As I mentioned in my previous post, I spent the long weekend at The Algarves, Portugal.

If you are interested in good food, amazing parties and spectacular beaches, then The Algarve is the place to visit!

Having lived in Australia and always in relatively close vicinity to a beach, I have become quite the beach critic. The beaches at The Algarve definitely rank high on my list of must see beaches in Europe.

It took some careful planning, but we were able to hop our way from the beaches near Lagos, Portimao and Albufeira. All beaches were special in their own way but two facts ring true for all; the golden sand was smooth and the water was clear and blue – so clear that you could see your feet as tiny fish swam around them.

My favourite place to swim was near Salema and I also enjoyed our boat tour to see the rock formations in Ponta Da Piedade.

We spent many hours sun bathing, swimming in the crystal blue waters and partying until sun rise in the villages of Lagos and Albufeira. One of my favourite memories was hiring a paddle boat with a slide attached to it – there were many times spent jumping off or sliding down the paddle boat! We would then spend our days eating our way through The Algarve by feasting on all the delicious seafood and meat dishes.

Friends, sunshine and beaches equals an amazing holiday! Life is good!

What’s your favourite beach holiday?

My friends and I enjoying our final day at The Algarve

How to Plan a Road Trip at The Algarve

1. To save time, decide on the places that you want to visit and base yourself in each of these places. We flew in from Faro and drove all the way to Lagos on the first night. Lagos is located West on the map below and was the furthest point of our journey. We then made our way from Lagos and drove towards Portimao, Albufeira and then back to Faro, which is the city that we flew out of. We found this to be efficient and enabled us to make the most of our time in each city.
2. Selecting the accommodation: We traveled with 2 other couples. We selected resorts that were within 5 minutes walking distance of the city centre. We based our accomodation on the cities that we’d like to party in. It was a safer option because we preferred walking back to the hotel after a night of partying.
3. Selecting cars or public transport? We visited a number of cities so we hired two cars. Public transport is available but not as frequent in smaller villages so I recommend traveling by car for most of the trip.
4. Enjoy and get ready to have a fantastic time at The Algarve!

Related links:

• Traveller’s Guide – The Algarve
• Frommers – The Algarve
• Blog about The Beach Guide to The Algarve