Algarve Portugal Road Trip Itinerary
Ponta da Piedade, Lagos, Portugal
In late October, I hopped in a rental car and traveled with some friends from southern Spain to Algarve, Portugal. I had the BEST time driving through Algarve, Portugal, and road tripping with friends is a great way to travel on a budget in Europe. Sooooooo I’m sharing our road trip itinerary here!
To read the details of my road trip through Portugal’s Algarve region from start to finish, check out this article.
One quick note, since our road trip included driving in two countries, my friends and I decided to avoid toll roads. This made our drive a little longer than it needed to be, but we didn’t have to fuss around with purchasing passes for the toll roads. If you decide to avoid toll roads, be sure to select that option in whatever GPS navigation app you use to provide directions for your road trip.
Without further ado, here’s the itinerary for my road trip through Algarve, Portugal.
DAY 1: Drive from Malaga to Albufeira, explore Albufeira
9:00AM–9:30AM: Pick up rental car in Malaga, Spain
My road trip to Algarve, Portugal began in Malaga, Spain, but you could definitely begin elsewhere in southern Spain. If you leave from the right place in Andalusia, you might even be able to shave off some driving time. If you begin your road trip in Seville, for example, you could save a couple of hours since the drive won’t be quite as long.
I left thirty minutes for picking up the rental car, because you’ll have to fill out some paperwork before they let you drive away with the car. It shouldn’t take thirty minutes, but it’s best to have some wiggle room.
9:30AM–4:00PM: Drive to Albufeira, including stops
According to Google Maps, the drive from Malaga to Albufeira takes about five and a half hours if you want to avoid tolls. However, it’s important to leave time for stops, including gas, restrooms, and food.
Pay attention to the signs along the highways for information about upcoming places to stop and refuel your car (and yourself). Gas stations and roadside restaurants do not come along quite as often as you might think, so you’ll want to plan ahead and stop when you first notice you’re getting hungry or you’re low on gas.
4:00PM–BEDTIME: Check into your hotel, and explore Albufeira!
If you have the energy after your drive, you can spend the rest of the afternoon exploring Albufeira, Portugal. The city has a gorgeous historic center filled with restaurants, bakeries, and shops. It will definitely keep you occupied until you’re ready for bed.
I’d also recommend picking up something for a quick breakfast the next morning and snacks to bring on your hike the next day…
DAY 2: Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, dinner in Guia, drinks in Albufeira
8:30AM–9:30AM: Eat breakfast and drive to the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail
Grab something quick to eat for breakfast, and drive to the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail. (My friends and I also packed small lunches to bring with us on our hike.) From our hotel, the drive took about forty minutes. Be sure to check the distance between your hotel and the trail to factor in this driving time.
9:30AM–4:00PM: Hike the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail, relax on Praia da Marinha beach
Park by Praia da Marinha beach, and start your hike at the trailhead above the beach. From there, you can hike the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail.
The Seven Hanging Valleys Trail is about 6 km. With LOTS of breaks for water, snacks, and photos, the hike took my friends and I about three hours.
When you finish your hike, get yourself to a parking lot or road and order an Uber or Bolt back to your parking lot at Praia da Marinha beach. Our Uber cost about twenty euros—split between five people, it was a reasonable price.
Spend the rest of the afternoon enjoying Praia da Marinha, an absolutely stunning beach. The sandy beach sits between crystal clear water and dramatic limestone cliffs. Praia da Marinha is truly the most gorgeous beach I’ve ever seen.
A small diner sits on the beach, so if you’re hungry post-hike, you can grab something to eat there while you enjoy the views. And when we were there, vendors had set up food trucks and street food stands around the parking lot near the entrance to Praia da Marinha beach.
4:00PM–7:00PM: Drive back to hotel, get ready for dinner
Drive back to your hotel in Albufeira. (Again, our drive back to our hotel took about forty minutes.) Then, you can spend the next couple of hours resting, freshening up for an evening out, and even picking up some snacks to take on the following day’s excursion.
7:00PM–9:00PM: Dinner at Restaurante y Bar Quinta da Saudade
Relax post-hike with a nice, long dinner. My friends and I went to Restaurante y Bar Quinta da Saudade, and I definitely recommend it. The restaurant was cozy yet classy, and the food was fantastic. Just what we needed after a day of hiking!
If you do decide to go to Restaurante y Bar Quinta da Saudade, make sure you make a reservation in advance. The restaurant is often fully booked, and they usually close for the winter months.
