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Lagos Family Holiday
The southwest city of Lagos manages to strike a balance between modern-day tourism and protecting its seafaring heritage...
Discover a different side to the Algarve on our Lagos Family Holiday.
Portugal’s Algarve region has been a popular holiday destination for over sixty years, thanks to its golden beaches and breathtaking blue seas. The honey pot towns of Vilamoura and Albufeira are popular for their busy beach clubs, late-night bars and modern all-inclusive hotels.
In the southwest city of Lagos, they’ve chosen a different path, striking a balance between modern-day tourism and protecting their historic seafaring heritage. You’ll be staying in the old town Lagos, with its jumbled maze of cobbled streets, whitewashed townhouses and baroque churches, harking back to a golden era when Lagos was the maritime headquarters for Portugal’s Age of Discoveries.
You’ll have a chance to explore the remote, spectacular southeast coast with our resident guide, visiting Sagres and beautifully-barren Cabo Sao Vicente. You’ll also head inland to sample the best Algarve wines at the Quinta Mata Mouros estate.
You’ll also spend time at sea – exploring the hidden caves and coves of Ponta da Piedade by kayak, and spending time with Lagos’ resident dolphin pods. And as always, we’ll make sure there’s time to relax, and the local beaches of Praia dos Estudantes and Praia da Batata are close by.
There are daily direct flights to the Algarve from most UK airports – just let us know your closest airport and we’ll do the rest.
Day 1
You’ll begin your holiday with a direct flight from the UK to Faro. Our driver will collect you from your flight, for your transfer to Lagos and your accommodation at the Tivoli Lagos Algarve Resort.
Day 2
You’ll have a free day to explore old town Lagos on foot – the Mercado Municipal de Lagos, Praca Gil Eanes, the Porta de Sao Goncalo and Praia da Batata beach
Day 3
You’ll head to the Marina de Lagos for a dolphin watching trip. The waters of the Algarve are one of the best places to observe ocean wildlife: Common, Bottlenose and Risso’s dolphins can be seen throughout the year; you might also see Minke whales, Orca’s and Leatherback turtles.
Day 4
You’ll explore the southwest coast on a half day tour with our resident guide, with visits to the 15th century Fortaleza de Sagres, the Rosa dos Ventos and the remote headland at Cabo de Sao Vicente.
Day 5
We’ll leave your day free so you can walk the coastal trail to Ponta da Piedade – famous for its beautiful limestone cliffs, caves and sea stacks.
Day 6
You’ll visit the Quinta Mata Mouros wine estate in Silves, and your tour will take you through the whole production process from grape to glass.
Day 7
For your final day, you’ll explore the dramatic limestone cliffs and caves of Ponta da Piedade by kayak.
Day 8
You’ll be transferred to Faro airport for your flight home.
City Tours
A guided tour can be an incredibly useful introduction the layout, cuisine and culture of an unfamiliar city. Our friendly and engaging guides bring the country’s long history to life, whilst giving you an insight into daily life in modern-day Portugal.
Tours often provide you with a list of new sights to see, restaurant recommendations, and an invaluable insight into the dos and don’ts of Portuguese etiquette. You’re also supporting the local economy, local businesses, museums and galleries, and your money helps to preserve many of Portugal’s most-historic buildings.
Hiking
Portugal’s wonderfully diverse range of landscapes make it the ideal destination for hiking holidays. The granite mountains of the Serra da Estrela are Portugal’s highest range (peaking at 1993 metres), and its high plateaus and deep river valleys are home to over 400km of waymarked trails and a wealth of wildlife: boars, otters, golden eagles, peregrine falcons and the elusive Iberian wolf.
Moving south, the Aldeias do Xisto Schist Villages are a collection of timeless, fairy tale hamlets spread across the peaks of Lousa, Acor and Muradal. Centuries of Portuguese history and tradition are preserved in the region’s hearty cuisine and its convivial B&Bs.
