Lagos, Portugal in February: Why We Keep Coming Back
Updated: 11 hours ago
Four years after our first visit to the Algarve, we found ourselves doing something we rarely do on vacation: going back to exactly the same place. In February 2024, we returned to Lagos and, incredibly, to the same apartment overlooking Praia Dona Ana.
We had spent countless hours researching where to go for a winter escape, but in the end, we came to the same conclusion we had reached four years earlier: Portugal in February is hard to beat, and Lagos makes an excellent home base for exploring the Algarve.
There was something comforting about returning. We already knew where to get our morning cappuccino, which beaches we wanted to revisit, and where to go for a sunset. But we were also curious. Had Lagos changed? Would we feel differently about it the second time around?
As it turned out, not much had changed - and that was part of the appeal.
Back to Lagos
The drive from Lisbon to Lagos takes less than three hours on the highway. It's an easy and surprisingly scenic journey, with rolling hills, groves of cork oak trees, whitewashed villages, and those unmistakable white storks perched high on electrical towers.
Faro is another option if you're flying into the Algarve, and from there it's only about a 40-minute drive to Lagos.
As we approached Lagos, everything began to feel familiar. The same roads. The same coastline. The same view of the ocean.
Our apartment was the same one we'd stayed in four years earlier, overlooking Praia Dona Ana, but it had been completely renovated since our first visit. It felt a little like coming home, only better.
Not everything was exactly as we remembered it. A few trendy coffee shops and specialty restaurants had appeared, the town seemed a little busier, and the weather was slightly cooler than we'd experienced in 2020. But the character of Lagos was still there. The surf shops were open, the cafés were busy with locals, and the narrow streets of the old town were as inviting as ever.
And every morning, I had one of my favorite routines: watching the sunrise and then walking from our apartment down to Dona Ana beach and along the coast toward Ponta da Piedade.
Some things are worth repeating.
Why Lagos Makes Such a Good Home Base
One of the things we love about Lagos is that we don't have to choose between having a beautiful place to stay and being well positioned to explore.
Lagos sits in the Western Algarve, making it easy to head east toward Portimão, Carvoeiro and Benagil, or west toward Sagres and Cabo de São Vicente. With a car, we could spend the day exploring somewhere new and still be back in Lagos for dinner.
But the best part is that we didn't always need the car. The historic center is compact and easy to explore on foot. The old town is surrounded by historic walls and filled with narrow cobbled streets, tiled buildings, colorful doors, little plazas, cafés and restaurants. We could wander out in the morning without any particular plan and somehow always find somewhere interesting to stop.
Lagos also has something that becomes especially noticeable in February: a year-round population. Unlike smaller resort towns that can feel almost deserted in the winter, Lagos still feels like a real town. Most restaurants and cafés were open, people were going about their daily lives, and there was enough activity to make the town feel alive without feeling crowded.
That balance is one of the reasons Lagos works so well for us.
The Beaches Are Still the Star
Of course, the coastline is a huge part of the attraction.
To the east of Lagos is Meia Praia, a four-kilometre stretch of golden sand that seems to go on forever. It's one of our favorite places for a long walk, and we couldn't resist returning to Bar Quim for their prawns sizzling in garlic butter.
To the south, the coastline becomes much more dramatic. The cliffs around Ponta da Piedade have been carved by the Atlantic into arches, caves, grottoes and tiny coves.
From Lagos, we walked the coastal route several times, passing Praia dos Estudantes, Praia do Pinhão, Praia Dona Ana and Praia do Camilo before reaching the lighthouse at Ponta da Piedade.
Even though we'd walked it before, it never felt repetitive. The light was different. The ocean was different. And somehow, I still found myself stopping at the same viewpoints to take yet another photo.
Beyond the lighthouse, a boardwalk continues along the cliffs toward Praia de Porto do Mós. We also ventured off the main route a few times, including a return to Praia Canavial, a quiet beach tucked beneath the cliffs and reached by a narrow path and steep steps.
It's one of those places that makes you appreciate how much there is to discover when you slow down.
Seeing the Coast from the Water
Walking the cliffs gives you one perspective but seeing them from the water is something else entirely.
On our first trip, we'd taken a boat tour along the coast, and the experience was memorable enough that I still remembered the captain we'd nicknamed “Jack Sparrow.” He navigated our small boat into caves and grottoes that would have been impossible to reach in a larger vessel.
Some of the rock formations even have their own unofficial names, including Michael Jackson, King Kong and Baby Elephant.
The smaller boats are definitely the way to go if you want to get into the caves and see the coastline from a different perspective. Watching the cliffs rise above you from the water gives you a completely different appreciation for just how dramatic this coastline really is. It also offers a chance to see local fishermen perched atop a cliff with a line in the water far below.
