Locations: Ferragudo, Lagos, Silves and Portimao.
In November 2017, my girlfriend and I visited Ferragudo in Algarve, Portugal. The main attraction for us here was the quaint and traditional feel of the village. Unlike neighbouring Portimao, Ferragudo feels very 'local' and is a lot less touristy, but still offers plenty of sightseeing and good transport links - but more on that later.
We stayed in Vitor's Village Resort which, as the name suggests, is like a mini-village inside a hotel complex. The lobby/reception is situated in the main building, along with a restaurant, roof-top bar and a small gym. Once you've checked-in, you are led through another set of doors which lead outside onto the grounds of the hotel, and from there you walk along the cobbled paths, following the signs until you reach your apartment building.
The facilities in the hotel are fairly standard. Aside from the aforementioned amenities, the hotel also has three outdoor swimming pools, one of which is a children's pool, and there is also a small games room with a pool table and arcade games.
Vitor's Village apartments.
Vitor's Village swimming pool.
The location of the hotel is fairly good. Although there isn't much in the immediate area, the town centre is only a 10-minute walk away and once there, you will find plenty of cafe's and restaurants (one or two of which are particularly good!). There are also taxi-boat services operating by the town centre which will take you across the Arade river and into Portimao.
The nearest beach is Praia da Angrinha which is a 15-minute walk from the hotel and is just around the corner from the town centre. The Fort of Sao Joao do Arade is located on this beach and although it is privately owned and closed to the public, it is still worth a look from the outside. Praia Grande is the next beach up from Praia da Angrinha and you can walk between the two but only in low-tide, unless you are willing to swim around the rocks which separate the two beaches.
Praia da Angrinha.
Fort of Sao Joao do Arade.
Whist both beaches are perfectly adequate, neither compare to some of the other beaches Ferragudo has to offer. To really explore the other beaches and enjoy some stunning clifftop views, I would recommend going to Praia do Molhe as a starting point. It is approximately 25-minutes walk or a 7-minute drive from Praia da Angrinha, and whilst it is the smallest of the beaches mentioned in this blog, it offers some nice views and is the starting point for the cliff-walk.
Only a short-walk from Praia do Molhe lies the next beach, Praia do Pintadinho. One of the main features of this beach is a small cave which is easily accessible from the shore. The only drawback is a lack of facilities but on the flip-side, it’s one of the least-crowded beaches in the area.
Praia do Pintadinho.
Continuing on the cliff-walk, just a short distance from Praia do Pintadinho, is Ponta do Altar lighthouse. Not much to say about this lighthouse. To my knowledge it is not open to the public but it’s worth having a look from the outside, especially since it is on route to the third and final beach - and I've saved the best for last; Praia dos Caneiros!
Aside from being fairly spacious and having relatively good facilities, Praia dos Caneiros is known for its rock formations and stunning sunsets! There is a nice bar/restaurant just by the entrance to the beach and they usually have live music or a DJ playing in the evenings. The only negative for me was the lack of transport in the area. So, if you're not driving then make sure you have a taxi number saved on your phone or ask a member of staff in the bar/restaurant.
Praia dos Caneiros.
As mentioned earlier, Ferragudo has some great transport links. Aside from the various bus routes, Ferragudo also has its own train station - although, curiously, it is located in nearby Parchal. Nonetheless, it is roughly 25-minutes walking distance from the hotel and whilst your first thought might be that the station is abandoned, the service is actually reassuringly dependable and very economic.
The station is very run-down and has only one platform. There are no ticket machines, information displays or even any staff. In fact, your only source of information comes from a paper timetable taped to the wall. With that in mind, be sure to ask your hotel reception for an up to date copy of the train timetables just in case. Note; any train station that does not have a ticket desk/machines, usually means you pay the conductor once you board the train. A one-way ticket to Lagos cost me €2.20, and it was even cheaper to go to Silves. Destinations from Ferragudo station include; Faro, Portimao, Silves and Lagos.
Ferragudo railway station.
On our third day, we boarded the earliest train to Lagos and spent the entire day there. Lagos is home to, arguably, some of the best beaches in the whole of Algarve. The town centre is very lively and there are many shops, bars, restaurants and cafe's in the area, as well as churches, museums and old forts you can visit.
Our first stop was at the Forte da Ponta da Bandeira - a 17th Century maritime fortress with nice views overlooking Praia da Batata. Unfortunately, aside from the views there isn't much to say about it. The fort is very small and severely lacking information/history, but given the views and the very cheap entry, you might as well take a look inside - although, you're not missing much if you decide to skip it.
After what turned out to be a very brief visit, we went on to explore every beach between Praia da Batata and Praia do Camilo. The two beaches are only a half-hour walk from each other but having visited every beach in-between and stopping for photos, it took us about two-hours to complete.
In the end, we visited Praia da Batata, Praia dos Estudantes, Praia do Pinhao, Praia Dona Ana and finally, Praia do Camilo. I would recommend visiting them all as they each have their own unique views and landscapes. However, if you’re just looking for the best of the bunch, then I could narrow the list down to just two beaches; Praia Dona Ana, if you’re looking for somewhere practical to lay your towel, or Praia do Camilo for the most aesthetically pleasing and secluded of the lot - this beach really is stunning!
Praia Dona Ana.
Praia do Camilo.
Finally, before leaving Lagos we went to Ponta da Piedade to watch the sunset. Ponta da Piedade is a group of rock formations along the coastline. It offers some spectacular views and you could quite easily spend a few hours there exploring all of the caves, hidden coves and beaches, and just generally enjoying that stunning vista. There is a cafe/restaurant with bathrooms at the location. The area is quite remote so unless you’re driving, you will have to either call a taxi or face a lengthy walk back to town.
