3 Car or Camper Van trips to do in Portugal
If you find yourself wondering how a trip through Portugal could look then this article will help you. I have thought out three different car trips one can do when traveling through Portugal.
- Costa de Prata, driving north from Lisbon to Aveiro.
- Costa Vicentina, driving from Lisbon to the Algarve.
- The Algarve coast, driving from west to east from Sagres to Tavira.
Driving along Costa de Prata
Costa de Prata can be translated to the Silver Coast. it is known for its surfing as the waves can be quite tall. It is a less inhabited coast compared to the surroundings of Lisbon and Porto: making it an ideal place to explore beaches and visit small villages.
The towns worth seeing
- Peniche: Small town on the coast. It is known for its islands of Berlengas which can be reached from here by boat.
- Baleal: An old fishing town now turned towards tourism and more specifically surfing. Plenty of surf schools and hostels.
- Óbidos: Medival town with quaint streets and an impressive castle.
- Nazaré: Famous for the tallest waves in the world for surfing.
- Figueira da Foz: Large city by the coast with many surrounding beaches.
- Aveiro: Also called Portugal’s Venice, the town has many canals and is close to the town of Costa Nova.
The landmarks to see
- Berlengas islands: uninhabited islands except for rare bird species, they are possible to visit by taking a boat from Peniche
- Surfing in Baleal: many surf schools and hostels can be found here. A fun place to stay for a few nights.
- Castle in Óbidos: This huge castle where they host medieval-themed events like tournaments.
- Praia Bom Sucesso: Beautiful beach in front of the town Foz do Arelho.
- Praia do Samouco: Beach located between Peniche and Aveiro.
- Praia da Costa Nova: Unique-looking town with painted houses. The endless beach is also stunning in itself.
My suggestion of a Costa de Prata-trip
This trip should take 3 to 4 nights depending on if you want to see the Berlengas.
- Day 1: If starting from Lisbon, I would head first for Óbidos and explore the streets and medieval history. I would then if the weather is good go for the coast and see the Praia Bom Sucesso.
- Day 2: If there is time, I would spend a day visiting the Berlengas islands and stay the night in Penich or Baleal.
- Day (2 or) 3: I would then keep heading north to discover Nazaré and walk to the lighthouse and enjoy the view from the cliffs over the waves and the town. I would then head for Aveiro but stop and enjoy the white sands of Praia Samouco.
- Day (3 or) 4: Aveiro is worth spending the night in as there is also Costa Nova which is a must-see and is on the coast 10 minutes away by car.
Exploring Costa Vicentina
This coast stretches from south of Lisbon down along the western Atlantic coast to the southern extremity. This coast is by far the less known one by tourists and is great if you want to walk the “unbeaten path”.
The towns worth seeing
- Comporta: Small town south of Sétubal with beautiful beaches. Known for its wealthy visitors, Portuguese and foreign alike.
- Sines: An important deepsea harbor for Portugal. It is a large town with accommodations and restaurants.
- Porto Covo: Quaint little town with artisan shops and beaches.
- Vila Nova de Milfontes: Small town on the coast with great beaches. Possible place to stop for the night.
- Aljezur: located a few minutes from the coast, a lot of surfing activity takes place here.
- Carrapateira: One of the smaller towns on the list, however, the beach bearing the same name makes up its size and beautiful coast.
Landmarks to see
- Praia Tróia Mar: One of the most pristine beaches close to Lisbon. Located right outside of Sétubal
- Praia da Comporta: As mentioned above, the beach in Comporta is known for its white sand and exclusive visitors.
- Praia da Galé – Fontainhas: Not to be mixed with other beaches bearing the same name! This beach is quite unknown.
- Praia da Samouqueira: Very unknown beach, it is located slightly hidden and it is somewhat of a trail to get here.
- Praia do Almograve: wide beach located next to the town of Almograve. Good place to stop between Vila Nova Milfontes and Odeceixe.
- Cabo Sardão: Impressive cliffs with a lighthouse. Great place to catch the sunset and have a picnic with the view over the coast.
- Praia de Odeceixe: This beach makes a great stop if you are traveling by.
- Praia da Arrifana: One of the last great beaches on the west coast before reaching the south tip. The dramatic cliff back-drop makes this a great finale to a trip
- Pontal de Carrapateira: This cliff is close to Bordeira and offers a great view over the Bordeira beach.
My suggestion for a trip along Costa Vicentina
This trip should take no more than 3 or 4 days; it is possible to make it shorter by skipping Tróia and Comporta (since it is so close to Lisbon) or making it longer by also going to the Algarve’s southwestern tip.
