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Algarve 3 weeks in February

We are locked and loaded and despite our concerns about winter activities and temps in Albufeira, we do have a car included. So we figure we can explore Portugal and some of Spain with our apartment as a home base. We would be very interested in any observations of what we might expect, and/or suggestions as to where to explore. First time in Portugal.

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26831 posts

Use ViaMichelin.com for approximate driving times to places you hope to see, keeping in mind that they do not include stops, traffic tie-ups, getting lost, looking for parking, or walking from your parking place to what you wish to see.

Albufeira, being located on the southern coast, isn't really particularly well located for exploring the highlights of Portugal. It seems like most of the places people talk about visiting are going to be at least a 5-hour round-trip away. Are you sure you want to pin yourselves down for 3 weeks in that location?

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26831 posts

I really don't know what to suggest, because with 3 weeks in Portugal I wouldn't spend more than 2 or 3 nights down near the Algarve. But we have one or two posters who travel frequently to that area (not sure it's in mid-winter, though) and can suggest some places for you to see while you're actually sleeping in Albufeira. I remember earlier posts with positive comments about Tavira.

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4 posts

We are looking for a relaxing winter break from a busy work schedule, and a quiet week without tourist crowds and with temps in the high teens at a budget price seems to fill the bill. Not so much to "explore" the Algarve, but to R&R while doing a little travelling from time to time. Near-zero interest in city life, as such.

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477 posts

I believe most rental cars in Portugal come with the transponder for the toll roads, but I would double check. The toll roads save a lot of time. In Spain, I believe it is a different transponder, so again I would check before heading in to Spain. If you don't want to drive to Spain, there is a bus to Seville. That would probably be on my list.

In the Algarve itself, Tavira and Lagos are both interesting little towns. I liked Luz, but suspect it was because it was our sunniest day, not necessarily due to any particular charm. We also drove from Tavira through the Alentejo, and up to Evora. You might want to consider an overnight there. There are lovely towns like Mertola in the alentejo region that would make a nice stop.

I never see anyone comment on Faro on this site. We did not see it, but another guest at our guest house had stayed there for a week and enjoyed. Have a lovely trip. Temperatures in the positive teens seems very appealing to me at this moment where it is minus 18!

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6783 posts

Regarding the comment on tolls: there aren't any tolls on the highway to Seville, so you can (and should!) head there by car. I would consider booking an inexpensive hotel in Seville for the night, if your budget allow, but a day trip would give you a sample.
Evora is also quite accessible as a day trip from Albufeira, about 2 hrs each way.
Closer to you, there's Tavira, Sagres, the Alentejo coast (Costa Vicentina) that can make for great coastal excursions, and Beja and Mértola are interesting towns inland.

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6113 posts

There are tolls on the Portuguese section of the Seville road, but not in Spain. I presume your car is insured for Spain? We have had to pay extra for this when we have hired a car in Portugal.

Sorry to say, but Albufeira wouldn’t have been my choice as a base. I would have opted for Tavira, which would have been warmer, less windy and more characterful! However, you can visit there as it’s an hour away. The area between Tavira and the Spanish border is different in character to resorts west of Faro, as it appeals more to Portuguese holiday makers, rather than northern Europeans.

Huelva in Spain has a great fish market in the mornings. Seville is the obvious 3-4 night break in Spain.

The Alentejo is more like “real Portugal” than the Algarve, as it’s less developed. A good but long drive would be Alcoutim on the border, Castro Verde, Ourique and back.

The coastline between Vila do Bispo and Aljezur is worth a visit for the rock formations then see the castle in Aljezur.

Visit the inland towns of Silves, Loule, Estoi and Sao Bras de Alportel for more traditional towns. Lagos city centre retains some character, albeit the suburbs consist of tower blocks.

You are likely to experience some rain and it will be windy. The temperatures drop significantly at night. I have been to the Algarve in March and have experienced single digit daytime temperatures for a few days and as high as 20, although with the wind, it has felt cooler.

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Thanks folks - informative and positive responses!
We chose Albufeira in the hope that there would be a decent number of restaurants open because of the size of the city. Also because the flight/car/self-catered-apartment package was well within budget and an attractive option. Our previous getaways in recent years have been to central and south America (Panama and Colombia) so it's past time to visit EU again.
We toured Andalucia by motorcycle some years ago and loved Granada above all - it's a distance for sure but maybe bus or train?
We are eager to check out the local towns and villages suggested above - just the insights we want! No doubt we will wish we had booked in some of these instead, but isn't that always the case on a first visit?

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26831 posts

You can certainly return to Granada if you're willing to spend some nights away from Albufeira and quite a lot of hours getting there and back.

Check ViaMichelin for driving times. That would be fastest.

Next fastest looks like a bus all the way. Check the Rede Expressos website. The fastest daytime bus takes 7-1/2 hours.

Taking a bus to Seville and switching to a train appears to take longer. Rail schedules are available on the Deutsche Bahn or Renfe website. Trains between Seville and Granada are infrequent enough that I think some folks are still taking the bus as a matter of course.

If you want to go to the Alhambra, you should begin monitoring the ticket situation there immediately. It sometimes sells out months in advance.

Especially in February I'd be inclined to prioritize Seville over Granada. It would mean much less travel time, and the average February temperature in Seville is about 15 degrees (F) warmer than Granada. I assume that's partly due to altitude; Granada's nearly 2000 feet higher than sea-level Seville.

There are a number of day-trip possibilities from Seville. Most would be better by train since that would avoid parking hassles. In the case of Cordoba the train is quite a lot faster than driving. All told, you could easily spend a week in Seville, including day-trips.