The Best Things to Do in Lagos, Portugal (2026)

Lagos has it all: a lively old town inside medieval walls, some of the Algarve’s most beautiful coves, the golden grottos of Ponta da Piedade, great restaurants and nightlife, and the wild west coast nearby. Here are the best things to do in Lagos.

Quick answer: explore Ponta da Piedade from the clifftop paths and by boat or kayak, swim at Praia Dona Ana and Meia Praia, wander the old town and walls, see the gilded Igreja de Santo António (with the Lagos Museum), take a dolphin trip, and day-trip to Sagres. Note: the Slave Market museum and the Ponta da Bandeira fort have been closed for works; check before you go.

Why go

Lagos is the most rounded town in the western Algarve. You get a real town with history and year-round life, not just a resort, and the coast right outside it is the most photographed in the region. It is small enough to walk, and it makes a good base for Sagres and the west coast. Plan on two or three days to see it without rushing.

Ponta da Piedade

Lagos’s star attraction: golden rock stacks, arches and grottos with a lighthouse on top, about 2km south of the old town. Walk the clifftop paths and take the staircase down to the water, which is open and free (about 180 to 200 steep steps). Then see the grottos from below on a small boat or a kayak tour, best in the calm morning. Allow an hour on foot and about an hour on the water. See boat trips · kayak tours.

The coastal path from Praia Dona Ana to Ponta da Piedade is an easy, scenic walk of around 30 to 40 minutes. Stick to the marked paths and stay back from the cliff edges, which can crumble.

Beaches

• Praia Dona Ana: the postcard cove, with rock stacks and clear water. Reached by steps, and busy by late morning in summer.
• Praia do Pinhão: a small, pretty cove nearby, a short walk from the old town.
• Praia do Camilo: famous for its wooden staircase, which has been closed since storm damage in winter 2025 to 2026 made the cliff unsafe. Admire it from the clifftop or a boat, and respect the barriers.
• Meia Praia: a 4km stretch of flat sand east of town, great for families and watersports, and rarely crowded at the far end.
• Porto de Mós: a long beach below the cliffs, with restaurants.

See the best Algarve beaches.

The old town

• The walls and cobbled lanes full of shops, cafés and bars. Lagos was an important port in the Age of Discovery, and parts of the walls date from the 16th century.
• Igreja de Santo António: a small church covered in gilded baroque carving, rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake. You visit it with the Lagos Museum for a small fee; it is usually closed on Mondays.
• Praça do Infante: the main square with the statue of Henry the Navigator.
• The Slave Market museum (on the site of Europe’s first slave market) and the Ponta da Bandeira fort have both had long closures; check before you go. The fort has been shut since 2022, and repair works on its sea-facing walls began in autumn 2025.
• The marina: restaurants and boat departures, across the footbridge from the riverside avenue.

On the water

• Dolphin watching: about 1.5–2.5 hours. See dolphin trips.
• Benagil: speedboats take about 25 minutes each way. Since 2024 you can’t swim to the cave or land on its beach, and kayaks go only with a licensed guide. See Benagil trips.
• Surfing: lessons on Meia Praia and the west coast. See surfing in Portugal.

Day trips

• Sagres and Cape St Vincent: 30 minutes. See Sagres.
• The wild west coast: Arrifana, Amado and Odeceixe. See Costa Vicentina.
• Praia da Luz, Burgau and Salema: relaxed villages to the west. See the best Algarve villages.
• Lagos Zoo: a small zoo inland at Barão de São João, good with young kids.

A one-day plan

• Morning: a boat or kayak trip to the Ponta da Piedade grottos while the sea is calm.
• Midday: swim at Praia Dona Ana or Pinhão, then lunch in the old town.
• Afternoon: Igreja de Santo António, the walls and Praça do Infante.
• Evening: walk the clifftop to Ponta da Piedade for sunset, then dinner and drinks back in town.

Getting there

• Train: Lagos is the western end of the Algarve line, now fully electric. Trains from Faro take roughly 1h45 and run about every two hours. Since July 2026 many of them run straight through from Vila Real de Santo António. From Lisbon, change at Tunes.
• Bus: Rede Expressos and FlixBus coaches run from Lisbon in about four hours, and regional buses link the Algarve towns.
• Car: about an hour from Faro airport on the A22, which has been toll-free since 2025. Old-town parking is tight, so use the larger car parks on the edge of the centre.

See getting around the Algarve.

Food and drink

Look for grilled sardines and fresh fish, cataplana (seafood cooked in a copper pan) and, for dessert, Dom Rodrigo, a sweet of egg threads and almond that Lagos is known for. The old town has plenty of late-night bars, and the riverside avenue is good for a sunset drink.

When to go

• May, June and September: warm, sunny and calmer than peak summer. The best all-round months.
• July and August: hot and busy, with the most boat trips running. Book trips and rooms ahead.
• 29 August: the Banho 29 festival, a traditional end-of-summer night with music and a midnight swim, held in the town and in Luz.
• Winter: quiet and mild, with some restaurants and tours on reduced hours.

Practical tips

• Go early: the small coves fill up fast in summer.
• Wear proper shoes for the clifftop paths and beach steps.
• Book boat trips for the morning, when the sea is usually calmest.

FAQ

Can you still walk down to Praia do Camilo?

Not at the moment. The wooden staircase has been closed since storm damage in winter 2025 to 2026. You can still see the cove from the clifftop or from a boat.

Are the Ponta da Piedade stairs open?

Yes. The staircase down to the water by the lighthouse is open and free. It is steep, so take it slowly.

How do you get from Lisbon to Lagos by train?

Take a train from Lisbon towards Faro and change at Tunes for the regional train to Lagos. The whole trip takes about four hours.

How many days do you need in Lagos?

Two or three days: one for the old town and Ponta da Piedade, one for beaches and a boat trip, and one for Sagres.

Eat, drink and stay

See the best restaurants in Lagos, the best hotels in Lagos and Lagos and the western Algarve.

From our sister blog: The 7 most beautiful beaches in the Algarve, with map on Sunset Travellers.

See also: how to see Ponta da Piedade, Praia da Luz and the best beaches in Lagos.

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