Algarve itinerary5, 7 or 10 days, west or east, with or without a car

Checked on 10 October 2026. Train and bus timetables change by season, and the Vamus winter timetable is thinner; check before each day out.

The short answer: for 5 days, pick one half of the coast and one base: Lagos for the west (cliffs, Sagres, surf) or Tavira for the east (island beaches by ferry). For 7 days, do the west and add the Benagil coast. For 10, do both halves and move base once. The Algarve is long: Faro airport to Lagos is about 90 km by road and Tavira about 43 km [6][7], and by train Faro to Lagos takes about 1 h 35 [1]. Crossing it there and back in a day eats the day.

Before day 1: car or no car, and where to sleep

	With a car	Without a car
Best base	Lagos (west) or Tavira (east); a car makes villages workable too	A town with the station in town: Lagos, Faro, Olhão or Tavira
Easy	Benagil coast, west-coast beaches, Sagres and the cape, Monchique	Lagos ↔ Faro ↔ Olhão ↔ Tavira by train; Sagres by Vamus 47
Hard	Parking in Lagos and at Praia da Marinha in summer	Benagil and Carvoeiro, Aljezur, late evenings (last train Faro to Lagos 20:40) [1]

• Train: direct Regional trains run the whole line from Lagos to Vila Real de Santo António since 19 July 2026. Faro to Lagos costs €8.30, Faro to Tavira €3.60 [1][2]. Children up to 3 sharing a seat travel free; 4 to 12 pay half [3].
• Bus: Vamus 47 links Lagos (Terminal Rodoviário) and Sagres (Porto da Baleeira) in 50–80 minutes outward and about 65–105 minutes back. For every day of 12–18 October, 26 October–1 November and 2–8 November 2026, we checked nine buses each way on working weekdays, five on October weekends and four on 1, 7 and 8 November. The last return from Baleeira leaves at 18:30, reaching Lagos at 19:35. Some buses continue to Cabo de São Vicente; the 15:15 from Lagos is absent on the checked November weekends. These results compare TRENMO’s 25 September 2026 data with the operator PDF marked valid from 9 September 2024; they do not establish the whole winter timetable. Check the current fare and your date with Vamus [25][26]. Tickets and passes: the Algarve without a car.
• Car: the A22 has had no tolls since January 2025; hire, deposits and child seats in Algarve car hire.
• Arriving: Faro airport to the west by train, bus or transfer: Faro airport to Lagos and Sagres.
• Base: towns compared in where to stay in the Algarve; the two halves in east vs west Algarve.

5 days in the west: Lagos and Sagres

Base: Lagos. Works without a car, except the optional west-coast afternoon.

• Day 1: Lagos old town and Meia Praia. Arrive by train, walk the old town and the walls, then the long, flat Meia Praia for the afternoon. What to see in town: things to do in Lagos.
• Day 2: Ponta da Piedade and the coves. Walk out along the cliffs to Ponta da Piedade in the morning [12], then down to Praia do Camilo or Dona Ana. Boat or kayak trips into the grottoes leave from the marina. All the beaches: Lagos beaches.
• Day 3: Sagres and the cape. Take Vamus 47 from Lagos Terminal to Sagres Porto da Baleeira, 50–80 minutes [25][26]. The Fortaleza de Sagres opens 9:30 to 17:30 with a €10 ticket [11]. On through buses, Cabo de São Vicente is another 10–15 minutes from Baleeira, with 10 minutes back. For the three checked weeks above, cape departures towards Sagres and Lagos are 11:45, 15:50 and 16:50 on working weekdays; 11:45, 13:45 and 16:50 on October weekends; and 11:45 and 13:45 on 1, 7 and 8 November. The PDF’s weekend/public-holiday 16:50 column applies only from 1 May to 31 October. On those November weekends, go early: Lagos 10:00 reaches the cape at 11:20, whereas 12:30 arrives at 13:45, the same minute as the last departure back, leaving no visit time. The last bus from Baleeira, not the cape, is 18:30. Confirm the timetable before travel [25][26]. Or stay a night: where to stay in Sagres.
• Day 4: a surf lesson or the west coast. Beginner lessons in Lagos or Sagres: surfing in Lagos, Sagres surfing. With a car, the west-coast beaches (Amado, Bordeira, Arrifana) are 30 to 50 minutes away.
• Day 5: an easy last day. Praia da Luz or Burgau by bus or car, or a half day in town before the train back to Faro. More: day trips from Lagos.

