Paradise in Portugal: Algarve | My 3-day itinerary
Updated: Jun 9, 2021
It was 2:00 AM in Velké Svatoňovice on 23rd Dec 2017, and I was texting Jose in Spain whom I met in Chennai during his semester exchange. I told him about my travel stories in Europe, and I told him about my next 1-month solo trip. I had booked 4 Ryan air flight tickets which were the cheapest. According to that, I had 7 days in Portugal, but I didn't want to spend my time doing sightseeing.
Jose stayed at Cádiz and offered me to visit him for seeing offbeat places in Europe, but it was too much of a detour; after a bit of research and convincing each other, we met in the middle, Algarve. Little did I know that it would be one of the best trips of my life.
The Algarve lies on the western coast of Portugal, between Spain and the Atlantic Ocean. This region is very diverse in terms of climate: you can find some milder places and others that are more extreme in their nature.
A trip to the Algarve is about experiencing a wide range of landscapes and climates, from tropical beaches to lush forests. In short, it's an ideal destination for any type of traveler. It is no wonder that this region has been a popular holiday destination for people across the globe since Roman times.
I visited Algarve in starting of January, it was not so cold as Prague but not so warm to jump in the sea either, after all, I am from India and 15' C is still winter for me.
I spent 76 hours in Algarve, and most of it was with José. It's been more than 3 years, and I still remember each day very well. I won't tell you how to explore Algarve because there are 1000s of travel guides already there online for the same purpose. Instead, I will be telling you my story and if it sounds like fun, then make sure to visit Algarve during your next Europe trip.
Day 1
After 3 days in Lisbon, I was ready for the new adventure. I packed my bags in the morning, said goodbye to my new Indian friends, and went to the railway station. Trains in Europe are a delight for me. It's so comfortable and so empty, if you have traveled on Indian railways then you know what I mean. I boarded the train to Tunes.
Usually, people sleep or listen to audiobooks during their journey, but I plan my itinerary. I had 3 days with me, and I didn't even know where I would stay once I arrived in Lagos.
I am a lazy traveler, and I prefer not to plan more than 2 activities for any travel day and keep a lot of free time in my hand. Just kidding, it's been 3 months in Europe, and I was short on funds.
I decided Portimao, Lagos, and Faro as the places I will visit, but transportation would be a pain. I chose speed boat tours, hiking on cliffs, visit Benagil cave, and skydiving for activities.
I know I was short on funds, and choosing skydiving is a contradiction, but I had a separate fund just for skydiving and doing it with a coastal view? I just couldn't miss it. Now I had to wait for 3 hours to arrive in Lagos, so I did what I do best during transits, I slept.
I texted Jose 30 min before arriving at Lagos. I reached the station of Lagos and waited for Jose for an hour, but he didn't reply. I was slightly anxious about what if he canceled his plan. Anyway, I had to continue, so I walked towards my accommodation for the night, Hutch Hostel.
Once I reached the hostel, I was surprised to see Jose there before me, and he had a car! Ok, you might not be surprised but as a solo traveler who always expects to travel in public transport, getting a ride for 3 days in a car is a Huge Deal. We checked in our hostel, had lunch, and started our traveling for the day.
First, we went to Praia do Camilo. I saw cliff beaches for the first time in my life and I was awestruck. The view was pristine. I had never seen such a beautiful beach ever. This beach is wholly occupied by tourists in summer, but in winter it was empty, well almost empty.
We went down 200 steps to reach the beach, and the view of golden cliffs and clear water made it worthwhile. I wanted to go for a dip, but the slight touch of cold water of the Atlantic ocean made me shiver to my core. So I took a rain check and just clicked a few pics before leaving for our next stop, Praia da Balança.
Praia da Balança is the area where all the guidebook cover photos of Lagos are taken. The golden cliffs were irresistible, and both of us went for a hike till the farthest point. At one point, I wanted to do a cliff jump. Adrenaline was at its peak but jumping from 50 feet, in the cold water, without knowing how to swim is really close to a death wish.
I didn't jump but made a promise that I will do it one day. Looking from the top, I can only imagine how it looks in Summer. The absence of several boats in the sea, sunbathing girls in bikini, tourists swimming in the ocean, etc., are a few things that made it quite dull but worthwhile for photography.
