Portugal Road Trip: Algarve to Lisbon
Portugal is an ideal country for a 1-3 week road trip! There is soooo much to see and do and the coastline is truly breathtaking. We spent a week of our 2.5 week Europe trip in Portugal and absolutely LOVED it!! Knowing what I know now after spending a week between Algarve and Lisbon, this is the road trip I’d recommend.
7-10 days is a good amount of time for this trip but you could also spend a little longer in each place if you prefer a slower pace.
View Outside of Opaulo Restaurant
This post may contain affiliate links which means we may receive a commission for purchases made through these links (at no cost to you). All affiliate links are from companies we personally recommend and trust.
2 nights in Arrifana/Aljezur:
Arrifana/Aljezur is a small, surf town on the southwest coast of Porgugal surrounded by INCREDIBLE beaches. The town itself is full of the beautiful whitewashed houses and cobblestone streets. It’s the perfect place to relax and explore some of the most magical beaches.
I would fly into Lagos or Faro, rent a car and drive to Arrifana/Aljezur. We stayed in Lagos for 2 nights and didn’t love it. I’d skip Lagos and instead spend 2 nights in Arrifana/Aljezur. If you already planned to go to Lagos or need to for logistics, I did share the spots we loved here!
Where to stay:
I would try to find a place to stay close Arrifana Beach or Aljezur. Here are some options I would personally choose from:
Cairnvillas: C34 Le Maquis Luxury villa with pool
Salthouse Portugal - Exclusive East Apartment
Ocean-view retreat near Arrifana Beach
What to do:
Explore the magical beaches and coastline:
Praia da Arrifana: This beach is absolutely breathtaking; I literally cried tears of gratitude/joy when I saw it. There’s a lot of local surfers here which was fun to watch!
Praia da Arrifana
Praia da Amoreira: This beach is also breathtaking and is super unique because the beach intersects and connects with a beautiful river. You can hang out on the beach or hang out along the long stretches of sand that run along the river.
These were our favorites but there are SO many close by - I would ask the locals for recommendations for other beaches if you have time!
Opaulo: AMAZING, fresh seafood restaurant in Arrifana with beautiful views of the ocean!!
Opaulo
Explore the towns of Arrifana and Aljezur: shop, eat & explore in these adorable towns!
1-3 Nights In Comporta
Comporta is 2 hours and 20 minutes north of Arrifana. It’s an upscale, adorable town with a STUNNING beach that stretches almost as far as the eye can see. The beaches near Arrifana were nestled in the hills and along the cliffs whereas Comporta is along a flatter, longer stretch of the coastline.
I would recommend staying in Comporta 1-3 nights and soaking up the relaxing, luxurious, peaceful vibes and sunshine.
Where to stay:
Here are some options I would personally choose from:
Sublime Comporta Country Retreat & SPA: We heard mixed reviews about this place. Some people loved it; some people thought it was overrated. See if your intuition calls you to it or not ;)
Quinta Da Comporta - Wellness Boutique Resort
What to do:
Comporta Beach: stunning beach with long stretches of sand, beautiful aquamarine water and umbrellas/chairs you can rent.
Comporta Beach
Comporta Cafe (Instagram: @comportacafe_beachclub): amazing seafood restaurant right on Comporta beach! The food was incredible and it was SO nice to sit right on the sand. We almost went to The Sublime Beach Club but heard it was a little overrated so we went here instead and were VERY happy with our decision.
Comporta Cafe
Walk around Comporta town: it’s a super cute, little town with upscale shops and restaurants. It doesn’t seem like you can go wrong with any of the spots here - I’d definitely walk around and see which spots your intuition guides you to!
Almo (Instagram: @almocomporta): really cute, luxurious restaurant. We didn’t go but heard it was good and the patio was SO beautiful!
Iconica (Instagram: @iconica_comporta_concept_store): cute, vibey boutique with candles, sprays, decor, etc.
Stop Along The Way: Parque Natural da Arrábida (1 hour north of Comporta)
If you LOVE a stunning vista landscape view, you will love Parque Arrabida. It’s a protected natural park about 40 minutes south of Lisbon. We just drove up to the top to see the views but you can easily spend more time here hiking and exploring. The picture below does not do this place justice, FYI ;) This is good spot to stop along the way from Comporta to Lisbon.
Parque Natural da Arrabida
4-6 nights in Lisbon
Lisbon is such a magical, trendy, lively city!! It has everything you’d want in a big city - beautiful architecture, amazing food, cute cafes, incredible walkability and is super close to incredible beaches and nature spots!
You can find my complete Lisbon travel guide here with everything from where to stay, where to eat, where to drink, where to get coffee, things to do and more!
Santos Neighborhood in Lisbon
Stop Along The Way: Cabo Da Roca
Beautiful viewpoint about 45 minutes west of Lisbon. The view is VERY similar to the view at Praia da Ursa but it’s way more crowded so I would go to Praia Da Ursa over Cabo da Roca. Praia Da Ursa is only 4 minutes away so it’s also easy to see both if you want.
Cabo Da Roca Lookout Point
Stop Along The Way: Praia Da Ursa
This was one of my favorite beaches I’ve ever been to. The view from the top before you hike down to the beach is INSANELY beautiful and the watching the big waves will put you in a mesmerizing trance of peace (the waves were fun to watch but it was a little too rough for swimming for me). It’s a great beach to hang out at for a few hours or even just stop by to see. It’s a short (like 10-20 min) hike down and back up but it’s pretty intense so make sure to wear sneakers or hiking boots.
Praia Da Ursa
Moinho Dom Quixote (Instagram: @moinhodomquixote): beautiful restaurant with ocean views 5 minutes from Praia Da Ursa. The food was really good too!
Moinho Dom Quixote
Southern Portugal Road Trip Map:
Here’s a map with all of the stops so you can plan your trip with locations and travel time in mind: https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/1/edit?mid=1Hc6Vx9dzlWHTvFdK0W8AhLp3xZReXhI&usp=sharing
Our trip ended in Lisbon but you could absolutely keep heading north if you have more time! I’ve heard great things about Porto and Douro Valley and there’s plenty of other awesome stops along the way.
I’m excited to hear how your trip goes - we LOVED Portugal so much and will definitely be back!
Pin It For Later