5 days in the east: Faro, Olhão and Tavira

Base: Tavira, about 32–37 minutes from departure in Faro to arrival in Tavira by Regional train; allow 31–38 minutes in reverse. The daily InterRegional takes about 27 / 35 minutes respectively. Checked for 12–18 October 2026 against CP data and its complete PDF. The PDF prints Tavira departures, so its 33–44-minute differences from Faro include the stop there: Faro 07:00 arrives at 07:32 and departs at the printed 07:33 [24]. Check your travel date. Works without a car.

• Day 1: Tavira town. The Roman bridge, the castle (summer 8:30 to 19:00; winter hours not confirmed) [15] and the riverside.
• Day 2: Ilha de Tavira. Silnido ferry from the town pier (adult return €2.70, autumn timetable from 7 September 2026) or from Quatro Águas (€2.00, timetable from 1 October 2026 with a midday break) [13] to Ilha de Tavira. Timetables change by season; note the last boat back before you cross.
• Day 3: Praia do Barril. A footbridge and a little beach train instead of a boat. Check the train’s operating hours with Pedras d’El Rei for your date [22]. Details: Praia do Barril.
• Day 4: Olhão and Culatra. Train to Olhão, then the ferry to Culatra, a village with no cars; the Olhão lines run all year, with four departures a day in winter [14]. Which island for which day: Ria Formosa islands.
• Day 5: Faro. The old town inside the walls and the Carmo church with its bone chapel (€2; weekdays and Saturday mornings) [16], then the airport, about 4 km away. More: things to do in Faro.

7 days: the west plus the Benagil coast

Days 1–5 of the west plan, then:

• Day 6: Benagil by boat. Boat trips leave from Portimão, Carvoeiro, Benagil and Lagos. You cannot swim into the cave or land on its beach, kayak and SUP visits must be guided, and motor boats stay two minutes inside [8][9]. Operators cancel when the sea is rough, so keep this day flexible. How it works: Benagil cave: how to visit.
• Day 7: the Seven Hanging Valleys trail. 5.7 km one way between Vale Centeanes and Praia da Marinha, about 11 km there and back [10]; you see the Benagil cave roof from the top. Start early: little shade. Trail and boardwalk: Seven Hanging Valleys and the Carvoeiro boardwalk.

Days 6 and 7 are far easier with a car. Without one, book a boat tour that leaves from Lagos or Portimão. For the trail, take a taxi or app ride to one end and book the ride back from the other, or walk there and back (about 11 km); allow most of a day and keep daylight in hand in winter (our suggestion).

10 days: west and east

• Days 1–5: the west plan from Lagos.
• Day 6: Benagil coast on the way east (with a car), or the train straight to Tavira: Lagos to Tavira is a single Regional ticket at €10.55 [2].
• Days 7–10: the east plan from Tavira in four days: Tavira town and Ilha de Tavira on the same day, then Barril, Olhão and Culatra, and Faro on the way to the airport.

Two bases beat one in the middle: Albufeira is central, but its station is out of town, so it suits drivers more than train travellers (where to stay in the Algarve).

With kids

Keep one base, beach in the morning, one short outing after lunch (our suggestion).

• West, from Lagos: Meia Praia has no steps; the science centre (under-6s free, family ticket €15, 10:00 to 18:00, closed on Mondays from October to March) [17] and the Lagos zoo (to 17:00 from October) [18] are afternoon or rain options. With small children, swap Day 4’s west coast for a sheltered south-coast bay; which Sagres beaches suit kids: Sagres with kids.
• East, from Tavira: Praia do Barril for pushchairs, the Silnido ferries (under-3s free, 4 to 11 at child fare) [13], and Ilha de Tavira for a calm lagoon side.
• A big day out: Zoomarine near Albufeira, open Tuesday to Saturday in October and fewer days in November [19].
• Benagil: everyone wears a life jacket the whole visit [8]; some operators set a minimum age, so check before booking.