The worst thing about Europe in winter is the rain. And it started raining. We had to go back, but not without capturing the beautiful rainbow. Now we were hungry, so we went for my favorite snack in Europe, Doner Kebab. I guess it was Paradise Doner Kebab. When I entered there, I saw a Royal Enfield bike! Apparently, the owner was as crazy about Royal Enfield as Indians.
We had our food and went for some shopping. I went into a gift shop and took pics of some inappropriate gift items that I can't upload publicly; a sad thing.
At night, we found a cave at Praia dos Estudantes with a view of the ocean and sat there for hours talking about our previous trips in India.
Day 2
The next day morning, I woke up with a terrible dream which I didn't remember and totally got scared about my skydiving plan after a few hours. We got ready and went for a long drive to Skydive Algarve in Portimao.
The route was beautiful, and the anxiousness for the skydive started increasing. I called up my parents to tell them how much I love them, but they didn't even pick the phone. Now how I overcome that anxiousness and the skydiving experience deserves a separate blog.
After the skydiving, both of us went to the next planned activity, a Speed boat tour of the Algarve Caves. Our tour started from Praia da Rocha Harbor. It was a group tour, so 6 of us were on the boat. It was a sunny day, calm sea, pleasant wind, and we enjoyed the views of the coast lined up with golden cliffs and white sand beaches.
Just as I started taking pics, the boat's speed increased from 20 km/hr to 80 km/hr. I saved my camera but lost my cap to the wind (if you bring anything on the boat, keep it safe). In no time, I was enjoying the high-speed boat with splashes of water. I swear sometimes the complete boat was in the air.
Although it is difficult to describe the beauty of the place in words and images, don't do justice, so you have to visit the place to witness the grandeur of the Algarve. Another highlight was the innumerable hidden caves and the shapes of different creatures on the cliffs. The best one was Benagil cave, the one directly from the movies.
This cave is accessible only through water, and during summers, there is not even a place to stand. Luckily we went there in winters, and there were only 6 of us. I wish I could set up a camp there and stay for the night, but maybe next time. The complete tour took 3 hours, and we were utterly exhausted but satisfied.
Now it's time to go for some food, and I was surprised to find an Indian restaurant, Masala House, in Portimao (We Indians are literally everywhere). The food was excellent, and we gained the energy for hiking on the cliffs again.
Our evening hike started from Benagil Caves (yes, the same one mentioned above, now we were above it) till Praia da Marinha and back. The view was mesmerizing. The Algarve coastline is 100+ km long, and every place is new. I wished if I could just stay there forever. But we had to go to our accommodation in Faro, Le Penguin Hostel.
Day 3
This was my final day in Portugal, and after having breakfast, Jose left for Cadiz, and I planned sightseeing Faro for the next few hours. As I packed my bags and checked out, it started raining again! I had a flight in the evening at 8, and it rained the whole day, rain washing my entire day.
Although there was nothing much to see in Faro, walking around in a new town would be better than sitting in a cafe and reading books. Although I met a girl who was from Malé Svatoňovice, near to Velke Svatoňovice, and we talked about my experience in Velke Svatoňovice. She was my savior from the boredom. Finally, in the evening, I departed from Algarve for my next adventure to Rome.
Overall I will say that 3 days are not enough for a place like Algarve but some time is always better than never. Portugal became the best country for traveling, and even today, it is the best in my books. It is beautiful, budget-friendly, happening, has pleasant weather, and has delicious food.
I visited Algarve in winter, so I found it calm and relaxing. Still, I would definitely want to visit in summer to see its happening side. It is a must-visit if you are on a budget in Europe and still wants to see the best of Europe.
My plan in a nutshell
Transportation
Lisbon -> Lagos: Train
Everything else: Car
Faro -> Rome: Ryan air flight
Accommodation
Lagos (1 night): Hutch Hostel
Faro (1 night): Le Penguin Hostel
Activities
Lagos: Hiking, Beach visits
Portimao: Skydiving, Speed boat ride, Hiking
Faro: Eating whole day
Essential things to carry to Algarve during winters (which many forget)
Raincoat/Umbrella
Warm layers
Mosquito repellent
A day bag
Swimsuit (If you dare a swim in the ocean)
💖Beautiful