Does anyone have experience enjoying this region of Portugal without renting a car? I mainly am here not so much for swimming (since it will be mid April-mid May) but for amazing natural beauties like Ponta da Piedade. I was thinking of staying in Lagos since it seems to be super close to the outdoor sights/trails. From what I gathered on this forum, Salema is too small and dead around this time, not ideal for someone without a car. Is there a better homebase, I looked into Faro but there weren't any nearby beauties like above.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
It’s cold swimming even in August there!
Lagos is your best option without a car. Car hire there off season is usually excellent value. Tavira would be my second choice.
Posted by
OP
Texas
375 posts
Yeah I'm leaning towards Lagos since its bigger, has train station, and is closer to a lot of the outdoor stuff. Has anyone done the Benagil caves?
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
I went to the caves years ago when you could just hop on a boat and spend as long as you wanted in there. These days, there’s a queue of boats and you only get a few minutes in the caves.
Posted by
Vancouver
16 posts
I too will be exploring the Algarve without a car. I'll be there at the end of March for 4 days. I plan on staying in Salema or Lagos or Tavira. Check out RS suggestion on tours for the Benagil Caves, www.thewaytours.pt
Posted by
Door County
17 posts
Well, we rented an apartment in the old town of Faro, within the walls, for 3 lovely weeks without a car! We could walk everywhere! We LOVED it! You can absolutely get by without a car, but there are always Ubers and very cheap! The bus and train station are in the center. Of course there are fewer tourists this time of year which is a plus. The sunsets on the Ria Formosa are beautiful!
the Algarve is somewhat warmer in January and February as well than other regions of Portugal.