What Lagos Is Like in February
One of the reasons we returned in February was that we already knew what to expect.
The Algarve isn't warm in the way it is during summer, but that's not really what we were looking for. We wanted sunshine, long walks, outdoor lunches and somewhere we could escape the Canadian winter. We got all of that.
Mornings could be cool, but afternoons were often warm enough to sit outside for lunch. The beaches were quiet, and instead of crowds of sunbathers, the coastal paths were filled mostly with walkers and hikers.
We could walk for miles along the coast without the feeling that we were sharing the experience with hundreds of other people. We'd stop for a cappuccino and a pastel de nata, wander through town, and then find somewhere for a leisurely lunch in the sunshine.
Evenings were cooler, so jackets were definitely needed. But after a day of walking in the sun, that didn't bother us at all.
For us, February is one of the things that makes the Algarve so appealing.
Driving the Algarve
Having a car made a big difference to the way we travelled.
Our little rental car took us more than 3,000 kilometres over the course of the trip, including the drive from Lisbon and back, along with countless detours to beaches, villages and places we hadn't planned to visit.
The roads were generally easy to navigate, traffic was light, and the toll highway often felt almost empty. We spent roughly €100 on tolls.
The car gave us the freedom to wake up and decide where we wanted to go that day. Sometimes we had a destination in mind. Other times, we'd see a road or sign that looked interesting and simply follow it. Those unplanned detours were often some of our favorite moments.
Eating Our Way Around the Algarve
One of the great pleasures of spending several weeks in Lagos was having time to eat without feeling as though every meal had to be an event. We found ourselves returning to familiar places and discovering new ones.
In Lagos, we enjoyed seafood at Casinha do Petisco, and our daily ritual of a cappuccino and pastel de nata at Padaria Central quickly became something we looked forward to.
We also revisited some of our favorite places outside Lagos. At Chiringuito Praia da Mareta in Sagres, we once again ordered the Três Delícias do Algarve, a delicious dessert made with layers of carob, almonds and figs. We'd discovered it on our first trip and remembered it four years later, which says something.
We also returned to Pescador in Benagil - and Azur, the terrace restaurant at the Tivoli in Carvoeiro. Good seafood, beautiful views and a leisurely lunch are hard to improve upon.
Perhaps that's another advantage of returning to a place you've already visited. You don't feel the need to check every restaurant off a list. You can simply go back to the places you loved.
Beyond Lagos
On our first trip to the Algarve, we kept our apartment in Lagos while taking a weekend trip to Seville. After a few days in Spain, we returned to Lagos before continuing on to Lisbon for a few nights and then heading home.
On our most recent trip, we embraced the slow-travel approach even more. We stayed in Lagos for a few weeks, then spent a week in Seville and three days exploring Sintra before heading home.
Having Lagos as our base for so long gave us the luxury of not having to rush. We could spend one day hiking along the coast, another exploring a nearby town, and another doing absolutely nothing beyond walking to the beach and finding a sunny patio for lunch.
After our first trip, we knew we liked Lagos. After our second, we realized that we liked staying there slowly.
What Changed; and What Didn't
Returning to the same place after four years gave us an interesting perspective.
There were more coffee shops and restaurants, and Lagos felt a little busier than we remembered. But the things we loved most hadn't changed.
The coastline was still spectacular. The old town was still full of character. The beaches were still beautiful. The surf shops were still open in February. And there was still that relaxed feeling that had made us fall in love with the town in the first place.
Perhaps the biggest change was in us. The first time, we were eager to explore as much of the Algarve as possible. We wanted to see what was around every corner and fit as much as we could into our month.
This time, we were more comfortable slowing down. We already knew that Lagos was worth exploring.
Why We'll Keep Coming Back
Lagos may not be the flashiest destination in Portugal, but for us, that's part of its appeal. It's beautiful without feeling overly polished, lively without being overwhelming, and small enough that after a few days, you begin to recognize familiar streets and settle into a routine.
We didn't expect to become repeat visitors. Yet four years after our first trip, we found ourselves back in the same apartment, walking the same beaches and ordering some of the same meals. And that's probably the best reason I can give for choosing Lagos.
Some destinations are exciting because everything is new. Lagos is special because, even when you've been there before, it still gives you reasons to explore.
If you'd like to see where our love affair with the Algarve began, check out our original 2020 trip, where I share more about the hiking trails, beaches, day trips and adventures that first convinced us that Lagos was something special.
Have you been to Lagos or somewhere else in the Algarve? I'd love to hear what made it special for you, or what's still on your list for next time.
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