The Algarve, Portugal’s sun-kissed southern region. You’ll find incredible beaches, historic towns, seaside villages – deciding exactly what to visit and where to stay is not an easy job. So, here’s a 7 day Algarve itinerary that covers the best of the best. An ultimate road trip covering some of the biggest and most famous places, but also some off the beaten track recommendations – all within a seven-day trip.
Why trust me? I moved to the Algarve in 2018 and and lived there for four years before moving to Lisbon. I’ve explored the Algarve completely and return often, so these are my personal recommendations and favourite places to visit.
The Ultimate Algarve Itinerary
Who’s this itinerary for? People that want to experience the authentic Algarve – not just the touristy hot spots. Don’t worry a few of those will be included but with this 7-day itinerary you’ll have the perfect Algarve experience.
Who’s this itinerary not for? The reverse of that question, if you’re looking for a relaxing holiday, 7 days by the pool, or 7 days in one place then this is not really the itinerary for you!
7-day Itinerary Overview
This itinerary covers from the very west of the Algarve, to the very east of the Algarve, with some stunning stops in between. It covers some of the most famous towns in the Algarve like Lagos, Faro, and Tavira, but also includes some local gems that you might not have heard of like Castro Marim, Olhão, and Ferragudo.
This is an itinerary for people that want to explore, be on the move, and see a lot of things in a small amount of time.
Where to Stay in the Algarve if you have 7 days to play with?
In 7 days, I really like to split my time between two or three locations, at least one place in the east Algarve for easy sightseeing in that region, and one in the west Algarve. This limits travel time on days you won’t be exploring the town you’re staying in.
My itinerary starts in the east Algarve, so I like to stay in the charming town of Tavira. As we head west, I like to stay in Ferragudo, but Lagos is a great choice as well. If you prefer somewhere calmer, quieter and smaller, you can head further west and look at staying in the villages of Burgau or Salema.
The Perfect 7 Day Itinerary to Explore the Algarve
This itinerary assumes you are arriving into Faro, but it also works if you are arriving into Lisbon and travelling south to the Algarve too.
In fact, if you’re planning a self-drive holiday from Lisbon, it’s a great opportunity to make a road trip out of it and explore the Alentejo on the way!
Read more: The Ultimate Lisbon Algarve Road Trip – Routes and Plans
Day 1 – Tavira and a Taste of the East Algarve
Arrival – As this is a road trip and really requires a vehicle of your choosing, I recommend picking a car up at Faro airport. From here, we’re going to head to Tavira. It’s 40km, or around a 30-minute drive from Faro.
Tavira is one of my favourite towns in the Algarve and really exemplifies what the east Algarve is all about. Cobbled streets, whitewashed houses, blooming flowers, and of course terraces for sipping wine and watching the world go by. It’s the perfect place to take it easy and get acquainted to the Algarve.
In the afternoon you can explore some of Tavira’s architectural marvels, or even take the ferry for a lazy afternoon and sunset on the beach to Tavira’s nearby island of the same name – Ilha de Tavira.
For dinner – Tavira has many great restaurants and it’s another reason I like to stay for several nights. Consider petiscos and alfresco dining at Restaurante Nikita. Or some local seafood at the traditional Restaurante O Tonel.
Day 2 – Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo António
On day 2 we’re going to head to the even quieter side of the east Algarve, Castro Marim, a tiny fortress town, and Vila Real de Santo António. These two towns overlook the Guadiana River and have guarded the Spanish border for centuries. They also both offer something truly unique in the Algarve!
Roughly between the two towns, within the salt marshes that surround Castro Marim is SPA Salino – Água-mãe Lda. An outdoor spa with mud and salt baths within the historic salt pans – a one of a kind experience. If soaking in the mud doesn’t appeal, perhaps simply exploring the salt pans does.
The natural reserve, Reserva Natural do Sapal de Castro Marim e Vila Real de Santo António to give its full name is a great opportunity to explore the Algarve’s wildlife on a guided trail. From September to March, you can even see flamingos in their natural habitat!
Day 2 – Afternoon – Vila Real de Santo António
After this, we’ll head to Vila Real de Santo António. Whereas, Castro Marim is just a village, Vila Real de Santo António is a thriving town. In many ways, this was the newer and updated version of fortifying the border. The town was designed by the Marquis of Pombal, the very same of Lisbon fame. So, the architecture and town planning here bear a lot of resemblance to downtown Lisbon. You can explore the town and its cultural centre, museum, and even the lighthouse.
There’s even the possibility of a quick trip to Spain by way of passenger ferry, the return trip to Ayamonte costs €2.50 and takes just 15 minutes. How about dinner in Spain?
On the way back from Vila Real de Santo António I recommend a final stop in Cacela Velha. It’s a tiny fortress village with an absolutely amazing viewpoint of the Ria Formosa.
Day 3 – Olhão and Island Hopping in the Ria Formosa
Olhão is where things start to get a little busier, this is a traditional fishing town, and I recommend starting any visit at the red brick municipal market. There’s a daily fish market here and just exploring the market, before grabbing a coffee is one of my favourite activities. If you’re staying in the town, it’s a great place to grab seafood as fresh as it gets before taking it back to your accommodation and cooking it yourself (if that’s an option).