9:00PM–BEDTIME: Drinks in Albufeira
Return to Albufeira for the rest of the evening. If you’re interested in grabbing a drink before you call it a night, check out Portas da Villa Antiquity Bar. The walls of this bar are almost entirely covered with shells. So it has a really unique atmosphere.
DAY 3: Kayak tour of the Algarve Benagil Caves, drive to Portimão
9:00AM–11:00AM: Quick breakfast in Albufeira, drive to Benagil Caves
Grab a quick bite to eat in Albufeira. Then check out of your hotel, and ask the hotel to hold onto your luggage for the day. (You will have to backtrack to retrieve your luggage, but it’s really not worth the risk of bringing it with you and leaving it in a parked car all day, because it could definitely get stolen.)
11:00AM–1:30PM - Kayak tour of the Algarve Benagil Caves
Kayak Tour of Algarve Portugal’s Benagil CavesTaking a kayak tour of the Algarve Benagil Caves was undoubtedly my favorite part of my trip through Algarve, Portugal. However, kayaking in this area is dangerous, as there are large rock features and there may be choppy waves. Even if you’re an experienced kayaker, you should definitely book a tour if you want to see the Algarve Benagil Caves by kayak. Tour guides can help navigate difficult waters, and they’re more likely to be familiar with particularly dangerous areas of the coastline. Besides, there are certain areas of this magnificent coastline that you are not allowed to access without guides.
My friends and I booked our kayak tour of the Algarve Benagil Caves through Xplore Benagil Kayak&Sup, and we could not be happier with the tour we received. Our guides were knowledgeable about the region and how to navigate it safely, and they knew just how to push off our kayaks so that we coasted through the water as smoothly as possible.
If you’re not comfortable kayaking, boat tours are also available.
Be sure to book your tour well in advance, because these tour companies get booked, especially in the summer.
1:30PM–6:00PM: Grab lunch, retrieve bags, and drive to Portimão
Grab something to eat on your way back to picking up your luggage from your hotel in Albufeira. My friends and I enjoyed lunch at Cafe Fino, which had great vegan and vegetarian options.
After lunch, grab your bags from your hotel in Albufeira and continue on to Portimão.
6:00PM–BEDTIME: Explore Portimão
Once you’ve rested sufficiently, head into Portimão for dinner. You can spend the evening exploring the town, too. Maybe even find a bakery to try a pasteis de nata, a traditional Portuguese custard tart.
DAY 4: Explore Lagos, watch the sunset at Ponta da Piedade
9:00AM–10:30AM: Breakfast in Portimão
Grab something to eat for breakfast in Portimão. If you’re like me, you might be tired from the two very active days before this one. So it might be nice to take this morning a bit slower.
10:30AM–11:30AM: Drive to Lagos
After breakfast, head to Lagos. Parking, especially free parking, was difficult to find near Lagos’ historic center, so I factored in some extra time here for you to look for a parking spot.
11:30AM–4:30PM: Explore Lagos
Spend the afternoon exploring the historic center of Lagos. The Lagos old town includes ornate cobblestone streets and historic fortified walls built along the outskirts. Sit down for lunch either in the old town or along the coast, and enjoy the views while you eat.
4:30PM–6:00PM: Watch the sunset at Ponta da Piedade
Your trip through Algarve isn’t complete without watching the sunset along the dramatic cliffside coastline, and one of the best places to do that, according to our guides at Explore Portugal, is Ponta da Piedade. That’s where my friends and I watched the sunset, and I can tell you it did not disappoint! The sunset was spectacular, and the dramatic landscape made it even more so.
Be sure you look ahead of time to see when the sun will be setting during your visit. You’ll want to plan around the sunset so that you can see as much of it as possible. To make the most of your time, I’d recommend arriving an hour before sunset and staying thirty minutes to an hour after the sunset.
6:00PM–BEDTIME: Dinner and drinks in Lagos
Head back to Lagos for dinner and drinks. Our guides at Xplore Benagil Kayak&Sup recommended Nah Nah Bah, and after eating there, I recommend it, too! The place is well known for their burgers, and I can tell you that their veggie burgers don’t disappoint either. They also have some excellent specialty sangria. If you want to eat at Nah Nah Bah, be sure to make a reservation, as—although it’s not a fancy place—it gets quite busy and apparently often books out in advance.
DAY 5 - Drive home
Spend your last day driving back to Malaga (or to wherever you began your journey). The timing is up to you, so be sure to check timing for routes ahead of time.
I hope you found this itinerary useful for planning your road trip through Algarve, Portugal. Drive safely!
