Algarve

The Algarve's Atlantic coast feels like a different country from the south: high dark cliffs, huge surf beaches and scarcely a high-rise in sight, all protected within the Southwest Alentejo and Vicentine Coast Natural Park. The small town of Aljezur sits below the ruins of a Moorish castle with views over the river valley, and nearby beaches such as Arrifana, Monte Clérigo, Amoreira and Bordeira draw surfers year round. Further north, Odeceixe has a lovely beach where a river meets the sea, right on the border with the Alentejo.

This is also the heart of the Rota Vicentina, a network of long-distance and circular walking routes. The Fishermen's Trail follows sandy clifftop paths used by local anglers, while the Historical Way runs inland through villages and farmland; both are split into day stages, so you can walk a single section rather than the whole thing.

TipThe Atlantic here is colder and rougher than on the south coast. Swim only at lifeguarded beaches, and check the flag before going in.

The south-western tip of mainland Europe, where cliffs around 75 metres high drop straight into the ocean and the coast bends sharply north. Ancient peoples thought it a sacred place at the end of the world, and a lighthouse, one of the most powerful in Europe, still guides ships around the cape. A small museum in the lighthouse complex tells the story of the coast and its navigators.

TipSunset here is famous and very crowded in summer, and the wind can be fierce even on hot days, so bring a layer.

A laid-back surfing village on a windswept headland, long associated with Prince Henry the Navigator and Portugal's early voyages of discovery. The Fortaleza de Sagres occupies a vast, flat promontory with a walking circuit around its cliff edge, a simple chapel and a huge stone wind rose whose origins are still debated. Below the village, beaches such as Martinhal, Mareta, Tonel and Beliche face different directions, so one is usually sheltered whatever the wind.

Lagos is one of the most appealing towns on the coast, with a walled old town of cobbled lanes, tiled churches and lively squares above a busy marina. Its history is complicated: ships sailed from here on the early voyages along the African coast, and a small museum on the site of the old slave market records that Lagos was where the first enslaved Africans were sold in Europe in the fifteenth century. The baroque Igreja de Santo António, lined with gilded carving, is the town's other must-see.

East of town, the long sweep of Meia Praia offers kilometres of sand, while the town's coves to the south are smaller and more dramatic.

A headland just south of Lagos where the cliffs break up into a labyrinth of golden sea stacks, arches and grottoes, with a lighthouse on top. Footpaths and wooden boardwalks link viewpoints along the cliff edge, and a long staircase leads down to Praia do Camilo, a small, much-photographed cove. The best way to see the formations is from the water, on a small boat or guided kayak trip from Lagos marina, which slips through arches you cannot see from above.

TipCome at sunrise or in the evening for the warmest light and the fewest people; the cliff edges are unfenced in places, so keep well back.

Inland, the Serra de Monchique rises to Fóia, at just over 900 metres the highest point in the Algarve. On a clear day the summit looks out over the whole western coast, from Portimão to Cape St Vincent. The hill town of Monchique below has steep lanes and craft shops, and the old spa of Caldas de Monchique, in a wooded valley, has been visited for its waters since Roman times. The hills are cooler and greener than the coast, with cork oaks, chestnuts and eucalyptus, and good walking.

TipTry medronho, the local spirit distilled from the fruit of the strawberry tree, but in small measures.

Silves was once the capital of al-Gharb and one of the richest cities of Moorish Iberia, famed for its poets and gardens. Today it is a quiet country town, but its red sandstone castle, the best preserved in the Algarve, still crowns the hill, with walkable ramparts, the remains of houses and huge cisterns. Just below stands the Gothic cathedral, the former seat of the Algarve's bishops, and the town's archaeology museum explains its Islamic past.

TipSilves railway station is a couple of kilometres from the centre, so allow for a taxi or local bus.

Carvoeiro is a former fishing village whose white houses climb the slopes around a small beach. A short walk east, a wooden boardwalk follows the cliff top to Algar Seco, a maze of eroded rock with natural windows, pools and terraces just above the sea. The boardwalk continues towards the cove of Vale Centeanes, where the Seven Hanging Valleys trail ends.

The Algar de Benagil is the Algarve's most famous sight: a vast sea cave with a hole in its domed roof that drops a column of light onto a hidden beach. Its popularity led to dangerous overcrowding, and since August 2024 navigation rules issued by the Portimão harbour master have applied. Landing on the cave's beach is banned for both individuals and tour companies, as is reaching the cave by swimming or with any floating device, and swimming is prohibited in the busy stretch of sea around the caves. Visits are now by licensed boat or guided kayak tours only, which view the cave from the water under limits on numbers and time inside. Rules can change from season to season, so check with your operator.

You can also look down through the skylight from the cliff top, a short walk from Benagil village. Better still, walk the Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos, the Seven Hanging Valleys trail, which runs for about six kilometres each way along the cliff tops between Praia da Marinha and Vale Centeanes, passing Benagil, natural arches and dry valleys that end abruptly in mid-air above the sea.

TipWalk early in the morning in summer, as there is little shade, and wear proper shoes; parking at both ends fills by mid-morning.

Often named among the finest beaches in Europe, Praia da Marinha is a cove of golden sand beneath honey-coloured cliffs, with clear water and sea stacks just offshore, including the well-known double arch seen from the cliff path. Steps lead down from a small car park, and the trail west towards Benagil starts here. There are few facilities, which is part of the charm.

TipSnorkel around the rocks on a calm day at low tide, and leave the beach as you found it.

Most visitors only pass through Faro's airport, which is a shame. The Algarve's capital has a compact walled old town, the Cidade Velha, entered through the neoclassical Arco da Vila gate, with orange trees, cobbled squares and storks nesting on the bell towers. The cathedral's tower offers a fine view over the rooftops and the lagoon, and the Igreja do Carmo has a chapel lined with the bones of former friars. Faro is also a real working city, with good-value restaurants and a lively student population.

The Ria Formosa Natural Park protects some 60 kilometres of coast where a chain of barrier islands and sandbanks shelters a maze of tidal channels, salt marshes and salt pans. It is one of the most important wetlands in Portugal, home to flamingos, spoonbills, the rare purple swamphen and seahorses, and the source of much of the country's clams and oysters.

Boats from Faro carry visitors to Ilha Deserta, officially Ilha da Barreta, an undeveloped island with long empty beaches, a boardwalk and a single restaurant. From Olhão, regular ferries serve Culatra, an island of fishing families with sandy lanes and no cars, and the holiday island of Armona.

TipChoose small, licensed operators that respect the park's rules, and stay on the boardwalks across the dunes.

Tavira is often called the prettiest town in the Algarve, built on both banks of the River Gilão and linked by an old arched bridge. Whitewashed houses with distinctive hipped roofs, dozens of churches and the remains of a Moorish castle with a small garden give it a gracious, unhurried air. From the edge of town, boats cross to Ilha de Tavira, and at nearby Praia do Barril a little train runs to a beach known for its "cemetery" of old tuna-fishing anchors.

A tiny whitewashed village with a church and a small fort on a bluff above the eastern end of the Ria Formosa, looking over the lagoon to a sand bar and the open sea. At low tide you can wade across to the beach; at high tide, fishermen ferry people over. It is a peaceful place to end a journey along the coast, a few kilometres short of the Spanish border.