Aljezur is the wild, surfy side of the Algarve. Three days is enough for a real taste of the Costa Vicentina, as long as you don’t try to cover the whole coast. Lock in one Sagres day and two beach mornings, and let the tide and wind shape the rest.
You’ll want to be either in a town guesthouse with a hire car or on a Lagos base with loops up the north coast – read where to stay in Aljezur first. Book a car. The buses won’t match this plan.
Before you go
- Where to stay in Aljezur – town versus a Lagos base
- Best hotels in Aljezur – a guesthouse or the Belmar Spa coast base
- Check the IPMA sea forecast for your beach days
Day 1 – Arrive and castle lanes
Morning
Land at Faro and transfer to Aljezur or Lagos (75 to 90 minutes west). Collect your hire car if you didn’t pick one up at the airport. Check in, then walk the old centre – the Igreja Matriz, the castle ruins, and the lanes.
Afternoon
A gentle drive to scout the Monte Clérigo viewpoint parking. Don’t force the steep beach descent if it’s windy on arrival day. Coffee in the town square, and pick up picnic supplies.
Evening
A simple grilled-fish dinner in the Aljezur lanes, or by the Lagos marina if you’re coast-basing. Early night, and set a dawn alarm if Arrifana surf or a calm morning is forecast.
Day 2 – Amoreira and Arrifana
Morning
Praia da Amoreira at a good tide – explore the river mouth first, swim when conditions allow. Then move to Praia da Arrifana for the cliff views or a surf lesson if the swell suits. Always check the sea forecast – the swell here is no joke.
Afternoon
Back to town for shade, or swap to Meia Praia if you’re Lagos-based and the Vicentina wind is up.
Evening
An unhurried dinner – try the batata doce (sweet potato) starter if you spot it. No Sagres drive tonight.
Day 3 – Sagres and Monte Clérigo
Morning
The Sagres Fortress and Cabo de São Vicente – the fortress, the headland walk, and lighthouse photos when the cloud breaks.
Afternoon
The Monte Clérigo beach descent if the cape winds were brutal in the morning, or an Odeceixe loop with lunch at näperõn if you booked ahead.
Evening
Fly home, or head south to Lagos for a longer west-coast week – see the Lagos 5-day itinerary.
If the wind cancels your beach plans
Atlantic swell scrubs the Vicentina swimming with no warning. Fall back in this order:
- A town morning – the castle lanes, the market, and a café with a book.
- Sagres if you brought the cape day forward.
- A Monchique ridge drive for cooler air – where to stay in Monchique if you extend inland.
- A Lagos boat or the Ponta da Piedade walk if you’re coast-basing – see top things to do in Lagos.
- A spa afternoon at Belmar Spa or Cascade Wellness when the sea is clearly off.
Don’t stack a replacement beach and the Sagres cape on the same day if the parking already beat you once.
What to book and when
| When | What |
|---|---|
| 8-10 weeks | Flights and a flexible hotel |
| 6 weeks | Hotel from best hotels in Aljezur |
| 4 weeks | Car hire – you’ll need it |
| 3 weeks | Transfer to Lagos or Aljezur |
| 2 weeks | Sagres day on the forecast; näperõn if you’re doing the Odeceixe loop |
Next: Pick your base with where to stay in Aljezur, skim top things to do in Aljezur, and if you’re extending, read where to stay in Lagos.