Everything else for families: the Algarve with kids, Lagos with kids, Tavira with kids, Sagres with kids.

When to go

June and September have warm days and fewer crowds than July and August; in winter Faro averages a 16.3 °C high in January [20], fine for walking and towns, too cold for most swimmers. The numbers month by month, west and east: Algarve weather by month; the decision by trip type: the best time to visit the Algarve.

Sources

1. CP: Linha do Algarve regional timetable, valid from 19 July 2026, accessed 2026-10-04.

2. CP: Linha do Algarve regional fares, valid from 19 July 2026, accessed 2026-10-04.

3. CP: Half-price children’s tickets, accessed 2026-10-04.

4. algarvebus.info: Route 47 Lagos – Salema – Vila do Bispo – Sagres – Cabo São Vicente timetable, accessed 2026-10-04.

5. algarvebus.info: Bus services in the Algarve, general notes, accessed 2026-10-04.

6. OSRM demo router, accessed 2026-10-01.

7. OSRM demo router, accessed 2026-10-01.

8. AMN / Capitania do Porto de Portimão: Edital 019/2024, navigation instruction for the Benagil caves, accessed 2026-10-04.

9. AMN / Capitania do Porto de Portimão: page listing Edital 009/2025 as the first amendment to Edital 19/2024, accessed 2026-10-04.

10. Câmara Municipal de Lagoa: Sete Vales Suspensos, accessed 2026-10-04.

11. Museus e Monumentos de Portugal: Fortaleza de Sagres, accessed 2026-10-02.

12. CM Lagos: Ponta da Piedade, accessed 2026-10-02.

13. Silnido: Tavira ferries, town line from 7 Sep 2026, accessed 2026-10-04.

14. Amo-te Olhão: ferry timetables Armona, Culatra, Farol from Olhão, accessed 2026-10-04.

15. Câmara Municipal de Tavira: Castelo e Muralhas, accessed 2026-10-04.

16. Faro Tourism Guide: Igreja do Carmo e Capela dos Ossos, Guia 2026, accessed 2026-10-04.

17. Centro Ciência Viva de Lagos: Bilheteira, accessed 2026-10-10.

18. Zoo de Lagos: Planeia o teu dia, accessed 2026-10-02.

19. Zoomarine: Park Calendar 2026, accessed 2026-10-04.

20. IPMA: Normal Climatológica 1991–2020, Faro, accessed 2026-10-04.

21. Vamus Algarve GTFS feed, accessed 2026-10-11.

22. Pedras d’El Rei: Barril beach and tourist train; free for resort guests; no operating dates or timetable on this page, accessed 11 October 2026.

23. CP: timetable from 19 July 2026, printed-minute differences: Faro departure to Tavira departure R 33–44 / IR 27 min; Tavira departure to Faro arrival R 31–38 / IR 35 min; seconds omitted in PDF, accessed 11 October 2026.

24. CP GTFS and complete Algarve PDF from 19 July 2026: each day 12–18 October 2026, Faro–Tavira Regional departure to arrival 32–36 min 30 sec, reverse 31–37 min 30 sec; InterRegional 26 min 30 sec / 35 min; PDF Tavira times are departures, including station dwell, accessed 12 October 2026.

25. Vamus route 47 complete operator PDF (effective 9 September 2024), compared with TRENMO GTFS version 25 September 2026 for 12–18 October, 26 October–1 November and 2–8 November 2026; Lagos Terminal, Sagres Porto da Baleeira and Cabo S. Vicente, both directions, accessed 12 October 2026.

26. TRENMO Vamus GTFS version 25 September 2026: all six directed pairs between Lagos Terminal, Sagres Porto da Baleeira and Cabo S. Vicente, all 21 checked dates; public holidays and seasonal columns considered separately, accessed 12 October 2026.