Algarve Holidays 2026/2027

Albufeira (central): The Algarve's resort capital, with more than 25 beaches, a walled Old Town of cobbled lanes, and the bar-lined Strip for late nights. It carries the widest range of package holidays to Algarve, which is part of why it stays the busiest base on the coast, roughly forty minutes from Faro.

Vilamoura (central): Built around the largest marina in Portugal, this is the polished, golf-and-yachts end of the coast — five championship courses on the doorstep and the Roman ruins of Cerro da Vila beside the access road. Quieter and more upmarket than nearby Albufeira.

Lagos (west): A proper historic town behind 16th-century walls, with the arches and grottoes of Ponta da Piedade just offshore and the long sweep of Meia Praia to the east. Its Age-of-Discovery past gives it more depth than a pure beach resort.

Carvoeiro (central): A pretty cliff-cove village and the closest launch point to the Benagil sea caves — short boat crossings, clear water, and a walkable centre. A favourite with anyone who wants cliff scenery within a few steps of an easy beach day.

Tavira and the east: The eastern Algarve keeps its Moorish-Portuguese character — Tavira's Roman bridge, cobbled streets, and the island beaches of the Ria Formosa reached by ferry. This stretch holds some of the better value among cheap holidays to Algarve without feeling like a budget option.

Alvor and Praia da Luz (west): Two calmer bases for young families — Alvor a former fishing village with a boardwalk over the dunes, Praia da Luz a quiet bay with gentle, shallow water. Both are short on traffic and easy to walk.

Take a sea-cave boat trip: The Benagil cave, with its collapsed roof and natural skylight, is reachable only by water — small boats, kayaks and paddleboards run from Portimão, Carvoeiro, Lagos and Albufeira, most looping past Praia da Marinha and Ponta da Piedade on the way. Dolphin-watching trips leave from the same marinas.

Wander the old towns: Lagos sits behind 16th-century walls; Faro hides a walled Cidade Velha behind the Arco da Vila; Silves crowns its hill with a red sandstone castle; and Tavira strings baroque churches along a Roman bridge. Each makes an easy half-day on foot.

Spend a day at a waterpark: Aquashow near Quarteira is the largest theme park in Portugal and home to a water roller coaster; Slide & Splash at Lagoa is one of the biggest pure waterparks; and Zoomarine at Guia mixes slides with dolphin shows, the only place on the coast you can swim with them.

Play a championship round: The Algarve is one of Europe's top golf regions, with Vilamoura's five courses, the Golden Triangle layouts at Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo, and the celebrated San Lorenzo all within a short drive of the central resorts.

Drive to the end of Europe: Sagres and Cape St Vincent mark the southwesternmost tip of the mainland — a clifftop fortress, a working lighthouse and Atlantic sunsets — while the Ria Formosa lagoons in the east offer calm-water boat tours past salt marshes and flamingos.