Close to Perfection: The Algarve, Portugal
The walk down to the beach
Lagos
Lagos in the Algarve is the southern area of Portugal. It’s a splendor. It’s simply a unique place to captivate explorers and beach bums with enticement. Lagos is situated on the Algarve coast which sews together a natural beauty and a vivacious yet laissez-faire atmosphere. It contains magnanimous cliffs of bronzed rocks on the coastline perfect for jumping into the waters. They give way to hidden coves and aesthetically overlay beaches of warm sand. The beaches are made of the kind of mesmerizing turquoise water that embody a legit photographer’s heaven.
Getting there is easy, being there is easier.
When to Go?
The time to go to the Algarve is early springtime. At this time of year, the herds are less yet the weather is still supreme. There’s enough of a scene on the ground to give that buzz in the air, and enough of leaner herds compared to summer to spread out on the beaches without being squeezed into corners of sand.
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Praia do Camilo Beach
Why the Algarve?
Overall, the area has an overwhelming white building landscape one can look out upon from rooftops. Yet, there are also areas of color that look like quaint villages of Italy with cobblestone uphill walkways and old townhouses so charming in infrastructure. Lagos has zest, it has charm; it’s walkable, it feels storybook but not commercially so.
What sets Lagos apart is its blend of old-world historical buildings that exist right next to the natural beach vistas. The town of Lagos is dated but feels youthful too. It has a food scene that boasts the plentiful seafood of its area.
White rooftop view, Lagos, Algarve, Portugal
Where to Stay? The Salty Lodge
The Salty Lodge is adorable and stylish, a mere 5 minutes from the beach, it has the feel of a great apartment building and your favorite coffee culture spot. The rooftop views are for days and the concierge will help assist you in planning ocean excursions and activities.
Local architecture
Image by Cassia Tofano
Activities
In Lagos, you can do activities such as booze cruising, and boating, there’s a fort to see, and there’s a harbor. I took a local bus to another village for cuisine tasting and sites, an easy half-day getaway. I can’t effuse how locally robust the areas feel, nobody cares whether you’re a tourist or not, and is inviting all the same. The families and local businesses are cruising their existence at their own pace, full-fledged siesta and all.
Harbor, Lagos
Ultimately, it’s such scenery in Lagos that just taking it in eating, reading, and catching up on whatever you’re watching is all one needs.
*Safety tip
Even though it’s fairly safe, stay with a buddy if you venture beach-side in the nighttime. Public transportation is fine for solo foreigners.
In terms of arriving, I recommend getting picked up by the hotel or guesthouse at the train station or Faro Airport. However you arrive, especially if you have luggage, you’ll want a vehicle to take you up the hills where many accommodations reside.
Bottom line
Lagos is one of those crystal clear yet slightly under-the-radar destinations. It was spoken of in rushed hushed tones heatedly in the early 2000s when backpackers desperate to depart from winter ended on its golden sands and praised the Church of St. Anthony for its existence. The town is an ultimate combination of quaint European charm and hedonistic beach Eden. Slightly more crowded these days, Lagos is still unabashed.
