Algarve

Visas

Portugal is part of the Schengen visa scheme so Euro’s, Antipodeans, North Americans, most South Americans, Central American and Caribbean countries don't need a visa and get 90 days. Europeans can also stay longer under certain conditions. There are no real border checks within the Schengen area so once in you can move from country to country with ease.

Getting There

Minho and Douro Non-EU get 90 days without a visa. Porto (OPO) is linked to European cities through 15 airlines, check Transavia, Ryanair & EasyJet. Nat’l airline TAP flies from NYC & Brasil, but far more international flights arrive in Lisbon (3h drive or local flight from US$200 rtn). Porto is 8h drive from Biarritz. Galicia to Porto is 2h drive and 5h to Algarve.

Getting Around

Portugal has Europe’s highest road death rate and erratic driving is commonplace, especially on Sundays. Be careful! Portuguese roads also seem to be full of unmarked obstacles or unexpected changes to the road type or layout. Unless otherwise indicated, vehicles approaching from the right have priority at junctions. Speed limits are 120km/h on the few motorways, 90km/h on national roads and 50km/h in town. Documents and safety equipment must be carried and on the spot demands must be paid by credit card like the 600 fine for using a mobile. Fuel is as cheap as it gets in Western Europe. A car is often essential and Portugal offers super cheap hire cars (prices as low as €100 a week) that can be picked up in Faro or Lisbon by over 21’s. Free-camping in vans at the quieter beaches is normally no problem otherwise campsites are numerous and cheap, though they fill up quickly in August. A cheap but comfortable room in a guesthouse will cost around €30 in the countryside and €60 in Lisbon. Eating out is cheap in comparison to much of Western Europe. Agents for Eurolines serve Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Aveiro and many other towns with departures from almost any large European city, although these are rarely direct and can involve numerous stops and transfers. There are three companies running these services between Oporto (Inter-Norte), Lisbon (Inter-Centro) and Faro (Inter-Sul). Once in Portugal, buses go to virtually every town and village in the country and can be a cheap and reliable way to get between bigger towns. Small coastal villages may only see one bus a day or less. Be warned that there are many different bus companies and they don’t always operate from the same terminal and rarely give unbiased advice. Sometimes surfboards can be a source of trouble, check before buying a ticket whether or not they will carry surfboards.

Accommodation

Finding accommodation in Sagres or Lagos is easy. Many locals rent out rooms or whole houses at ± $20/room. There’s a whole slew of surf camps in the Lagos area; The Surf Experience are the original outfit with week packages for all levels from $450. In Sagres try International Surfschool. A basic meal can be had for $12. The best fresh fish can be found at A Sagres Restaurante. Sagres has its own brand cheap beer.

Activities

Cape St-Vincent contains a fortress where Prince Henry the navigator, established his famous school of exploration. Aljezur near Arrifana has some good ruins to visit. You can go caving by kayak near Alvor on the south coast. The nightlife in Sagres and even more so Lagos, is wild and raucous when summer brings the backpacking hordes. Beware the absinthe!

Hazards & hassles

Apart from rocks and some localism, there’s little to worry about. The undeveloped west coast has few or no locals outside the towns and the Sagres surfers tend to stay at their home breaks. The area has quickly become more and more crowded and understandably the locals have become less tolerant of the hordes of uninformed beginners found at many west coast beaches. Respect the sharp rocks at the pointbreaks and strong rips at certain breaks.

Handy Hints

There are surf shops in Lagos (Magic Board Center, Lagos Surf Center, Jah Shaka) and Surfers Lab in Sagres. The Algarve is a well-established tourist destination so English is widely spoken. Reckless driving is the national sport, and the N126 has an abnormally high death toll!

Due to global pandemic, Visas, Getting There, Getting Around or Accommodation information and pricing may have changed. Always check Government Travel Advice before travelling.