as well.
- When to go to the Algarve?
- Itinerary road trip 2 weeks
- Day 1 Faro
- Day 2 Tavira & Praia da Falésia
- Day 3 Albufeira, Praia Do Castelo & Armaçao de Pēra
- Day 4 Praia da Marinha
- Day 5 Lagoa, Praia da Arrifana
- Day 6 Odeceixe, Lagos
- Day 7 Ponta da Piedade and Olhão
- Day 8 Loulé and Portimão
- Day 9 Alvor, Portimão & Ponta da Piedade
- Day 10 Ferragudo & Sagres
- Day 11 Sagres, São Luis & Vila Nova de Milfontes
- Day 12 Surfing and Ericeira
- Day 13 Ericeira
- Day 14-15 Lisbon
Day 1 Faro
Faro is the capital of the Algarve and a relatively affordable destination to fly to, from the Netherlands at least. Transavia flies here multiple times a week. It’s basically the gateway to the Algarve, so you will probably land here. Faro itself is not that spectacular, but you can definitely entertain yourself for a day or two. And there are generally less tourists than in other cities in the Algarve.
After an early landing in Faro, we took the first cab to the city to find some Pastel de Nata and highly-needed coffee. We found a local cafe called Pastelaria Padaria Centeio where they had some of the best Pastel de Nata of our trip through Portugal! It was still early, so we almost had the whole city to ourselves, which was a peaceful start to the day. Faro offers some up-close views of the landing airplanes. You can see them from many points across the city but the rooftop of the Faro Cathedral (Sé de Catedral) offers a pretty cool view.
That afternoon we picked up our van, I compared a lot of prices and reviews, but Siesta turned out to be the winner. We rented the Grand California, a spacious camper that was very convenient for us. This was going to be our house and transportation for a week, so we called him Walter. Once we bought way too many groceries, we had to find our first place to stay. A bit deeper into the country we found a quiet campsite where we paid € 10,- for the night without electricity.
Food tips: Pastelaria Padaria Centeio local cafe, daTerra Faro for a Vegetarian lunch or coffee break, Cantinho da Ronha for very affordable fresh fish.
Campervan rental: Siesta Campervan
Explore Faro with a local: Highlights and Hidden Gems Faro
Day 2 Tavira & Praia da Falésia
On our first full day, we explored Tavira in the morning. A picturesque town very close to the border of Spain. Tavira’s port used to play an important role for trade back in the day.
The Gilão River steams through the city and along the boulevard, there are various restaurants and shops. A combination of souvenir shops and cute local shops. We had a good coffee at Cafetaria Originato a popular brunch restaurant. Some of the highlights of Tavira are the Middle Aged castle, the Ponta Romana bridge and the nearby Ria Formosa Natural Park. It was quite rainy when we visited, so after a stroll around town and the castle, we decided to look for some sun.
We ended up at Praia da Falésia, a beautiful long beach with steep red/orange cliffs. There are various parking places nearby, but it fills up quickly. We found a spot on the other side of the main road that goes through town next to a little playground where we enjoyed our lunch. We weren’t sure if we could spend the night there so we parked next to a hotel for free, where we had a quiet night. The cliffs of Praia da Falésia also offer a perfect sunset spot so make sure you stay to watch the sun disappear.
Day 3 Albufeira, Praia Do Castelo & Armaçao de Pēra
Albufeira wasn’t particularly on our list, as it’s mostly known for its vibrant nightlife. But we visited the town of Tunes in the morning and Albufeira was one of the few places that was sunny that day so we decided to give it a go. I must say it was not our favorite city, but some parts of the older city were cute. When we took some alleys we ended up in more quiet streets which were very picturesque.
After a few hours, we drove to Praia do Castelo where we had lunch at the parking overlooking the ocean. There are a couple of small beaches next to each other here, all beautifully surrounded by rocks. We really loved it here!
It was time to empty our toilet and recharge our electricity, so we had to find a camping with services. We ended up at Algarve Camping Elodie & Romy’s. These two camping amateurs kind of forgot about the whole toilet situation, and we definitely underestimated the grossness of emptying a full toilet. But we survived and were ready to hit town. Armaçao de Pēra used to be a fishing village but has grown into a popular coastal town. It’s full of apartment buildings and hotels, but still a lot less touristy than Albufeira and Portimao. This town is known for its long-stretched golden beaches with beach bars, restaurants, and other activities. When we visited there was an event going on with live performances (from the church), so there was a lively vibe. I’m not sure if it’s always like that.
