One of the most popular destinations in Portugal is the stunning Algarve Region. However, the majority of international travellers arrive in Lisbon’s International airport, around 250km or so north of the Algarve. This gives you the perfect excuse to take a road trip and get so much more out of your trip to Portugal. Read on to find out the best road trip routes from Lisbon to the Algarve!
The Main Road Trip Routes from Lisbon to the Algarve and Back Again
There are effectively 3 main routes people choose to do, the coastal Alentejo route, the inland Alentejo route, or the quickest direct route. They can all be good choices, depending on your preferences, travel times, costs, and what you want to see while you’re in Portugal.
The Coastal Alentejo Route (A2, A26, N120-1)
Distance 396km (246 miles) – Maps Link – Time: 5 hours
This is one of our favourite road trips in Portugal and it gets you up close to the stunning Alentejo coastline. It also takes you to some really great coastal towns that have a very different feel to the Algarve.
The most popular way is to head south out of Lisbon on the A2, then heading towards the coast at Grandola and heading towards Sines. Sines is a great first stop. From Sines you continue south along the coast on the N120. Our favourite stops from here are Porto Covo, Vila Nova de Milfontes, Praia de Odeceixe, and Praia da Bordeira.
The great thing about this route is you can follow it south all the way to Sagres and take in the stunning cliffs of the Western Algarve before heading to your final destination.
Vila Nova de Milfontes – Historic Riverside Town
Vila Nova de Milfontes is a town in the municipality of Odemira, on the Alentejo coastline. The town, which rests on the northern margin of the River Mira, combines both a beach destination with a riverside retreat. Offering visitors both calmer waters for water activities in the river mouth, and the waves and surf of the Atlantic. With roughly 5,600 inhabitants, Vila Nova de Milfontes has that peaceful Alentejo feel we love. It’s normally always one of our first stops when taking the coastal route from Lisbon to the Algarve.
Porto Covo – Alentejo’s Perfect Fishing Village
Porto Covo, 20km north of Vila Nova de Milfontes, is another perfect place to explore the Alentejo. Where Vila Nova de Milfontes has more of a town like feel with all the facilities, Porto Covo is an idyllic village surrounded by pristine beaches. Yet these stunning beaches escape much of the mass tourism nearby places like the Algarve experience. You’ll also find one of the most incredible hiking routes in Portugal – the Rota Vicentina.
The Inland Alentejo Route (A2, A6, IP2)
Distance 421km (261 miles) – Maps Link – Time: 5 hours
A close second for our favourite road trip is the Inland Alentejo Route. This route takes you away from the coastline and into the rolling countryside of the Alentejo Region. The most popular stop being Évora. Évora is much much more than a simple stop, you can easily spend a day or more exploring the city (in fact it’s also a popular day trip from Lisbon). From Évora there’s multiple options you can go, Monsaraz is a stunning walled village and in our opinion sums up the Alentejo perfectly. Alvito and Beja are worthy stops too.
From Beja, the route you take south largely depends on where in the Algarve you are planning as your end destination. If you’re destination is in the east Algarve, perhaps Tavira. then heading towards Mértola and tracing the Guadiana River past Alcoutim is an excellent choice. Both giving a very different vibe to what awaits in the Algarve, and what you’ve explored in the Alentejo.
If you’re heading to the Central Algarve, then Castro Verde in Alentejo, and Alte in the Algarve make very nice stopping points! If you’re heading to the West Algarve, then stopping in Castro Verde before making your way to Monchique in the Algarve is a great way to diversify things to see and do!
Évora – Alentejo’s Historic Capital
Évora is the largest city of the Alentejo region and its designated capital. The city boasts an impressive historical background with Roman ruins, Gothic churches, and well-preserved historic centre which was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1986. Not just history, but culture – the city will be Europe’s Capital of Culture in 2027.
Monsaraz – Portugal’s Prettiest Walled Village
The medieval village of Monsaraz should be on everyone’s Alentejo bucket list. The village is perched high up on a hilltop, it offers amazing views of the surrounding Alentejo countryside and Lake Alqueva. It’s surrounded by historic walls and is officially a museum village. Inside those walls you’ll find wine bars specialising in Alentejo wines, and small restaurants and tabernas.
The Fastest and Direct Route (A2, A22)
Distance 278km (192 miles) – Maps Link – Time: 2.5 hours
Not every road trip is about the journey, and although you’ll skip a lot of fantastic places, sometimes you just want to get to your destination in the quickest fashion possible.
The quickest route is following the A2 south of Lisbon, all the way until the A22 in the Algarve. The A22 traverses the Algarve from east to west, so from there you can get to any destination in the Algarve very quickly. It’s around 2 and a half hours, and 250km to get to the A22, and from there anywhere up to 45 minutes to get to your final destination in the Algarve. It’s the quickest, and most direct route.
Top Tip: This route is a toll road, so you’ll need to bear that in mind if you’re planning on travelling by rental or your own vehicle. For a class 1 vehicle, its around €25 in tolls to get from Lisbon to Faro.
Which Lisbon to the Algarve Road Trip Can be Done By Public Transport
Transport along the Alentejo coast is a lot less convenient than both the inland, and direct route. So, if you’re planning on taking a road trip by public transport, you’ll need to factor that in.
Taking the Inland Alentejo route is possible in both northerly, and southerly directions. Flixbus and Renex operate services from Faro to Évora and vice versa, and in Évora you can utilise both train services and bus services to get to or from Lisbon. Deviating away from the main towns is a lot trickier, although from Évora there are local services to Monsaraz, Arraiolos and a few other places.
These are local buses, with some routes only having one service a day. It’s not something we really recommend navigating unless you’re experienced in Portuguese public transport. Full details of the routes can be found on RodAlentejo’s website, the main public operator from Évora.
Which is the Best Road Trip Route from Lisbon to the Algarve?
It’s difficult to say which route makes for the best road trip between Lisbon and the Algarve. It largely comes down to what you want to see, how much time you have, and your budget. The best is to pick one of the routes above, and a different route in the opposite direction. This allows you to see both the coastal Alentejo, and the inland area. However, not everyone has the time to allow for that. Especially if you plan on visiting multiple places in the Algarve.
Car Rental for Your Road Trip
If you’re looking for Car Rental in Portugal we recommend using Zest or Discover Cars, both are excellent brokers that give you a lot more for your money than your usual providers. These websites allow you to search, and compare multiple local providers, and easily see the price up front. We don’t shy away from recommending you check as many providers and brokers as possible to get the best deal!
Zest Car Rental: Why should you use Zest Car Rental? Zest is one of our favourite providers because they are so simple to use, and they clearly explain all of the expected costs before you have to book.
Discover Cars: Discover Cars is a great alternative to Zest. For both their low prices, flexibility and reasonable insurance cost. One benefit over Zest, is that we find Discover Cars to be better at providing one way car rentals, both domestic and international.
