Portugal: Where to spend three days on the Algarve?
 

My wife and I are going to Portugal from 4/27 to 5/10, and we will be spending the last several days on the Algarve before returning to Lisbon to fly home. We will drive down from Evora, and I am trying to decide between Albufeira, Portmaio, and Lagos, or smaller places around there. My wife loves being within a short walk to a beach; I love history and architecture, as well as great coastal scenery, and definitely will want to visit Sagres. We are willing to spend up to $200-$250 if the place is really special, but otherwise would be looking for something in the $90-$150 range. Are there any pousadas in the Algarve that are worth considering?

Where to stay in the Algarve
 

Look at what's available in Praia da Salema or Burgau.
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I would say definitely Lagos. The gorgeous coastal scenery starts there and can easily be walked from the center of Lagos. There is also a decent beach (in the other direction). Plus the town itself has an old section with some interesting architecture - not just recent high rise hotels.

Here's my photos - https://andiamo.zenfolio.com/p713635492

Yes, Lagos stands out IME from most Algarve towns that are too modern and cater to beach crowds - Lagos has a wonderful old part of town with whitewashed lanes, etc. Tavira at eastern end of Algarve I liked a lot too - well away from its beach on a big sandbar and a town with character.

Someplace Special
 

If you want to stay somewhere special, the Quints Bonita (Algarve Boutique Hotel Quinta Bonita, Lagos Portugal - Home) should hit the mark. We where there for several days early last November, before they closed for the season. It's difficult to find anywhere nicer, if you like small, boutique properties with comfortable rooms and excellent service. The price should be within your range, but they do require a minimun stay. The beaches are 15 minutes drive.

Thanks for all the suggestions thus far!
 

And your photographs also really helped me to appreciate Lagos, Faro, and Tavira, Isabel.

BTW, I'm envious at how often you manage to get to Europe.

It has occurred to me that it might be helpful to others to sometimes revisit planning threads I started pre-trip after the trip is over to explain what I did, and what I learned.

We wound up dividing our three nights as follows: one night at the Portobay Falesia in Albufeira, and two nights at the Quinta Bonita (recommended by Robert2016) just outside off Lagos. We were coming down from Evora, so we wanted some place initially that was more in the center or towards the eastern part of the Algarve for our initial night’s stop, and then more towards the western end after that.

My wife wanted to be within walking distance of a beach for at least one night, and the Portobay Falesia fit the bill. It has its own wooden staircase leading down to the Praia Falesia, which as you can see in these photos, is a beautiful place. Overall, the Portobay Falesia is a big hotel, part of a large chain, that likely hosts many Britons coming down on package tours.

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The Portobay Falesia

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The Praia Falesia, reached by a staircase from the Portobay Falesia

It’s the kind of place I would typically avoid, but I have to say that it had its merits. The grounds were beautiful; the service impeccable; and it was on a short spur off the main road that leads through Albufeira, which meant that (a) parking was easy and (b) it was quiet. Aside from the beach, however, it was within walking distance of nowhere. I would guess it was about 5 miles west of “downtown” Albufeira, although from what I saw of it, I’m not sure why you’d want to go there. (Indeed, even the manager at my hotel in Lisbon gently cautioned me about Albufeira.) My sense is that few of the guests at a place like this ever stir from the property; there were some restaurants where you could order a la carte, but most people were just dining from the massive main restaurant, which was a series of buffet stations. The food was fine, but not anything creative or original. Overall, I thought of it as like a cruise ship that somehow got stranded atop the cliffs of the Algarve.

From Albufeira, we drove east and explored the Algarve to within about 20 miles of Tavira, then headed back west to do Silves, Sagres, and Cape St. Vincent. After our first night at the Quinta Bonita, we explored the coast east of Portimaio, first by land and then by sea, and then concluded the day by visiting the Ponte da Piedade just west of Lagos. We toured Lagos the next morning before leaving. We had dinner in Luz, another town on the coast just west of Lagos, at an excellent restaurant called Fabrica the first night, and then at Real Portuguese Cuisine in Lagos itself the second night, a small, intimate place that was perhaps the best meal in a trip that had many excellent ones.

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The Hotel Quinta Bonita (1)


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The Hotel Quinta Bonita (2)

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The Quinta Bonita (3)

The Quinta Bonita, which has only 9 rooms, was a beautiful place that I wholeheartedly recommend and would gladly return to. Everything about it was beautiful and gracious, and it had two of the most charming young cats you will ever meet. Its only downside (aside from the fact that it’s far enough out of Lagos [e.g., about two miles] that you can’t really walk into town, or to a beach) is that it can be a little tricky to find initially, although it’s right off the main road (the N125) leading into Lagos from Sagres. Definitely print off the map from their website.

Overall, I would encourage people not to be discouraged by hearing about how “touristy” the Algarve is. Parts of it are certainly that way – essentially, it functions as England’s answer to Miami Beach and Fort Lauderdale. But there is also plenty of historical and scenic interest here, especially in the western portions of it. I wouldn’t miss it if you’re going to Portugal.

I’ll post a representative photo below, as well as a link to a photo album I posted on Flickr about the Algarve that has over 100 photos and a few videos in it. The best views of these are on Flickr itself.

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The Praia da Marinha, east of Portimaio

Lagos and if you rent an apartment, you can use the central fish market to get your seafood:

https://flic.kr/p/2grPNEB