We'll be visiting southern Portugal in early May, Is this too far off season to stay in Salema? Not sure whether we'd be better off in Lagos. we'll be using this as a home base for a few days to visit the south coast as it's likely a bit early for beach weather.
Thanks
Lagos is by far the better choice. It is big enough to have services, a walkable center, lots of restaurants and it’s easy to drive to other parts of the Algarve region. Salema is very small and I am not certain much would be open in May. I’ve never understood RS recommending it.
I would recommend Lagos over Salema.
We spent almost a week in Lagos in April 2019 on a retirement scouting trip. We did plenty of exploring around the city, walking along the cliffs, exploring Luz, visiting an organic farm, a winery tour, eating, drinking and soaking up the vibes. Never got bored.
We also spent 3 days in Lisbon walking, eating, and exploring.
My husband loved Lagos, my mom and I adored Lisbon. Sadly, we did not make the stretch to purchase a home in either since we each already had two homes(snowbirds) and did not want the hassle of selling our winter places to buy in Portugal. Oops!
Lagos definitely is much bigger and there is a lot more to explore, so I would also be inclined to recommend it. However I do want to add that we stayed 3 nights in Salema in April many years ago. All the restaurants were open, and we enjoyed just how quiet the town was. It had some unfortunate empty condos at the top of the hill, but we stayed in a little guesthouse in the town and it was very peaceful. They also did laundry!
