Lagos Surfing Holidays Surf Portugal's warmest waters

If you have surfed all week and still have some time to explore then you have come to the right place. Lagos benefits from being a city despite its population of only 20,000. It is a beautiful charming place that has avoided the massive high rises that feature in many other coastal towns in the Algarve. An ancient maritime town with more than 2,000 years of history, Prince Henry the Navigator set Lagos up as Portugal’s capital in the 15th century and it was from here that Portugal began to explore and discover the rest of the world.

The ancient town walls were begun in Roman times and completed in the 16th Century. They remain largely intact today and it is within these city walls were you will find the town's many charming cafes and restaurants offering excellent Portuguese cuisine. Pedestrian cobblestones streets and squares cover the old town and add to the tradition and charm of the place.

Activities in Lagos

Aside from surfing there are many other activities in the area. Lagos has some beautiful cliff's with coves at the base that are perfect for sunbathing and just general sun holiday relaxing. You can spend an afternoon relaxing in the beach bar on Maia Praia beach, or go snorkelling/diving in one of the main coves and underground caves. Going out in boats and Dolphin watching is also very popular.

There are also 4 terrific golf courses within 18kms of Lagos. Other sports such as kite-surfing, quad biking, skydiving, wakeboarding, rock climbing, off road driving and mountain biking are all catered for.

There are 2 water parks within 30 minutes drive of Lagos.

Surrounding Area

Lagos is a great base to explore the surrounding area. Nearby is Sagres, a small surf town, 25 minutes drive West and surrounded by many beaches worth discovering. The coastal area stretching 80 kms north from Sagres is protected parklands and so no high rise development will take place along this coast of the Algarve. Its beauty will always remain intact and its beaches and surrounding incredible places to explore.

Other close towns include Vila do Bispo, Carrapateira, Arrifana, Portimao and for those who want to do some shopping Albufeira is only 40 minutes away. A great area for mixing a surf holiday with other activities.

Restaurants and Bars in Lagos

Some of our favourite restautrants include the local and traditional Cozhna do Petisco, the cavernous and cool Mullens, O Cantinho Algarvio and O Galeao. Fantastic restaurants spilling out onto the cobblestone streets serving delicious seafood and more.

Later in the evening Lagos old town comes alive with many bars, cafés & clubs staying open until early morning. Lagos’ party scene is legendary – make sure to check out the Nah Nah Bah (which also serves great food), The Irish Rover, The Three Monkeys and Zanzibar.

Lagos is less than an hour’s drive from Faro airport and 3 hours from Lisbon airport.

Flights

Please note to check airports as new routes & airlines may begin operating at any time. Below are just some that fly to Portugal.

www.aerlingus.com
www.flytap.com
www.ryanair.com
www.britishairways.com
www.flymonarch.com
www.easyjet.com

How to get to Lagos from Faro Airport:

Train – Take a short bus/taxi from Faro airport to Faro train station (€5-€6) and get the train to Lagos. Really nice journey - takes almost 2 hours. €7 each way. Check timetables here, but you cannot book online, just arrive up at the station: www.cp.pt.

Taxi - Approximate time 1 hour. Approximate cost €100+.

Transfers - Share a taxi or mini bus with our shuttle bus partner: https://surfholidays.resorthoppa.com/

Car Hire - We have a discount deal with Hertz, rent your car from any airport: www.hertz.com/surfholidays /

Bus - Take a short bus/taxi from Faro airport to Faro Central Bus Station (€5-€6) and get the coach to Lagos. Takes 2 hours and see a few towns & villages on the way. The central bus station in Lagos is on the main Avenue. €6 each way. Check timetables here EVA bus.

How to get to Lagos from Lisbon Airport:

Train - From the airport take a bus or taxi to either Lisbon Entrecampos or Lisbon Oriente train station.
Then take the train to Tunes (2hr30m €21) - there are a minimum of 4 trains a day. From Tunes take the train to Lagos (30 minutes €4). The train timetable is on www.cp.pt.

Bus - Get a bus or taxi from the airport to Eva bus station in Lisbon centre in Praça Marechal Humberto Delgado. There are 6 buses to Lagos each day for approx €20 – it will take 4 hours www.eva-bus.com. Renex Bus also offer a service from Lisbon to Lagos www.renex.pt

The tourist information desk in the airport will have an up to date timetable and can advise you.

Car Hire - We have a discount car hire section on our website where you can rent a car. (2 and half hours)

Surf Lessons often occur at the areas best and most reliable surf beaches, Praia do Amado and Praia do Amoreira, 20-30 minutes from Lagos. Depending on conditions you may surf at any number of surf beaches nearby such as Maia Praia, Castalejo, Arrifana, Zavial, Cabanas and Porto de Mos. Either way the surf schools will pick you up and take you to the best beaches on the day.

Don't worry if you have no experience whatsoever. The beginner's lessons are taught in waist deep water riding the white water only. You will learn everything from standing techniques to turning and finally paddling outside and learning how to catch ‘green' (unbroken) waves. If you are already experienced the instructors will take you further out and help you develop your technique on bigger waves.

Lagos is a year round surf destination thanks to its position at the corner of the Algarve. It is one of Europe’s best kept secrets and offers waves for beginners, intermediates and expert surfers. It also has the warmest water in Portugal and the winter temperature is warm enough for t-shirts. In the summer the temperature is in the late 20s and stay bright until 10pm.

Within Lagos is the town's long golden sandy beach that seems to go on forever, Meia Praia, a very safe beginners surf beach, but not always reliable.

Further Afield

Head further West and after 20 minutes you arrive at a crossroad, take the turn South West and after a few minutes you reach the laid back surf town of Sagres where you will find breaks such as Tonel, Mareta, Beliche and Zavial. Again different standards are catered for in these beaches that wrap around Cape St.Vincent

Alternatively take the right turn and after 10 minutes you will reach a great beginners /intermediate surf beach Praia do Amado. Close by is one of Portugal’s most beautiful beaches Praia da Bordeira. Further North is the world class surf break in Arrifana and beginners beach Amoreira. The UK's Independent newspaper sums it up best: "Here is one of Europe's undiscovered treasures - thankfully protected by a 120km-long Parque Natural, which helps ensure that "tourist development" mostly means a café in a shack on a beach. It all seems like a fabulous secret, shared only by the intrepid few who make it this far. Their reward? Having miles and miles of these dramatic beaches (almost) to themselves."

Come Surf Lagos with us…