Afternoon – Island Hopping and the Ria Formosa
In the afternoon, how about some island hopping? I’ve written extensively about the Ria Formosa a glorious natural park that hugs the coastline of the East Algarve. You can find white sand beaches, tiny fishing villages, and even a deserted island to call you own among its many sand bar islands.
Olhão is the perfect place to do this, you have multiple options from the public ferry to Armona (return trips cost just €2.00) or you can book private island-hopping tours. You can also rent kayaks, or even fishing boats. If you’re not so keen to take to the water, nearby you have several options of beaches you can simply drive to.
Lunch and Dinner in Olhão
After a busy morning of sightseeing, Olhão is a great place to feast on fresh seafood. A local gem is Vai e Volta a type of restaurant called a rodizio de peixe grelhado. Olhão is not the only place you can find them, but Vai e Volta has been a local institution for decades.
The way it works is simple, you pay a single fee (currently €17) and this includes a small starter of bread, olives, and tuna paste. Then after your starter you’ll be brought potatoes, salad and açorda, this is the start of your main meal and then after this an assortment of freshly grilled fish will be brought to your table until you say enough is enough. It’s incredible value and a great local experience.
Day 4 – Faro and Loulé
Day 4 starts with a morning exploring the town of Loulé. It’s an authentic market town around 10km north of Faro. Any visit should start at the emblematic Mercado Municipal of Loulé, the grand neoclassical building that houses one of the best markets in the Algarve. It’s a hectic central point but well worth exploring.
Loulé is a bit of an arts and cultural centre so spend some time exploring the historic centre – if you’re lucky there may even be an arts and crafts fair on. Afterwards you can head to the castle, and the nearby Islamic bathing complex, somewhere to witness some of the Moorish history of the Algarve.
Afternoon Faro
After a busy morning in Loulé, you can head to the capital of the Algarve, Faro. Its historic downtown is very much worth exploring. The grand city gateways, leading to a historic square.
The cathedral is well worth the small entry fee of €2 which also gets you entry to the belltower and rooftop. This is one of the best views of Faro, giving you almost 360-degree views of Faro’s terracotta rooftops, its marina, and out to the Ria Formosa. Don’t miss the small bone chapel in the cathedral’s manicured garden either! Although there’s a much bigger one nearby!
Igreja do Carmo is located in a historic square slightly north of the old town, famed for its beautiful white and yellow church and for hiding Faro’s Chapel of Bones. If you’re interested in quirky architectural marvels, I recommend taking a look inside!
Dinner in Faro
One of my favourite restaurants in Faro is Petisqueira 3 em pipa, it’s a small restaurant specialised in petiscos. You typically order two or three plates per person so it’s a great way of sampling lots of local flavours during one meal! Petisqueira 3 em pipa offers some of the best!
After visiting Faro, I recommend you drive over to Carvoeiro for an overnight stay there. Why Carvoeiro? You’ll need an early start to get the most out of day five!
Day 5 – Carvoeiro – Benagil Cave
Carvoeiro to me is the ultimate central Algarve playground. It caters for everyone, covering your beach and chill types, to your outdoor adventurers. It’s a cute and colourful town that offers access to some of the best of the Algarve’s outdoors.
Morning – Benagil Cave or the Seven Hanging Valleys
After arrival in the town, you have several options. If you’ve got Benagil Cave on your list of must sees in the Algarve, now is the time to explore it. Boat tours can be booked directly in Carvoeiro or you can head to Benagil Beach and book a kayak or Stand up Paddleboard trip.
Top Tip: For 2025 Benagil Cave is heavily regulated to control access for safety, and to protect the area from erosion. You can now no longer disembark from either kayaks or boats within the cave and access is timed. Boats can stay in the cave for several minutes at a time, and kayaks can stay for 8 minutes. It’s enough for some photos but it goes quickly!
Hike the Seven Hanging Valleys
Alternatively, and if kayaking sounds a bit too exhausting there’s an absolutely beautiful hike in the area that will take you past Benagil cave and allow you to view it from above. Yes, it’s not quite the same as viewing it from within but you’ll get a much calmer perspective and get to hike along some incredible cliffs and beaches too!
The Seven Hanging Valleys Trail starts at Praia da Marinha and ends at Praia do Vale de Centeanes. It’s possible to round trip it as an out-and-back trail, but it’s quite simple to Uber/Bolt to the starting point and walk back to Carvoeiro! It’s a slightly longer route but should take around 2-3 hours!
Depending on your level of activity, for the afternoon you’ve probably earned a relaxing afternoon on the beach and Carvoeiro is a great place to do that too!
However, if you’re looking for something a little special, how about wine tasting at a vineyard in the Algarve? Quinta dos Vales is 15 minutes away and is the perfect place to get to know Algarve wines and vineyards.
