Portugal itinerary - 2 weeks roadtrip
We just got back from a trip to Portugal. With its historical towns, photogenic beaches, hikes along the coastline and great fresh food, it makes it one of the most diverse and fun countries in Europe for a little roadtrip. We really like the flexibility of travelling with a rental car and spent two great weeks in the south western part of Portugal, exploring the beaches, mountains and towns in the Algarve, Alentejo, Sintra and Lisbon.
Curious to know how how our itinerary looks like? We’ll share all details of our trip below.
Our Portugal Itinerary for 2 weeks
June 7th - June 15th (8 nights), Lagos, Apartamentos Turisticos Sollagos *
June 15th - June 18th (3 nights), Porto Covo, O Lugar *
June 18th - June 19th (1 night), Sintra, Casa Miradouro *
June 19th - June 22nd (3 nights), Lisbon, Alfama Terrace *
* Affiliate links - if you use these links to book your accommodation at no additional costs, we will receive a small fee in return. Thank you :).
Praia do Camilo, just a few minutes walk from the historical town of Lagos.
Day 1 - 8: Lagos, Algarve
There are so many towns along the coastline of the Algarve, that it wasn’t easy to pick a location to stay. In the end we have chosen to stay in the town of Lagos and to explore the region from there. It was the right decision. We really fell in love with Lagos!
Lagos is a lively coastal town in the Algarve at an approx. one hour driving distance from the airport in Faro. It has everything to offer that made us want to come to the Algarve in the first place. Lots of small sandy beaches, impressive cliffs and walking paths offering the most beautiful views over the Atlantic ocean. The town is touristy but the good kind of touristy, not too crowded and it still has the charm of a historical center. On top of that, the town itself is centrally located in the region, which makes exploring the Algarve really easy. From Lagos we’ve enjoyed exploring the towns of Silves, Loulé and Luz.
We went on a sailing tour with Bom Dia and it was one of the most fun things we did in Lagos. We’d recommend to book a longer boat tour, the shorter tours just quickly visit the caves.
How can you better enjoy the view on Lagos’ beautiful beaches than from a sailing boat?
Lagos historical town.
The Ponta da Piedade offers postcard views on limestone rocks rising out of the crystal clear blue waters of the Atlantic ocean.
Day 9 - 11: Porto Covo, Alentejo
Porto Covo is a cute little former fishermen town about 170km south of Lisbon. The cobble stone streets with its white houses all lead to the little fishing harbour, that is nowadays only used by very few local fisherman. The area is much less crowded than all other towns we’ve visited in the Algarve and we happened to be the the only ones on some of the beaches. We really liked the quietness of the town but three days is really more than enough (if you are just like us, not planning on walking some of the long-distance trails that can be found here). We loved to see the change in scenery, as the western coast of Portugal is not only much wilder and windier, the rock formations also look very different from the south.
Day 12: Sintra
We both had been to Sintra before but never together. As the weather let us down in Porto Covo and we felt like we’ve photographed every single house multiple times, we decided to head up north earlier than planned. Because Sintra is always a good idea. As soon as we arrived in Sintra, I realized I forgot how crowded it is. But with a good reason, as the many palaces and gardens make you feel like you’ve just entered a fairytale. From the palaces we’ve visited (Palacio de Pena, Quinta da Regaleira and Monserrate) I’ve actually enjoyed the last two the best. A little less crowded, a little less fog and lots more vegetation.
Make sure to visit Palacio de Pena on a clear day for the best views.
Monserrate is ignored by many visitors to Sintra, but because of it tropical gardens, well worth a visit!
Welcome to fairytale castle, welcome to Quinta da Regaleira.
Not one of the beautiful palaces in Sintra but our accommodation for the night.
Day 13 - 15: Lisbon
Lisbon, the city on the seven hills, the city of colourful tiles, the city of Pasteis de Nata. A city that we love for its atmosphere, the views and the architecture. We stayed in the Alfama neighbourhood, one of Lisbon oldest parts of town. From there we just walked and walked and walked. We think Lisbon is best enjoyed by just strolling around and by avoiding the area around the famous lift, the Elevador de Santa Justa, as the atmosphere tends to be a bit aggressive.