The jewel in the crown of Portugal’s walking network is the Rota Vicentina. This cross-region trail network was created in 2012 to help boost the local economies of southern Alentejo and the Algarve – its routes are easily adaptable according to the distance and type of hikes you enjoy, traversing remote cliffs and obscure beaches, with the wild Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop.
Food and Wine
Portuguese cuisine has experienced something of a renaissance in recent times. Once sidelined in favour of more well-known dishes from neighbouring Spain, Portugal’s locally sourced produce and regional wines have moved out of their Iberian neighbour’s shadow to take their rightful seat at the top table of European cuisine.
The capital Lisbon is where many of the country’s long-held culinary traditions are being challenged by a new generation of chefs, whose exciting and imaginative reinventions of classics such as caldo verde, ameijoas a bulhao pato and bolinhos de bacalhau are allowing the best of the country’s sensational produce to shine. Iberian pork is much-coveted, particularly in the Central and Alentejo regions whose farming heritage give its cuisine rustic, hearty slant. Its organic credentials are impeccable: roaming ancient cork forests and subsisting on a diet of acorns which impart a strong, nutty flavour to the meat.
As the western outpost of mainland Europe and with over 900km of coastline, seafood is the backbone of the country’s cuisine. Grilled sardines (sardinhas assadas) are deeply embedded in Portuguese culture and are often central to many religious celebrations, particularly around the Tejo River basin.
There are also thirty-one Denominacao de Origem Controlada regions across the country, producing over two-hundred varieties of wine. Dao, Estremadura, Bairrada, Portimao, Tavira – Portuguese vineyards are low yield and exports don’t compare to France or Italy, and to truly enjoy these wines, you have to be in Portugal.
Guided Tours
Taking on a whole new region of Portugal can be a daunting prospect: studying guidebooks and maps, researching must-see sites and trying to miss those lesser-known hidden gems. Our tours remove the stress of planning and optimise your time, without you feeling rushed or hurried. Our guides will always have a plan, but we prefer private, flexible tours where you’re not tied to a strict timetable.
If you’d like to get your hands dirty in Tras-os-Montes vineyards, with time to savour a glass of local Vino Verde, so be it. If you want to combine out-of-the-way family-run vineyards with the timeless grandeur of medieval Marvao, let us make the arrangements.
Our guides are a treasure trove of local knowledge, and their in-depth insight and passion will unveil Portugal’s extraordinary history, culture and cuisine.
Cycling
From the ancient vineyards of the Douro valley, via the windswept Alentejo plains and down to the seaside towns of the Algarve. The beauty of exploring Portugal on two wheels is in its slowness – unhurried travel allows you to immerse yourself in your surroundings and to explore the country’s rich cultural heritage and unique traditions.
Whether you’re looking for a self-guided, point-to-point cycle touring holiday, a couple of guided road rides during your family holiday, or if you prefer to be off-road, riding natural and man-made singletrack – whatever your preference, we have the bikes, routes and rides to suit all abilities.
Kayaking, SUPs and Surfing
Portugal offers an exciting range of water sports to suit every adventurer: from paddleboarding, kayaking and canoeing, to world-class surfing, kitesurfing and windsurfing,
Northern Portugal is home to many of the best spots for inland water sports – kayaking, canoeing and canyoning are popular thanks to an abundance of lakes, lagoons and waterfalls, and the UNESCO-protected Arouca Geopark is considered one of the best locations in the country for white water rafting. For a more tranquil experience, the calm waters of the Castelo de Bode reservoir are ideal for paddle-boarding, whilst the Aguieira reservoir is a popular destination for sailing and fresh-water fishing.
For would-be adrenalin junkies, the surf schools at Espinho are perfect for surfing newbies. If you’re a seasoned pro, Nazare and Peniche are blessed with year-around consistent swells and a vibrant surf culture. With its exposed location on the far southwestern tip of the Algarve, Sagres has been a mecca for water sports enthusiasts for over fifty years. Its energetic waves and laid-back atmosphere attract old-school surfers and kiteboarders from across the world.
