So you’ve booked a brilliant holiday to the Algarve, Portugal’s holiday hotspot stacked with perfect sandy beaches, wild landscapes, irresistible wines and fabulous food, thrilling culture and exotic festivals. And Lisbon transfers are on your menu.
You can fly direct from the UK to Faro, of course, but let’s say you’re flying into Lisbon airport, a convenient arrivals point just four miles from the city centre and 170 miles from your final destination. Some people do exactly that because the road trip from the capital to The Algarve is such an interesting route, an eye-opener giving you insight into wider Portugal as you make your way north to south.
Lisbon transfers whisk you away on a two and a half hour adventure down to The Algarve, one of Europe’s best-loved beach holiday destinations with a difference. So what can you expect once your driver drops you off in the far south, at your hotel, apartment or resort? Let’s explore the Algarve in all its bright, sunny, glory.
This is where Lisbon transfers to The Algarve take you
The Algarve sits between the Alentejo region, the Atlantic, and the Guadiana River where you’ll find Spain’s border. The region’s capital is gracious Faro, a tourism hot spot in itself thanks to the wonderful food and wines, hot party scene, warm-hearted atmosphere, awesome history and fantastic climate.
As Portugal’s most popular tourist region, The Algarve welcomes not far short of five million holidaymakers a year. Few of them know about the horrific 1755 earthquake, which wrecked the region along with a tsunami that smashed coastal towns and villages to matchwood. Faro had a lucky escape, which is why so many of its ancient buildings and monuments have survived. Poor Lagos, further along the coast, suffered a much worse fate when the tsunami’s massive wave breached the high city walls.
When a region is as popular with locals as it is with tourists, you know you’re onto something good. The Algarve is a big favourite with the Portuguese themselves, who appreciate the unique cuisine, beaches, history, culture, and many natural wonders. But there’s more than perfect golden sand to enjoy here.
Algarve wildlife and sealife
Fun fact: the Iberian Lynx was once a familiar sight in this area of Portugal, endangered for years before being reintroduced to help bring nature back into balance. This is where the magnificent bluefin tuna swims, migrating past The Algarve and making it a paradise for sea fishing. Various whale species, dolphins and porpoises turn up throughout the year. Portgal’s only type of chameleon lives here, and the ocean is stuffed with seahorses, one of the biggest populations of them on the planet.
Watersports on The Algarve
Are you ready for a long list of ocean-based thrills? This pace is top notch for everything from kayaking to stand-up paddling, jet ski, flyboarding, surfing, snorkeling, canoeing, water skiing, scuba diving, parasailing, surfing, wakeboarding, inflatable rides and more. There are boat trips and fishing trips, aqua parks and dolphin sporting, whale watching and exploring sea caves.
How about swimming in the sea? While the Med is warmer than the Atlantic, the flow of water between it and the Atlantic off the Algarve coast keeps the waters a lot warmer than it is along Portugal’s west coast or Spain’s north coast. By June the sea temperature off The Algarve can reach a 19C or more, the perfect complement to the searing hot sunshine.
Stunning seas and superb sands
This is mainland Europe’s most southerly point, with endless views across the Atlantic and a dramatic coastline studded with craggy cliffs and cute coves. There’s just as much to explore and marvel at inland. The world-famous Ria Formosa Lagoon nature reserve, for example, is where you’ll spot a thrilling variety of birds en route to their summer and winter homes. The coast is also great for exploring numerous curious limestone sea caves, only accessible by sea via coastal towns like Lagos, Portimão, Lagoa and Albufeira.
The Algarve is one of Europe’s warmest places. The winters are mild and wet, the summers are often very hot and usually totally dry. Offering a whopping high of more than 3100 hours of sunshine a year on the south coast, this is where world class sunbathing lives. Topping 40C on summer days with ease, the nights are always balmy.
This place won the World’s Leading Beach Destination award in 2020 and 2021, and Europe’s Leading Beach Destination award nine times between 2012 and 2022, making your beach life reliably excellent. There’s a long list of particularly good beaches to discover; Fuzeta, Armação de Pêra, Barril Beach, Manta Rota and Monte Gordo, Praia da Luz, Praia da Rocha, and Marinha Beach. Add Praia dos Pescadores, Quarteira, and Vale do Lobo to your agenda and you’ll be in beach holiday heaven.
Golf, baskets and pottery
Golf is king here, with a collection of really good courses scattered across The Algarve. The area’s gorgeous hand-made and decorated pottery makes a thoughtful gift for friends and family. You can even buy modern versions of the lovely old blue glazed ceramic tiles the Algarve is famed for. Head for Almancil, Loulé, Porches and Silves to see it made and buy it direct from the potters themselves. And did you know there’s a thriving basket weaving scene here? The region’s skilled artisans use rolled palm leaves, cane and wicker to create beautiful baskets, hat and bags, sold worldwide.
Mouth-watering Algarve food
Because you’re never far from the sea here, seafood and shellfish are the name of the game. Influenced by ancient Roman and Arabic cuisine, the food has melded with other invading cultures into something unique. The gorgeous rice with razor clams is a hot favourite in Faro, the grilled sardines in Portimão are legendary.
Monchique is your destination for a slew of unusual pork dishes, hams and preserved meats, and there are more chicken and pork-based recipes to be found inland. Then there’s the fine arbutus berry brandy and unusual regional liqueurs to sample. Try sour cherry or bitter almond liqueur to give your taste buds a treat.
Partying Algarve-style
Loulé hosts the biggest Algarve carnival, but every town and village has a festival of its own. Charming children’s parades, people decked out in costumes and masks, dancing at night indoors and out, street parties with people in national costume, unfamiliar instruments and music, streamers and sweets, it’s all so colourful and vibrant.
Join 100,000 others for the medieval fair at Silves in August, a celebration enjoyed by Muslim and Christians alike, created to mark the region’s unique cultural heritage. Head to the famous Barlavento in Odiáxere for a five day bender. Lagos and Sagres are both party central too, and there are carnivals in Quarteira, São Brás, Olhão, Moncarapacho, Tavira, Vila Real de Santo António and more. Think Brazilian carnival style and you get the picture.
Lisbon transfers – The easy, comfy way to get to your destination
There are trains and buses. But it’s lovely to simply book your own car and driver beforehand so you can get picked up, escorted to the vehicle, and taken to your accommodation without any faffing around. That’s the way to do a proper Portugal holiday!