Vitor Oliveira from Torres Vedras, PORTUGAL, CC BY-SA 2.0
Algarve
The Algarve is Portugal's southern coast: sea caves and cliff beaches in the west, the Ria Formosa lagoons in the east, and Cape St Vincent at the tip.
Where to stay, by what matters to you
- Places to stay within 10 minutes' walk of the beach in Algarve
- Places to stay with a level walk to the beach in Algarve
- Places to stay in Algarve that work without a car
- Quiet places to stay in Algarve: few bars nearby
- Lively places to stay in Algarve: bars and clubs close by
- Within 30 minutes by car of Silves Castle
- Within 30 minutes by car of Loulé
- Within 30 minutes by car of Ria Formosa lagoon
- Within 30 minutes by car of Faro Airport
- Within 30 minutes by car of Benagil and Praia da Marinha
- Within 30 minutes by car of Tavira Island
- Within 20 minutes of Lagos old town
- Within 20 minutes of Sagres and Cape St Vincent
Best things to do in Algarve
The one thing not to miss
Spend a day in Lagos, the historic city at the mouth of the Bensafrim river on the Algarve's Atlantic coast.
Lagos old town1. Lagos old town
A city at the mouth of the Bensafrim river on the western Algarve's Atlantic coast, with a coast devoted to tourism.
8,640 readers a month
2. Sagres and Cape St Vincent
Cape St Vincent is the south-westernmost point of mainland Europe. Nearby, the Fortress of Sagres was built on the orders of Henry the Navigator in the 15th century and rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake.
5,205 readers a month
3. Tavira
A town in the eastern Algarve where the Gilão river meets the Atlantic, 28 km east of Faro.
3,305 readers a month
4. Benagil and Praia da Marinha
Benagil is a hamlet on the coast of Lagoa. Nearby Praia da Marinha is one of Portugal's best-known beaches, listed by the Michelin Guide among the most beautiful in Europe.
3,168 readers a month
5. Olhão
A fishing port and tourist town next to Faro in the eastern Algarve.
2,738 readers a month
6. Loulé
An inland city in the central Algarve; its municipality also includes the coastal town of Quarteira.
1,858 readers a month
7. Ria Formosa lagoon
A system of barrier islands and lagoons along the eastern Algarve coast, joined to the sea by six inlets; named one of Portugal's seven natural wonders in 2010.
1,193 readers a month
Sources
8. Silves Castle
Expanded by its Arab rulers between the 8th and 13th centuries, it is one of the best-preserved Arab fortifications in Portugal.
1,112 readers a month
Sources
9. Praia da Rocha
A beach in Portimão with the 17th-century Fort of Santa Catarina at its eastern edge.
1,018 readers a month
Sources
10. Tavira Island
An 11 km-long island of beaches a few hundred metres off Tavira, part of the Ria Formosa nature reserve.
652 readers a month
Sources
Just missed the list: Ponta da Piedade (11th by readers; sea cliffs near Lagos); Faro Cathedral (12th by readers)
How we ranked these
By how many people read about each place on English Wikipedia in a typical month, measured October 2026. It is a popularity measure, not our opinion. Lagos old town leads with about 8,640 readers a month. Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences; the author and licence are on each photo.
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