Discover a different side to the Algarve on our Lagos Family Holiday.
Portugal’s Algarve region has been a popular holiday destination for over sixty years, thanks to its golden beaches and breathtaking blue seas. The honey pot towns of Vilamoura and Albufeira are popular for their busy beach clubs, late-night bars and modern all-inclusive hotels.
In the southwest city of Lagos, they’ve chosen a different path, striking a balance between modern-day tourism and protecting their historic seafaring heritage. You’ll be staying in the old town Lagos, with its jumbled maze of cobbled streets, whitewashed townhouses and baroque churches, harking back to a golden era when Lagos was the maritime headquarters for Portugal’s Age of Discoveries.
You’ll have a chance to explore the remote, spectacular southeast coast with our resident guide, visiting Sagres and beautifully-barren Cabo Sao Vicente. You’ll also head inland to sample the best Algarve wines at the Quinta Mata Mouros estate.
You’ll also spend time at sea – exploring the hidden caves and coves of Ponta da Piedade by kayak, and spending time with Lagos’ resident dolphin pods. And as always, we’ll make sure there’s time to relax, and the local beaches of Praia dos Estudantes and Praia da Batata are close by.
There are daily direct flights to the Algarve from most UK airports – just let us know your closest airport and we’ll do the rest.
Day 1
You’ll begin your holiday with a direct flight from the UK to Faro. Our driver will collect you from your flight, for your transfer to Lagos and your accommodation at the Tivoli Lagos Algarve Resort.
Day 2
You’ll have a free day to explore old town Lagos on foot – the Mercado Municipal de Lagos, Praca Gil Eanes, the Porta de Sao Goncalo and Praia da Batata beach
Day 3
You’ll head to the Marina de Lagos for a dolphin watching trip. The waters of the Algarve are one of the best places to observe ocean wildlife: Common, Bottlenose and Risso’s dolphins can be seen throughout the year; you might also see Minke whales, Orca’s and Leatherback turtles.
Day 4
You’ll explore the southwest coast on a half day tour with our resident guide, with visits to the 15th century Fortaleza de Sagres, the Rosa dos Ventos and the remote headland at Cabo de Sao Vicente.
Day 5
We’ll leave your day free so you can walk the coastal trail to Ponta da Piedade – famous for its beautiful limestone cliffs, caves and sea stacks.
Day 6
You’ll visit the Quinta Mata Mouros wine estate in Silves, and your tour will take you through the whole production process from grape to glass.
Day 7
For your final day, you’ll explore the dramatic limestone cliffs and caves of Ponta da Piedade by kayak.
Day 8
You’ll be transferred to Faro airport for your flight home.
City Tours
A guided tour can be an incredibly useful introduction the layout, cuisine and culture of an unfamiliar city. Our friendly and engaging guides bring the country’s long history to life, whilst giving you an insight into daily life in modern-day Portugal.
Tours often provide you with a list of new sights to see, restaurant recommendations, and an invaluable insight into the dos and don’ts of Portuguese etiquette. You’re also supporting the local economy, local businesses, museums and galleries, and your money helps to preserve many of Portugal’s most-historic buildings.
Hiking
Portugal’s wonderfully diverse range of landscapes make it the ideal destination for hiking holidays. The granite mountains of the Serra da Estrela are Portugal’s highest range (peaking at 1993 metres), and its high plateaus and deep river valleys are home to over 400km of waymarked trails and a wealth of wildlife: boars, otters, golden eagles, peregrine falcons and the elusive Iberian wolf.
Moving south, the Aldeias do Xisto Schist Villages are a collection of timeless, fairy tale hamlets spread across the peaks of Lousa, Acor and Muradal. Centuries of Portuguese history and tradition are preserved in the region’s hearty cuisine and its convivial B&Bs.
