Tavira or Lagos?

Lagos...there are loads of people their age coming and going. Lots more to see and do in this area as well, especially the beaches. Tavira is much, much slower and I did not notice any young people there when I visited last year for a quick visit.

You would be better staying in Lagos and Tavira and not Salema with teens. Salema has seen huge development over the past 5 years and has doubled in size and is not the quaint fishing village it once was. Parking is difficult as this has shrunk and the village has expanded! Salema has far fewer restaurants than Lagos and only one beach in walking distance.

August is peak season and you haven't booked your accommodation yet?

There are plenty young people in Tavira but the more surfy types head for Sagres or Lagos. Lagos has a great selection of beaches and places to eat catering to all budgets. Tavira is charming but is set on the river, not the sea - a car is best to get to the beaches. If you do not want to hire a car, look at Cabanas or Pedras de el Rei where there is a small train out to the spit that forms the beach.

There is a summer wind that blows June to September on the Algarve and the further west you are, the windier it gets. I have been blown off beaches between Sagres and Luz due to unpleasant sandblasting. Lagos is tucked around the headland and so is protected from the wind. The sea is the Atlantic here, not the Med and so is cold. It is much warmer nearer Tavira as that is more influenced by the Med.

I agree with the above. If you have teens, there is a lot more to do in Lagos. I loved Tavira, but it is a much more tranquil town. Very small and beautiful.