Camp spot: Algarve Camping Elodie & Romy’s
Food tip: Casa de Pasto Lima (popular local fish restaurant, be on time to have enough options)
Pai Penguim for ice cream (not cheap, but large portions)
Day 4 Praia da Marinha
Time for an active day! Praia da Marinha is one of the starting points for the famous Seven Hanging Valleys Trail. A hiking trail with spectacular views of the Algarve coast that leads you from Praia da Marinha to Praia de Vale Centeanes. You can do the trail the other way around as well, but this was the most logical for our route. The trail is about 5.7 km one-way, so nearly 12 when you walk it back as well. It took us about 5 hours in total because we stopped on the way to enjoy the views, fly the drone, have a snack etc. We had lunch next to the beach, at Praia Do Vale. It was fine, but not very special and as you can imagine, overpriced.
Day 5 Lagoa, Praia da Arrifana
That evening we spent the night near the lighthouse, which was lovely! Unfortunately, we were about to run out of electricity, so we had to start driving early morning to get that battery charged again. Still not used to that van life. After some delicious pastries in a local bakery in Lagoa and stocking up on water, we drove all the way to the west coast to Praia da Arrifana. It was cloudy but we found a really cool spot to make ourselves a coffee and enjoy the view of the ocean. The rough rocky coast had replaced the yellow and orange cliffs. Praia Arrefina is a true surfer’s paradise!
After some beach time, we drove to a cool viewpoint, called: Ribat da Atalaia. Go here for some breathtaking views of the Portugues west coast.
Campspace: Parque Campismo do Serrao. This was our most expensive night with the van, for a camp spot including electricity we paid € 27,50.
Day 6 Odeceixe, Lagos
After a peaceful morning at the campsite, we drove to Odeceixe where we found a parking spot with a really nice view of the sea. Officially you’re not allowed to stay the night and we didn’t want to risk it so we just enjoyed the beach for the day. This is a pretty unique beach because you can either enjoy the calm and shallow water in the river or the wavy and much colder sea.
Later that afternoon we passed by another viewpoint and ended the day back in Lagos where we devoured some chicken piri piri at Churrascaria praça d’ armas. It’s a very basic restaurant, but a pretty good deal! That night we strolled around Lagos, a city we really enjoyed. It has plenty of restaurants and cafes and gets pretty crowded, but still has a chill atmosphere. After an ice cream and drinks we found the perfect spot for the night near the infamous Ponta da Piedade.
Food tips: Lagos Pizza for take-away, Churrascaria praça d’ armas, Coffee & Waves for brunch, Indigo bar for coffee, Black and White coffeeshop, Gelícia Italian Gelato, Padaria Central for bread and other bakery goodies.
Day 7 Ponta da Piedade and Olhão
Not surprisingly, we woke up surrounded by a lot of other campers. The sandy parking lot near the Ponta da Piedade is a great spot to spend a comfortable and quiet night with a camper or van. However, I am still not sure whether it is officially allowed. Early morning you can go for a walk to check out this major highlight of the Algarve. It’s mainly known for its epic sunset but gets quite busy during the day as well as there are lots of boat/kayak/sup tours. So I would recommend going here in the morning as well, if you have the time.
We went back into the center of Lagos for brekky, coffee, and more bakery items. This was our last day in the camper and the sun was out so we went to a beach Praia do Barranco das Canas. Once I finally decided to go for a swim in the COLD sea, the sun disappeared.. I guess you can imagine my mood when I was lying on my towel like a mummy in goosebumps. We then drove to Olhão where we spent our last night on a paid campsite, as we had to empty our smelly toilet again.
Campspace: Camping Olhão
Day 8 Loulé and Portimão
Day 8 was an exchange day, we said goodbye to Walter, our dear van, and picked up our rental car. Some struggles later we were on our way to our first stop of the day: Mercado Municpal de Loulé. The market is a lively place where locals and tourists come together. A live band was playing and people started to dance, really nice! Unfortunately, it started raining again, so the town didn’t look as charming as we expected. We visited the Banhos Islâmicos de Loulé, a small but interesting museum on Loulé’s Islamic history.