Ponta da Piedade.
Ponta da Piedade sunset.
On our fourth day, we boarded the train to Silves, which is an old town and former capital of Algarve. Silves is of great historical importance, especially focusing on Algarve’s Moorish history.
One of the main attractions in town is Silves Castle. It is believed that the first fortifications were built upon a Lusitanian castro, by the Romans. However, between the 8th and 13th centuries, the castle was occupied by the Moors who expanded it, making it one of the best preserved Moorish fortifications in Portugal.
The castle sits on a hilltop overlooking the town below. From the outside it looks fairly impressive but unfortunately it gets a little dissapointing once inside. One of the main issues for me was the lack of history and information on display. Unless you’re already familiar with the history, you will likely come away having learnt more about the restoration efforts than the actual origins of the castle - and then there’s the very out-of-place mini-exhibition about the Iberian lynx, which is completely irrelevant to the castle.
Perhaps more concerning, is the safety hazards for young children and the elderly or those less mobile. Inside the castle grounds, there are very steep and narrow stairs leading up to the various towers and wall-walks, and there are no handrails or barriers to hold on to or to keep you from falling. So, be very cautious.
On the plus side, the views overlooking the town are pretty nice and the entrance fee is very reasonable, from €2.80 per person and discounts applied for groups, children and over-65’s. Overall, unless mobility is an issue, I would recommend visiting the castle since it is of historical significance and one of the main sights in town.
Silves Cathedral is located practically next to the castle, although we could only view it from the outside as it was closed on the day of our visit.
Entrance to Silves Castle.
Rear of Silves Cathedral, as seen from inside the grounds of Silves Castle.
Having left the castle, we visited Silves Archaeological Museum which is nearby. The museum boasts a superb collection of Islamic artefacts from the Moorish occupation of Portugal. The entrance fee is €2.10, but you can opt instead for a joint Castle + Museum ticket costing only €3.90.
Finally, I would recommend just walking around and exploring the town. There are various landmarks and monuments scattered around that are worth seeing, such as the Roman Bridge of Silves and Praca Al-Mutamid square, to name a few.
Roman Bridge of Silves.
Monuments from the Praca Al-Mutamid square.
Street art representing Portuguese Moorish history and King Afonso Henriques who led the 'Reconquista'.
On our fifth day, we crossed over to Portimao for a brief visit. Our first stop was at Praia da Rocha, one of Algarve’s most famous and popular beaches. This beach is without a doubt the biggest and most practicle beach mentioned in this blog. It has many facilities close by and is vastly spacious - although it does get very busy during peak-season.
Our next stop was at the Fort of Santa Catarina. It is completely open to the public, you just walk in from the street and there is no entry fee or even any staff. Essentially, it is just a viewing platform overlooking Praia da Rocha below.
Overlooking Praia da Rocha.
Inside the Fort of Santa Catarina.
The general area around Praia da Rocha is very touristy. It almost feels like you’re in the UK, with the many British restaurants, pubs, bars and clubs. For some people this can be a good thing, having all the comforts of home, abroad. For others wanting to experience the culture and authentic cuisine, it’s not such a good location.
A close comparison would be Albufeira. If you enjoy the vibrant, buzzing atmosphere of the strip, then Praia da Rocha would be a good location to visit, particularly in the evenings.
Moving more inland towards the centre of Portimao, the feel of the town changes. It becomes very residential and commercial. Aside from local shops and supermarkets, there is also a shopping centre called ‘Aqua’ on Rua de Sao Pedro, not far from Portimao railway station.
If you plan on bringing back any food products, then any of the major supermarkets will likely suffice (Continente, Pingo Doce, Intermarche or Jumbo, to name a few).
However, if you wish to buy things such as; olive oil, vinegar, chorico sausage, herbs and spices etc.., of a higher quality not usually found in the supermarkets, then I would suggest a little grocery shop in Rua Direita called ‘Mercearia do Algarve’. They have an excellent selection of locally produced olive oils which are nicer than the more widely-available commercial brands.
This pretty much concluded our holiday. What I most enjoyed about it was the diversity of each location; the peace and tranquility of Ferragudo, the stunning coastline and scenery of Lagos, the history and architecture of Silves, and the vibrancy and convenience of Portimao.
Would I stay here again? Absolutely! Ferragudo was just the right level of ‘quiet’ for us and the location and transport links make it the perfect base for those wanting to travel out to other areas.
As for our accommodation, Vitor's Village resort was perfectly adequate for us considering we travelled so much and facilities were not of utmost importance. However, if you intend on spending the majority of your time in the resort and therefore require more than just ‘standard-to-good’ facilities, then I would probably look elsewhere.
Finally, a couple of notable restaurants worth mentioning; O Velho Novo restaurant in Ferragudo was absolutely fantastic. We dined here many times, tried many of the traditional Portuguese dishes and not one of them disappointed. When we went in November, they were only open for dinner service from 6pm - not sure if this changes in the summer when it’s peak-season.
The restaurant offers a variety of meat and fish dishes, is moderately priced, and the staff are very courteous and welcoming. It did get extremely busy, even in November, so do reserve a table to avoid disappointment! Very popular among tourists and locals alike. Highly recommended.
In Portimao, we dined in the ‘Marisqueira a Fabrica’ seafood restaurant. Again, great food, great prices and very popular with the locals. The restaurant is fairly big with additional seating outside in the open.
Lastly, if travelling to any of these locations by train or coach, do check out Trainline - Europe’s biggest train and coach app available in 45 European destinations.
Thank you for reading! Leave a comment with any questions or feedback you may have.