I just booked a trip to Algarve Portugal March 2-9 2013. Does anyone have any suggestions for sightseeing/daytrips/activities?
I love outdoor activities so I was considering a bike and/or kayaking tour. I heard the algarve coast is magnificent. If anyone has any good recommendations on tour companies that would be helpful.
I was also going to try to extend the trip a few days to go to Lisbon. Are there any other Portugal cities that are a MUST SEE for a short vacation? Or landmarks?
Finally, I was wondering if anyone had any insight on the weather. From research it looks like it'll be about 70 degrees which is beautiful weather, but I hope it doesn't stop us from being able to go to the coastal areas and admiring the coastline/caves. Is the sun strong enough to keep you toasty even on a 70 degree day?
Thanks for your help! My Fodor friends have always been great to me...
Portugal in March
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Hello and good day.
Lets start with the weather. One kind of weather you will def. not encounter will be snow. March is a great time to travel the Algarve, because not much tourists, but the weather can be from rain every day to sun and hot during midday. So if you pack, keep that in mind.
If you are looking for nature, bit adventure and this kind of thing, in my research for accommodations, I came across a site that has information about the west coast of the Algarve and the acticities there. (which is far more beautiful and hotel/apartment complex free)
http://www.accommodation-moledos.com/index.php?module=&id=15&headline=activities%20and%20sports&lang=en
sorry for that long link, but it is hard to find that page.
For the area I also recommend looking into Algarvissimo.com for sleeping there.
Enjoy! The most stunning coastlines and beaches are there to be found.
Thank you for those links! Do you have any suggestions on renting a car? It doesn't appear to be expensive, but are there any hidden fees i should be looking out for?
March is a good time to travel to the Algarve but dont expect hot weather and do expect rain Where have you booked in the Algarve?
We are close to Lagos in the algarve. I was hoping for weather closer to 70 than 60 so we can explore the coastline. I have also researched that from Lagos it's about 3 hrs to get to Seville- so a day trip is doable.
Good day,
Seville is about a 4 hour bus ride from Lagos with might be stops in Huelva and Faro. Depends on the times.
With a car it is about 3-4 hours aswell.
About the weather, well, it can be all. Having been on the west coast 2 years ago in March, it had rained so much that the small rivers were so high that for some days the bridge in Aljezur had to be closed. A year later we sat in the sun and got a tan. Be prepared for mild.
About the rental car, definitely go for algarvissimo. Friends from Denmark used it just 2 weeks ago aswell and were happy. They checked 5-7 websites, most you have to pay extra for Spain, for insurance without excess (which should be a must in southern European countries!) and additional driver. Our friends also found out that this website donates a percentage of the money to charity like Make a Wish or cancer research.
Look at algarvissimo.com, they also have accommodation for the west coast. (where ever you take the car, make 100% sure you read all! otherwise you pick up the car and have to pay extras.
PS: No matter how the weather will be, you will see stunning nature, beaches and coastlines!
Does anyone have any recommendations on pit stops between lisbon and algarve?
There are lots of great places to see outside of the Algarve! In fact most of the most beautiful and historical sights are a long way from it. From a base in Lisbon you can reach quite a few. You can either hire a car or take day trips out with a private-tour company, which means you can pack quite a lot in because you don't have to worry about finding places, parking etc. We went on one to Evora (a really lovely medieval city with Roman remains) that included a stop at a prehistoric stone circle and a winery visit with a very civilised wine tasting with full explanations in English. The company was Have a Wine Day ( www.haveawineday.com )- they also do trips to places like Obidos, Batalha and Alcobaca - all from Lisbon. You'll have a great time !