- Day 1: Stopping at Tróia or Comporta is a great way to start things if you come from Lisbon. You can either spend a night in Comporta or somewhere before the Sines like the town of Grândola.
- Day (1 or) 2: Stop at the Praia da Galé and afterward head towards Sines. You can visit Sines and have lunch there or if you want something more quaint, I recommend Porto Covo. I recommend watching the sunset from one of the beaches close to Porto Covo. I would try and find accommodation in Vila Nova de Milfontes
- Day (2 or) 3: After Porto Covo or Vila Nova de Milfontes, I would head to Odeceixe. On the way there a good stop is the cliffs of Cabo Sardão or the Almograve beach. You can have lunch in Almograve or continue and have it at Odeceixe. Afterward, if time allows it, stop at the Praia de Samouqueira, otherwise, I would keep going to Praia da Arrifana and spend the night in the village of Arrifana or the town Aljezur.
- Day (3 or) 4: After spending the night around Arrifana/Aljezur I could see myself surfing in the morning in Arrifana if the weather allows it; otherwise I would go for Carrapateira and enjoy the beach there or Praia Amado which is close by.
At this point, you are so close to the end of the southern tip of the coast that you could prolong the trip and visit the Cabo Vincente and its beaches north of it. Otherwise from Bordeira, you are just 3 hours away from Lisbon if you are driving on the highway (and paying the toll fee).
Discover the southern coast of Algarve
The most popular coast to visit. This region of Portugal is highly appreciated by the Portuguese to spend their summers and weekends in the sun as well as tourist.
Towns worth seeing
- Sagres: The most western-located town in Portugal. This small town offers some accommodation but more importantly arguably the most beautiful beaches and cliffs in Portugal. Here you are less likely to find overcrowded beaches
- Lagos: A favorite town of mine, it is located near Sagres and has a train station connecting it to other cities. It is a youthful town with curious beaches hidden in between cliffs: you walk through tunnels in the rock to access them!
- Portimão: One of the major cities of Portugal, here you find anything you need, accommodation as well as car rentals.
- Carvoeiro: A small town with a picture postcard look. This village is built on hills overlooking a small beach.
- Albufeira: Large town in the likes of Portimão.
- Faro: the capital of Algarve, it has an airport and is the largest town in the region.
- Olhão: A fishing town outside of Faro.
- Tavira: A historically old town that dates back to the Bronze Age when it was a Phoenician settlement
Landmarks to see
- Praia do Telheiro: The most impressive beach near Sagres thanks to its huge cliffs towering over the wide beach.
- Farol Cabo de São Vicente: The lighthouse on the southwestern point of Portugal.
- Farol de Sagres: Another lighthouse next to Sagres. Impressive cliffs and a few beaches surround it.
- Praia do Camilo: Lagos has a lot of beaches just a few minutes walk from the center. This is the most famous one
- Carvoeiro: Small quaint town built on the hills surrounding a small beach.
- Algar de Benagil: maybe the most famous cave in Portugal. This cave has been carved by erosion through time. Many people either paddle or come by boat to reach this cave.
- Ria Formosa: Located near Faro, this national park offers great scenery for a hike along the coast.
- Ilha da Culatra: Small island situated outside of Faro, only reachable by boat. Somewhat touristy with its restaurants and shops but surrounded by pristine beaches.
- The historical part of Tavira: The town dates back to the 8th Century BC and the castle built by the moors, is still there
My suggestion for a trip
The entire Algarve coast can be done from Tavira to Sagres in 1 hour and 30 minutes by car. However, the southern region of Portugal is more populated than the previous two coasts mentioned above. Depending on where you first start in the Algarve, I will suggest starting in Lagos as it can be reached by Flixbus from Lisbon or by train from the other towns on the coast and you can rent cars from here.
- Day 1: Visit Lagos’ beaches and Cabo de São Vicente. I would try to catch the sunset from Praia do Telheiro and then head back either to Sagres for dinner or Lagos for the nightlife.
- Day 2: Drive to Portimão, visit the city and have lunch here. Spend some time on the beach either at Praia dos Três Irmãos or in Carvoeira. If time allows, try to catch a boat or rent kayaks to see the Benagil cave. For the end of the day, either catch the sunset at the Faro beach or walk around the Ria Formosa. I would spend the night in Faro or the surrounding towns.
- Day 3: I would start the day by visiting the island of Ilha da Culatra, reached by ferry. Afterward, I would head for the town of Tavira. Here I would visit the Moors castle, and the many churches and stroll through the quaint streets. I would then head back to Lagos in the evening