Day 6 – Ferragudo and Silves
Ferragudo is one of those places that can be taken right from a postcard. The view into the village as you approach it by road is wonderful. You’ll see a row of whitewashed houses and terracotta rooftops, a walled harbour lined with palm trees and fishing boats bobbing in the water. It’s a great little village that dramatically opposes the development on the other side of the river in nearby Praia da Rocha.
Away from the waterfront, Ferragudo does not lose its charms, you’ll find flower lined cobbled streets and tiny bars and restaurants so a walk from the harbour up to the church is well worth it!
For lunch, an easy option is fresh seafood at any of the harbor-side restaurants! Or perhaps you could try another Algarve delicacy – Piri Piri Chicken? Yup, this dish is said to have been invented here in the Algarve. In Silves – where we’re heading to next, is a fantastic restaurant famed for the dish. Churrasqueira Valdemar is a true gem of a local’s spot!
Day 6 – Afternoon in Silves
Ferragudo is located on the Arade River and for the afternoon, we’re going to follow it. Around 15km up the river lies Silves, in fact you can even take a cruise up the river, although it can take an hour or so! It’s a beautiful way of arriving into Silves though.
For people that simply want to drive, it’s around 20 minutes. Silves was the original and historic capital of the Moorish Algarve and it’s here you can find some prominent architecture from the period. The big standout being the red brick 13th Century Castelo de Silves, but don’t miss the nearby cathedral either, or the Archaeological Museum displaying artifacts from Silves’ long History.
On the way in or out of town, make sure to stop at Miradouro de Silves, it gives some of the best views of the slow flowing river, town, and its incredible castle!
In the evening, I recommend driving over to Lagos for your first night here.
Day 7 – Lagos and Sagres
Lagos is a great starting point for the west Algarve, a lively, historic town with some great connections to the outdoors. I recommend starting the morning in Lagos, historic downtown and exploring from there.
Lagos has multiple options depending on what your interests are, you can dive into the history of the region with the Municipal Museum and Museum of Slavery, you can visit some historic architecture with its grand churches and chapel of bones. Or just outside town is Monte da Casteleja one of the Algarve’s top wineries.
Day 7 Afternoon – Ponta da Piedade and Cape St Vincent
Similarly, the afternoon can be split into several activities. Ponta da Piedade is 5km outside of downtown Lagos and is a stunning area of natural beauty. The golden cliffs, stacks, and staircase down to the waterfront are well worth exploring. One of the top Lagos activities is a boat ride from the marina, or a kayak trip from the fortress.
Alternatively, it’s just as simple to drive and explore the cliffs from above. Make sure you stop at Praia do Camilo, it’s a now ‘insta famous’ beach and beauty shot that can get pretty packed out, but the views from above are incredible!
Day 7 – Sunset at Cape St Vincent
If you didn’t pack out your afternoon with a boat or kayak trip, the grand finale of this itinerary is a sunset trip to Cape St Vincent. It’s 40km down the coast, or around a 30-minute drive, so this optional extra really depends on just how much you want to pack into your final day.
Cabo de São Vicente marks the dramatic southwestern tip of continental Europe, it’s an awe-inspiring place that looks out across the Atlantic from on top of tall cliffs. For millennia it was poetically called the ‘end of the known world’ so I really recommend find the time on the final day to try and catch a sunset here.
In 7 days, you’ve now travelled across the entire of the Algarve. From the eastern border of the Guadiana river, to the far western tip of Cape St Vincent. If you can stay long enough to catch the sunset it is highly recommended and one of the best sunsets in the Algarve.
How to Get Around the Algarve During your 7 day Stay?
For this 7-day trip, I highly recommend a rental car, it gives you the most amount of flexibility, freedom, and you can choose your start, end times, and stopping points. However, with some careful planning it is possible to do most of this itinerary with public transport.
The Regional trainline runs from east to west across the Algarve, meaning you can get all the way from Lagos, to Vila Real de Santo Antonio by train. For some of the smaller day trips, you may need to seek local transportation like local buses or taxis though.
Where to Stay in the Algarve?
For this itinerary, I recommend staying in two or three places. This limits travel time between sights and gives you a base for a couple of days. With two or three stays, this also limits time spent checking in, and checking out of hotels.
Of course, you can pick one place to stay and complete the itinerary as well, but that means much more driving back and forth. If you’re going to pick one place, I’d recommend somewhere central or with great transport links if you plan on using public transport.
For days 1-3, I like to stay in Tavira, it’s a great town with a lot of café, bar and restaurant options.
For days 4 and 6, I recommend staying somewhere close to Benagil Cave and the start of the Seven Hanging Valleys Hike. The best trips to Benagil cave start early in the morning, and even at sunrise so this means less travel time for the early starts.
For days 6 and 7, Lagos completes the trip perfectly! Optionally, you could easily swap Lagos for Ferragudo (smaller, and much less hectic), or even Burgau (village sized) and both would be great experiences.
Want a fully tailored and customized itinerary?
The above is a great start for anyone that wants a great itinerary however, if you’d prefer a customisable option that’s tailored to you, I offer that service, get in contact with me, or you can view my trip planning page!
