Lagos - things to know before going

LAGOS, ALGARVE : THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE GOING

Algarve coast is known for the "untouched" beauty. It stretches from the west to the east with loads of beaches, cliffs and sea caves.

There are many known towns to visit, like Portimão, Lagos, Albufeira, Loulé, Faro and each town seems to have their specialties. If you are young and like to go out at night, maybe Albufeira is right for you. If you love walkable beaches but also love the an alive city center, Lagos would be the one. Or if you prefer something less touristy, away from noise then Olhao along with the eastern part would be better.

During our seven days trip to Algarve, we divided our stay between the east and the west.

On the west side, we opted to stay in Lagos and honestly we were happy with our decision. Lagos is a pretty big town with a lot to offer. The city old town is quite big and it’s pretty with plenty of restaurants. The beaches are beautiful and can be reach within 20 minutes by foot. Within 3 days we managed to relax and stay in the beach in the morning and explore the old town in the evening. For the rest, we stayed in Olhao and it was honestly one of the highlights of our trip to Algarve.

Before sharing all things we did in the South of Portugal, below is essential thing to know before packing your suitcase :

Going to Lagos from LisboN WITH public transport

From Lisbon, you can either drive, take a bus or train. Driving is the fastest option (approximately 2,5 hours), while the duration between the train and the bus is the same (roughly 4 hours). With the train, you will need to change in Tunnes before heading on to Lagos.

My husband and i chose to go by train from the Entrecampos station and rent a car in the Algarve instead of driving along from the Lisbon.

The ticket can to be bought online on the website cp.pt and the wonderful part is it's paperless. We paid 56€ for two in the premiere classe. BUT when we said premiere classe, this by all means is Portuguese standard. With few (read : none) indications, it’s better to arrive in advance to find out where your quay is. Plus one quay serves different trains going to different directions. So you need to stay alert and watch the sign on the train whether it's written CP or not.

Then the car is not in order. It's not written whether it's class 1 or 2 so you have few times to guess it. Our coach 1 is number 11 and it's just next to coach 88 (welcome to Portugal...) Other than that, it's pretty a normal train ride.

Where to stay?

Lagos is quite big but most of the activities are in the old town. The marina, the train station and the beaches are quite close to the old town as well. So if you stay only for few days, it’s best to stay in the old town.

How to navigate?

Everything is quite accessible by foot. But incase you’re staying few km from the center, uber is easy and very cheap. Also even though the streets are not as hilly as in Lisbon, some routes are still up and down. So it’s best to wear a pair of comfortable shoes.

HOW much is Lagos?

Where to shop groceries ?

I spotted two supermarket : Intermarché and Spar that are very complete. From fresh products, dairies, cookies to take away food such as roast chicken and patisseries.