Tours
Lisbon to the Algarve
The slow road south - wild coast, Moorish castles and golden cliffs, over two or three days
Most people see the road to the Algarve from the motorway. This journey takes the other one: down the wild Costa Vicentina, past white villages like Porto Covo and Vila Nova de Milfontes, to the lighthouse cliffs of Cabo de São Vicente - the place the ancients called the end of the world - and a night in the walled town of Lagos.
The second day is the coast the postcards are made of: the golden pinnacles of Ponta da Piedade, a small boat into the Benagil cave when the sea allows, then red-stone Silves, the old Moorish capital, and the view over the whole south coast from Fóia.
A third day lets the Algarve breathe: the lagoons and islands of the Ria Formosa, riverside Tavira, and one last long lunch before the return.
These are ideas, not a schedule - the route bends around you, and it can end in the Algarve or bring you back to Lisbon. This is a private tour, guided in your language: English, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian or French.
Meeting point
Pick-up at your Lisbon accommodation
Highlights
- The Costa Vicentina - Porto Covo and Vila Nova de Milfontes, on Europe's wildest coast
- Cabo de São Vicente & Sagres - the end of the known world, and Henry the Navigator's fortress
- Ponta da Piedade & Benagil - golden cliffs at Lagos and the famous sea cave, sea permitting
- Silves & Fóia - the Moorish capital in red stone, and the Algarve's highest viewpoint
- Day three: Ria Formosa & Tavira - lagoon islands, and the east at its most graceful
Every day out is tailored - the exact route, rhythm and stops are shaped around you.
What's included
- My guiding services throughout the journey
- Private vehicle with a professional driver for the whole route
- All the planning, timings and reservations along the way
What's extra
- Accommodation - booked by you, or arranged on request
- Meals, drinks and admission fees
- The Benagil boat, when chosen
Good to know
- Accommodation is not included, but I gladly suggest the right places in Lagos and Tavira and can arrange the booking.
- The route can end in the Algarve, if your holiday continues there, or return to Lisbon on the final evening.
- The Benagil cave is weather-dependent; there is always a good alternative.