My 23 yr old daughter and I are flying into Faro 9/5 (after a week hiking in the Swiss/italian alps) and have until 9/13 to divide our time up. I was thinking the town of Salema would be a good first stop for a few days based on big endorsements from one of the recent RS talks, but looking thru this forum for several hours, I am not hearing the same enthusiasm, with suggestions for a place like Lagos instead. I was hoping for some relaxing and scenic coastal exploring before heading to Lisbon for 5 nights. Lisbon day trips/ regions of interest to me are Sintra, Obidos, Fatima, cascais and maybe Tomar- not necessarily all of them! I would love some input on what to do about the Algarve/southern region (shorten? stop at Evor on way up to Lisbon, etc)?Thanks! Kathryn
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1663 posts
I am one of the people on this forum that doesn’t agree with RS on Salema. I much prefer Lagos, which is considerably bigger with more restaurants, amazing rock formations, several great beaches, etc. You don’t say it but I’m assuming you are renting a car? A car is necessary iMO for the Algarve but definitely not recommended for Lisbon.
If you want a smaller town in the Algarve, I liked Luz. It’s smaller than Lagos but has more than Salema. Driving over to Sagres while in the Algarve is nice, and an easy drive.
Evora is very nice and a great place to stop between the Algarve and Lisbon. If you stay two nights, you would have time for the Megalith tour, which is pretty amazing. But, that would leave you less time in Lisbon. And, Lisbon definitely deserves the five nights you mention. But, that only leaves time for 1-2 day trips - tops.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
I too don’t agree with RS re Salema. It has been ruined in the past decade by over development.
I would suggest Lagos or Tavira, but you have left it very late to be booking accommodation for early September, as the best Algarve accommodation will have been taken months ago. If you want a smaller place, I would recommend Burgau or Carvoeiro. A car is essential as public transport is poor, particularly at weekends.
Alternatives include Zambujeira do Mar on the western coast or Vila Nova de Milfontes which are more popular with the Portuguese rather than Northern Europeans.
Posted by
OP
Seattle, WA
37 posts
OK, I didn't realize a car would be necessary in the south. Maybe I should look into renting a car in Faro (just for the two-three days) and driving it up to Lisbon to drop it off? As long as it isn't too complicated (good road signage, are their tolls, added costs, need a special drivers license? ) , you think that might be easier?
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1663 posts
Don’t drive from the Algarve to Lisbon. It’s actually cheaper to take the train (buy tickets up to 30 days ahead) and a lot less stressful. Driving around the Algarve is easy but there is no need to drive from there to Lisbon.
Posted by
State College, PA, USA
7 posts
Lagos is very nice and has lots of eateries and easy access to a few beaches. I stayed at Inn Seventies in 2017 and loved it. Im going again next week and am staying there again. Definitely rent a car even if it is for a few days. That way you can see great sights fairly quickly like Ponta de Piedade, and Sagres (the end of the known world back before the Age of Exploration). I used SIXT in 2017 and had no issues. The train to Lisbon is a good option financially as long as you have no hurries. A car would be faster, but if you are returning it inside Lisbon, better have a GPS on hand; it can get confusing driving inside the city. I drove from Lisbon to Lagos; about 3 hours, and it was a fairly easy drive, especially if you have a co-pilot and GPS.