Where to stay in Lagos, Portugal?
I’ve divided this guide into the 5 main areas where you can find hotels and apartments available: Old Town, Marina de Lagos, Batata Beach, Dona Ana Beach and Meia Praia. This will help you pick which area appeals to you the most and best matches your interests and budget. Hopefully it might help you to browse for hotels in Lagos, Portugal.
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Blessed with pleasant weather all year-round and a dramatic landscape, Lagos (pronounced la-goosh) is possibly the Algarve’s finest destination. Its rugged coastline, with ochre-coloured cliffs standing majestically over golden sand beaches, has something for all kinds of travellers from backpackers wanting to try their hand at surfing to families travelling with small kids.
Lagos can also be a fantastic base for those exploring the south of Portugal and it’s easily reachable from Lisbon with a 3 and a half hours bus journey. However, if you’re travelling from Faro airport, we’d recommend that you rent a car or check if your accommodation provides shuttle transfers as taking public transport is likely to involve one or two changes and a few extra hours of travel.
We’ve listed the highest rated properties in each area and you can click on the name or the photo of the hotel to book it or see other alternatives available for your travel dates. But, if you prefer to slow travel like us, there’s plenty of Airbnbs available. If you’re new to Airbnb, you can sign up using our referral link to get £25 off your first booking, and if you want some tips on how to book the perfect Airbnb long-term rental, read this post.
Old Town
Perfect for the first-time visitors
If you’re a sucker for Portugal’s charming cobblestone streets, colourful facades, Portuguese azulejo tiles and some very cool street art, then you’ll fall in love with Lagos’s Old Town. It’s a very lively area with lots of shops, cafes and bars and within walking distance to the beach making it the perfect choice to those visiting Lagos for the for time.
What to see and do
Mercado de Escravos
Housed in a building that’s believed to be Europe’s first slave market, Mercado de Escravos is a small museum that retraces Lagos’s sombre past as the slave market port of entry for over three centuries.
Castelo dos Governadores
The existing castle is what’s remained from the medieval walls that protected the city from the many invasions it suffered. The castle has undergone many renovations since it became the military government’s headquarters in the 13th-century.
Centro Cultural de Lagos
Centro Cultural is Lagos’s main cultural hub that hosts a variety of theatre, dance and music events. Stop by to check their ongoing free art exhibitions and then treat yourself with a good cup of coffee and a Portuguese pastry at their inner courtyard cafe.
Igreja de Santo Antônio
The Church of Saint Anthony is an easy gem to miss because no one wants to see yet another ordinary church, right? Wrong! The modest exterior hides an impressive baroque architecture with walls covered by traditional Portuguese tiles and sumptuous wood carvings topped with gold leaf. A sight that’s definitely worth a few minutes of your holiday for a very symbolic fee.
LAC – Laboratório de Atividades Criativas
LAC, or Creative Activities Lab, is a not-for-profit cultural space and gallery created with the aim to spread and promote creative arts in the area. Set in an old prison, LAC transformed a place of captivity giving it a new meaning and a new life where freedom is the answer to creativity.
Where to stay
Marina de Lagos
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Perfect for slow travellers
Distance to the Old Town: 0.5 miles
Because Marina de Lagos is just a short walk away from the Old Town and Meia Praia beach, those choosing to stay here will enjoy the same convenience as those staying in town but in a more tranquil location. The many harbour-facing cafes and restaurants are arguably the best spots in town to end your day sipping on a cocktail whilst watching the sun go down on the horizon.
What to see and do
Museu dos Descobrimentos
There aren’t any celebrities in this waxworks museum but 22 historical figures representing 16 different points in time central to Portugal’s Age of Discovery.
Réplica da Caravela da Boa Esperança
Docked by the harbour, Caravela da Boa Esperança is a replica of the original caravel used by Bartolomé Díaz when crossing the Cape of Good Hope in Africa and it’s currently used by the local tourism board as a floating museum to promote the area.
Mercado Municipal de Lagos
If you like browsing around for local produce, make room in your itinerary to visit this indoor market. I warn you already that it’s a small market despite its deceivingly large facade but, it’s worth looking around and checking the top floor for views of the harbour. And as it’s true with any fresh food market, the earlier you go, the more produce you’ll find available.
Centro Ciência Viva
Located just behind the Mercado Municipal, Centro Ciência Viva is a small science museum that does an excellent job in keeping kids entertained with interactive activities about local seafaring and geology while their parents can kick back and relax for a couple of hours.
Cattery
This open-air cattery isn’t an official attraction or one which you might find in a guide of ‘Things to do in Lagos‘ but, if you love cats as much as I do, I’m sure you’ll appreciate the tip. The cattery is a great initiative maintained by the charity Nandi to give shelter and food to the many of the local stray cats while providing overall amusement to the passer-by too.
Where to stay in Lagos, Portugal
Batata Beach
Perfect for watersports enthusiasts
Distance to the Old Town: 0.3 miles
Sheltered by the cliffs that are so characteristic of this region, the calm waters in Batata beach are perfect for swimming while the soft sand is enticing to those wanting to stock up on vitamin D. The only downside is that, because of its convenient location right next to the Old Town, Batata Beach is the busiest in Lagos.
What to see and do
Batata Beach Viewpoint
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If you’re reaching Praia da Batata from the main road, you’ll pass by this viewpoint where you can take some snaps and enjoy the scenery before heading down to the beach.
Roman Bridge
Tucked away amongst the cliffs, this Roman bridge is your perfect Instashot hotspot on Batata Beach.
Where to stay
Dona Ana Beach
Perfect for all beachgoers
Distance to the Old Town: 1.1 miles
Be camera-ready and prepared to be taken aback when arriving at Dona Ana beach, one of the most picturesque in the area. Deep turquoise waters surrounded by golden sand and sandstone cliff formations create an outstanding setting where you wouldn’t mind spending a few lazy hours.
What to see and do
Ponta da Piedade
Hiking to Ponta da Piedade is an alternative to the many boat tours that take you around this dramatic part of Lagos coastline. It’s by boat that you’ll have access to some of the hidden grottos and frail rock arches but it’s at the top that you’ll get probably Lagos’s best panoramic views over the Atlantic Ocean.
Where to stay
Meia Praia
Perfect for families
Distance to the Old Town: 1.3 miles
Situated a bit further away from the Old Town, Meia Praia is the longest and less developed stretch of beach in Lagos. This means that Meia Praia is less crowded than Batata, Dona Ana or Camilo beach even during summer months. The landscape here is also different, instead of cliffs you’ll find grassy sand dunes lining the white sand beach which runs 4kms along the coast.
What to see and do
Palmares Golf Course
If you’re a keen golfer, reserve some tee time in Palmares Golf Course which is one of the nine-hole hoop courses in the area.
Parque Aventura Lagos
If you’re feeling adventurous and needing some break from the sand, visit the Parque Aventura Lagos for high roping courses or paintballing fun.
Where to stay
That’s all, folks! We hope that our guide on where to stay in Lagos can help you find the perfect spot for your stay in this gorgeous little town. We know that choosing the right accommodation can be tricky so we hope to have accomplished our mission in giving you a little helping hand.
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