We will be in Lagos,Portugal for the month of February. We will have a car...and ask Fodorites that have been in the area if there are recommended day trips...or overnight trips that are not in the typical guidebook...

Wow-- lucky you! We visited Lisbon for our first visit to Portugal, and loved it. Our day-trips were north of there, though, so no help to you. We loved the Portuguese people and style. Enjoy yourself there!

The rough guide for portugal is all encompasing. It depends a bit what you want to do. Bird watching is great and Feb may be a good date for the mass transit of birds Africa to Europe. The waterpoodle centre near Faro always needs some cash and is a good couple of hours out. Faro itself is worth walking about in. Hunting out Roman stuff can be interesting, so the roman bridge in Tavira is good. You will have a great time but keep off those enviromental disasters with little pegs and flags that litter up the place.

Being in the southern tip makes it difficult to visit other parts of Portugal on day trips except around the Algarve and Alentejo. You can do Lisbon on the train, or if you drive, visit the coast.

Perhaps I should have mentioned that after Lagos we are heading to Porto to spend 10 days...and then off to San Sebastian,Spain

Monchique,Silves, Sagres, Portimao, Pottery shopping along the N125, Mertola, Serpa, Seville, visit the wineries of the Alentejo region, Tavira, Lisbon, Troia, and Cascais

Oops, also Alte, Estoi, and Loule.

While in Lagos, and if you are interested in wine, you can drive up to Beja and visit Herdade da Malhadinha Nova (www.malhadinhanova.pt).