From lovely Lisbon, JJ and I hired a car and headed to a countryside surf retreat in the Algarve. Rather than taking the most direct route down to Lagos, we hugged the Portuguese coastline and stopped at some beautiful spots along the way. These are all the places we explored and where we stayed…
ROUTE
I searched for a car rental company as far south in Lisbon as possible to avoid any hectic city traffic. The Avis Marques de Pombal Downtown location was ideal for us. From there we just had a short 10-mins drive to get onto the A2. Soon after we’d crossed Ponte 25 de Abril and were on route to the south coast, super easy. Our total journey time from Lisbon to Lagos, including the below pit stops was around 7 hours.
PRAIA DA VIEIRINHA, PORTO COVO, SINES
Our first port of call was lunch with a view of Praia da Vieirinha in Porto Covo. We got a table at Magic Cactus restaurant and bar. The seafood was delicious, the staff were friendly and the outlook was pretty special too.
Porto Covo is 170kms south of Lisbon in the municipality of Sines. Praia da Vieirinha is in the heart of the Southwest Alentejo and Costa Vicentina Natural Park. This wide sandy beach has impressive sand dunes and good surf. Unsurprisingly it was very popular!
PRAIA DE MONTE CLÉRIGO, ALJEZUR, ALGARVE
A further 89kms from Praia da Vieirinha we stopped for coffees at O Zé restaurant and bar on Praia de Monte Clérigo. This gorgeous beach’s setting is towards the north-western corner of the Algarve in the municipality of Aljezur. JJ and I enjoyed sitting outside re-caffinating and people watching. All the Iberian-seasidey vibes.
PONTA DE SAGRES, ALGARVE
After another 50kms we made one final stop in Sagres, before dropping off the rental car in Lagos. We had to stretch our legs and admire the stunning panorama from mainland Europe’s most south-westerly point. It’s not hard to imagine why once upon a time, people believed that Ponta de Sagres was the end of the known world!
At the tip of the Sagres peninsular there’s a fort (Fortaleza de Sagres), designed to protect the town from North African pirates in the 15th century. It was from here that Henry the Navigator planned expeditions to the unchartered coast of West Africa during the Portuguese ‘Age of Discovery’.
LAGOS, FARO, ALGARVE
JJ and I only spent a couple of hours in Lagos throughout our time in the area. We had a wander around the Old Town which appeared to be a tourist trap catering exclusively to Brits. Too many of the restaurants had posters advertising fried egg ‘n’ chips and were patronised by sunburnt inebriates🥴Not for us. It’s a real shame because Lagos has some interesting sights and great beaches.
Forte da Ponta da Bandeira dates back to 1690, the entry is a drawbridge over a moat and it’s quite picturesque. Next door is urban beach, Praia da Batata. At the southern end of the beach there’s a tunnel through Ponta Piedade headland, leading to Praia dos Estudantes which is a bit less crowded. The highlight of Praia dos Estudantes is a Romanesque bridge. The bridge was originally part of Pinhão Fortress that was destroyed during 1755’s earthquake.
SOUL & SURF – QUINTA DA MESQUITA
The Soul & Surf farmhouse felt peacefully nestled deep within the Portuguese countryside, despite being just 10 mins drive from Lagos and the nearest surf spot. Our room was a spacious double, but there are options to suit different budgets (including tents).
We filled four days at Quinta Da Mesquita with long morning surfs, eating, relaxing, yoga classes and more eating. One afternoon I booked a massage with their in-house therapist – amazing for my achy shoulders after paddling those Atlantic waves.
Recharging with Soul & Surf was the perfect end to our European summer hols. Thanks to their excellent surf guiding, I’m confident enough to plan similar trips in the future!
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