We stayed 2 nights in Portimão, a port city that is conveniently located between Ferragudo and Alvor. Portimão is the second largest city in the Algarve and it used to be the main center for fishing and shipbuilding. The atmosphere and the people in this city differ a lot from all the other towns in the Algarve. It’s more multicultural and we liked the fact that there weren’t that many tourists around. Some of the highlights of Portimão are Praia da Rocha with its vibrant waterfront, Fortaleza de Santa Catarina, and Ribeirinha de Portimão. The Ribeirinha is a long boulevard, perfect for a sunset walk!
Throughout the year Portimão organizes various cultural events, such as art exhibitions, theater shows and music festivals. When we visited there was an event going on as well!
Accommodation tip: PTM Downtown Hostel & Suites is located in the center of Portimão within walking distance of the boulevard.
Car rental agency: Sunnycars offers an all-inclusive package so you won’t be surprised upon arrival.
Day 9 Alvor, Portimão & Ponta da Piedade
I had heard good things about Alvor and even greater things about Farraguda, so we visited both. Alvor is a colourful town, but there were quite a lot of tourists so we didn’t love it. We did enjoy the waterfront and the local market on the square where I tried this tasty sugary snack. It reminded me a bit of the Bambalouni from Tunisia. Once it started to get cloudy we drove back to Portimão for coffee and a smoothie bowl.
Later that day visited Praia da Ana Dona, a beach that is known for its bright blue water. Apparently, the beaches in the Algarve have been hit with an excess of seaweed/algae. Local authorities tried to clean it up, but the amounts were very high last year (2023). It’s mother nature, after all, so don’t be disappointed when it’s not as pretty as in the photos.
Now what’s better than finishing a beach day with a pizza and a magical sunset? Ponta da Piedade is one of the best sunset spots in the Algarve and quite close to the beaches around Lagos so you have no reason not to go. Extra special were all the bats flying around once the sun was down, very interesting to see.
Day 10 Ferragudo & Sagres
I absolutely loved Ferragudo, this village is full of pretty houses, plants, and picturesque narrow cobblestone streets. The church, Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, and a castle named Castelo de Ferragudo are worth a visit. The castle is strategically built on the outer corner of the village which looks really cool from the beach. The beach is within walking distance from the center and you can actually see the Portimão port from there. The beach clubs are supposed to be good as well. We visited Ferragudo in the morning, so they weren’t open yet.
Food tips: Brunch in Rio and Gelataria di Vera
After Ferraguda it was time for a longer ride towards the west. Destination: Sagres. Sagres is a small typical surfers town, literally located at the tip of Portugal. There are 2 main beaches in Sagres, if you’re there to catch waves Praia do Tonel is your place to be. If you’re among the lazy ones like us, Praia da Mareta is your beach. The beaches here are wide and surrounded by impressive cliffs, very different from the beaches in the east of the Algarve. Sagres has a laid-back vibe and I would have loved to stay here for a bit longer. It’s also the best spot to watch the sun disappear in the ocean as nothing is blocking your view. Bring your towel and some snacks and you’ll have the perfect romantic evening. In case you end up missing the sunset, no need to worry, the sunrise is pretty epic as well. And very unexpectedly, not that crowded?
Accommodation tip: Kichershome
Food tips: Laundry Lounge for breakfast/coffee, Three Little Birds for lunch, and A Sagres for dinner.
We tried Cataplana here, a traditional seafood dish from the Algarve.
Day 11 Sagres, São Luis & Vila Nova de Milfontes
From Sagres we drove up north towards Vila Nova de Milfontes. After a coffee break in Aljezur, we arrived at our accommodation near São Luis. A beautiful, quiet and pretty new accommodation that gives you a traditional and antique vibe.
surrounded by a big chunk of land full of lemon trees and chill spots. The best place to rewind and live the slow life.