The jewel in the crown of Portugal’s walking network is the Rota Vicentina. This cross-region trail network was created in 2012 to help boost the local economies of southern Alentejo and the Algarve – its routes are easily adaptable according to the distance and type of hikes you enjoy, traversing remote cliffs and obscure beaches, with the wild Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop.
Food and Wine
Portuguese cuisine has experienced something of a renaissance in recent times. Once sidelined in favour of more well-known dishes from neighbouring Spain, Portugal’s locally sourced produce and regional wines have moved out of their Iberian neighbour’s shadow to take their rightful seat at the top table of European cuisine.
The capital Lisbon is where many of the country’s long-held culinary traditions are being challenged by a new generation of chefs, whose exciting and imaginative reinventions of classics such as caldo verde, ameijoas a bulhao pato and bolinhos de bacalhau are allowing the best of the country’s sensational produce to shine. Iberian pork is much-coveted, particularly in the Central and Alentejo regions whose farming heritage give its cuisine rustic, hearty slant. Its organic credentials are impeccable: roaming ancient cork forests and subsisting on a diet of acorns which impart a strong, nutty flavour to the meat.
As the western outpost of mainland Europe and with over 900km of coastline, seafood is the backbone of the country’s cuisine. Grilled sardines (sardinhas assadas) are deeply embedded in Portuguese culture and are often central to many religious celebrations, particularly around the Tejo River basin.
There are also thirty-one Denominacao de Origem Controlada regions across the country, producing over two-hundred varieties of wine. Dao, Estremadura, Bairrada, Portimao, Tavira – Portuguese vineyards are low yield and exports don’t compare to France or Italy, and to truly enjoy these wines, you have to be in Portugal.
Guided Tours
Taking on a whole new region of Portugal can be a daunting prospect: studying guidebooks and maps, researching must-see sites and trying to miss those lesser-known hidden gems. Our tours remove the stress of planning and optimise your time, without you feeling rushed or hurried. Our guides will always have a plan, but we prefer private, flexible tours where you’re not tied to a strict timetable.
If you’d like to get your hands dirty in Tras-os-Montes vineyards, with time to savour a glass of local Vino Verde, so be it. If you want to combine out-of-the-way family-run vineyards with the timeless grandeur of medieval Marvao, let us make the arrangements.
Our guides are a treasure trove of local knowledge, and their in-depth insight and passion will unveil Portugal’s extraordinary history, culture and cuisine.
Cycling
From the ancient vineyards of the Douro valley, via the windswept Alentejo plains and down to the seaside towns of the Algarve. The beauty of exploring Portugal on two wheels is in its slowness – unhurried travel allows you to immerse yourself in your surroundings and to explore the country’s rich cultural heritage and unique traditions.
Whether you’re looking for a self-guided, point-to-point cycle touring holiday, a couple of guided road rides during your family holiday, or if you prefer to be off-road, riding natural and man-made singletrack – whatever your preference, we have the bikes, routes and rides to suit all abilities.
Kayaking, SUPs and Surfing
Portugal offers an exciting range of water sports to suit every adventurer: from paddleboarding, kayaking and canoeing, to world-class surfing, kitesurfing and windsurfing,
Northern Portugal is home to many of the best spots for inland water sports – kayaking, canoeing and canyoning are popular thanks to an abundance of lakes, lagoons and waterfalls, and the UNESCO-protected Arouca Geopark is considered one of the best locations in the country for white water rafting. For a more tranquil experience, the calm waters of the Castelo de Bode reservoir are ideal for paddle-boarding, whilst the Aguieira reservoir is a popular destination for sailing and fresh-water fishing.
For would-be adrenalin junkies, the surf schools at Espinho are perfect for surfing newbies. If you’re a seasoned pro, Nazare and Peniche are blessed with year-around consistent swells and a vibrant surf culture. With its exposed location on the far southwestern tip of the Algarve, Sagres has been a mecca for water sports enthusiasts for over fifty years. Its energetic waves and laid-back atmosphere attract old-school surfers and kiteboarders from across the world.
