Weekend hiking in the cliffs of Algarve

9/14/2016

Last year while travelling to Portugal – mainly Lisbon, I insisted to spend a day in Algarve, as I had read so much about the lovely sea caves of Benagil and the lovely cliff beaches of Lagos. So, we drove by most of the beaches around on our way from Lisbon to Faro onwards to Seville. But, my heart wasn’t content. Since we were had a strict itinerary we continued, but I had made up my mind already to come visit again!

So, this year I took a weekend to come back to Algarve!

Based on the driving experience from last year and having seen the beaches, I wanted to hike along the cliffs from one beach to another, as much as possible to get the best panaromic views of the Atlantic ocean and also access the public secluded part of the beaches which are only accessible by boat or hiking. Since, I couldn’t ride a boat, I resorted to the latter.

If you see the map of Algarve you will know that my plan was simple; start hiking from Albufeira towards Lagos. Make it to Portimao by the end of day 1, stay there, and get to Lagos by end of day 2, and chill at one of the beaches in Lagos and get a bus to Lisbon for my last day of the long weekend. Or, you can get a bus back to Faros airport for an as late as possible flight (so its totally doable over a weekend during the LONG summer days). Or you can spend an extra day in Lagos visit the old towns, relax at a beach, take a boat trip to the world famous sea caves in the Benagil area (I did that during my last year's visit, and its totally worth visiting at least once!)

I am more of a sea person than mountains, but with time I have realized about myself that I prefer gazing the beauty of the sea from a distance, laying on a beach or from a cliff top more than immersing myself in the saltiness. Hence, Algarve was perfect!

The hiking trails that I covered were not that long and exhausting, and can be very easily done in 2 days, like I did.

Albufeira: From Praia de Arrifes to Praia do Castelo (3 km)
Lagoa: From Praia de Albandeira to Praia de Benagil (3.6 km)
Portimao: From Praia do Vau to Praia dos Três Irmãos (3.7 km)
Lagos: From Praia Dona Ana to Farol da Ponta da Piedade (3 km)

Hike Trail 1: Albufeira
Albufeira is a coastal city in the southern Algarve region of Portugal. It’s a former fishing village that has become a major holiday destination, with sandy beaches and a busy nightlife strip. Its old town has pretty cobbled streets lined with restaurants, bars, cafes and shops; and it has the lively nightlife in São João.

From Praia de Arrifes to Praia do Castelo (3 km)