We went to Vila Nova de Milfontes for sunset and dinner. This is a small village on the coast where restaurant options are quite limited for the number of people. We didn’t feel like waiting in line, so we ended up eating at a disappointing restaurant. I’ll spare you the details. Luckily we did enjoy a gorgeous sunset and there were lots of kids playing in the river with kayaks and SUPs.
Accommodation tip: Naturarte Campo – Duna Parque Group
Surf school: Vagabond Surfclub
Day 12 Surfing and Ericeira
Finally, it was time for us to test our surfing skills (again). I had surfed twice before with many years in between, but it was the first time for Wiss. We booked a lesson with Vagabond Surfclub and had the best time. The beach and waves were perfect for starters as it was quite shallow and there waves were small enough to stand up easily.
A big brekkie later we headed further towards the north to Ericeira. A surfing town above Lisbon that has become very popular over the past years. Ericeira is internationally recognized as one of the best surfing destinations in Europe and it’s the only Surfing Reserve in Europe. But even if you’re not an active surfer, it’s worth a visit. You can either follow a yoga session, rent a SUP, or enjoy the town’s beach: Praia dos Pescadores. Don’t confuse this Praia dos Pescadores with the beach near Albufeira carrying the same name.
Go shopping, enjoy a good meal at one of the many good restaurants and cafes and visit the Capela de Nossa Senhore da Boa Viagem. A tiny cute chapel overlooking the ocean. The cobblestone streets and beautiful old buildings make Ericeira a charming coastal town.
Day 13 Ericeira
Ericeira is surrounded by various famous surf beaches, including Ribeira d’Ilhas, Coxos, and Praia dos Carneiros. We visited Foz do Lizandro which is about a 30-minute walk from the old city center. The beach is gorgeous and the path to get there gives you a stunning view from above. There are a couple of beach cafes/restaurants to have a break. I would recommend Barbatana Surf & Deli, they have a great menu and we really enjoyed their savory waffles.
Accommodation tip: Surf Vilas by Laneez Ericeira
Food tips: Nutwood Gelataria, Casa da Fernanda for coffee and ouriços, Dear Rose for brunch, PRIM for dinner, No Largo há Tasca for a local, more simple Portuguese dinner, Barbatana for lunch near the beach.
Drink tips: 5 emeio – TapRoom for beers and Jukebox Bar for cocktails.
Day 14-15 Lisbon
This epic road trip led us from Faro via the stunning coast of Portugal to the capital city of Portugal, Lisbon. Lisbon is among one of my favourite cities in Europe so I was excited to go back again. This city is alive and has gorgeous architecture and a lot of highlights you can’t miss out on, but besides that the food scene is incredible! Lisbon is known for its yellow trams, tram 28 in particular is very famous. It passes by popular neighborhoods like Alfama, Baixa, and Graca where it runs through some of the most picturesque narrow streets of Lisbon.
Jardim do Torel is a beautiful park offering great views of the city and it’s not as crowded as other viewpoints.
Food tips Lisbon
You can try a traditional dish with a live Faro show, try many delicacies in the food halls, get fresh fish right next to the water, enjoy a decent brunch in one of the many stylish cafes, or go for another cuisine in one of the many trendy restaurants.
Lots of cool restaurants can be found in Rua de S. Paulo. We tried amazing pizzas at Lupita, a tiny restaurant that’s always busy, so be prepared to wait in line. In addition, I would recommend Fabric. They serve Middle Eastern dishes full of flavour and their pastries looked incredible too. We didn’t have enough time, but there were lots of other restaurants in this street and area looking so so good!
If you’re really bad at deciding what you want to eat, visit the Mercado da Ribeira. It’s an indoor food market with a wide variety of local and international stands. It’s the perfect way to try a bunch of different things.
There is also the option of taking a guided food tour with a local.
Accommodation in Lisbon
Lisbon has a wide variety of accommodation options, but when you book too last minute, like us, options are limited. So we ended up a little further away from the bustling city, but not bad. We stayed in Lisbon Garden Guest House where the rooms were basic but had everything we needed.
Did you get excited about the Algarve or Portugal in general? Let me know if you have any questions in the comments!
This article contains affiliate links. This means that I might earn a small commission when you book something via a link. It won’t cost you anything extra, but would help me to keep doing this.
Travelbecks 
Leave a comment