Portugal is a country that offers a wide range of tourist activities, making it a go-to destination for travelers from all around the world. There are incredible tours, especially in the water, from kayaking through stunning caves to sailing along the beautiful coastline! Portugal is the best place to visit, especially in the summer. If you’re planning a trip to Portugal, be sure to visit Lagos, a charming town located in the southern part of the country. Lagos is known for its amazing beaches, stunning cliffs, and breathtaking natural beauty. It this article, we’ll explore the best things to do in Lagos, Portugal, including water activities, tours, and tourist destinations that are sure to make your trip unforgettable.

Click below for a trailer of your trip!

BEST THINGS TO DO IN LAGOS!

I was only in Lagos for the weekend, but here are the four things that you HAVE to do in Lagos!

Side note: I am usually not one for tours. I like to do my own thing. However, these were both 10/10 experiences! I highly recommend them!

SAILBOAT TOUR

Out of my entire summer in Europe, this singular experience has remained my favorite! I convinced a few of my friends to book it with me the morning of, and it will be a core memory for the rest of my life! This was the best tour in Lagos by far!

It is a two hour long sailboat tour. You hop on the sailboat with a few crewmen and all your buddies. After setting sail, you cruise along the incredible cliffs and rocks of Lagos, watching the seagulls fly and the kayaks speed by. The tour guide chats and brings drinks! You can walk around, take fun little pictures, or simply lay in the sun and enjoy the view! After a little while of sailing, the sailboat drops anchor a little ways out, and the group is divided into two. The first group gets into a smaller motorboat and explores the caves and the cliffs with a tour guide! You learn all about the different names of the cliffs. Our guides told us stories about jumping off of the huge rocks (which, technically, you can, but there may or may not be a 500 euro fine hehe, so definitely don’t). 

After finishing the motorboat tour and returning to the boat, you get to hop into the water and swim around in the ocean with all the cliffs! Our captain and crewmen were SO AWESOME! So nice and funny! They let us control aux, and so as we were swimming around and jumping off the side of the sailboat, Mamma Mia and Taylor Swift were blaring across the ocean from the speakers! 

We then got back into the boat and laid in the sun until we sailed home 🙂

This tour is around 30 euros a person, but it is 100% worth it! 

KAYAK TOUR

If you’re wanting a water activity that’s a bit more active than sailing, you can do this kayak tour! I did this tour in Lagos with all of my classmates from my study abroad, and it was SO FUN! We loaded up onto two boats and zoomed over the water towards the huge cliffs and rock formations. Our guide helped us into our kayaks, and then we followed him around through the cliffs, around the rocks, and into the caves. We learned the history of the cliffs, and our guide taught us even more about the culture in Portugal! We also got to jump off of this boat and swim around after the tour! One of the boats was a double decker with a huge speaker, so we swam and jumped and danced our hearts away until it was time to go home!

CLIFFS

About a 30 minute drive from Lagos are some of the most incredible cliffs! You can find them at the very tip of Portugal, along with a cool restaurant overlooking the ocean and a castle! You can climb down and around the cliffs and explore! It’s called Farol do Cabo de São Vicente! A must-visit for sure.

BEACHES

The beaches in Lagos are incredible! The water is perfect, and there are huge cliffs and rocks everywhere that you can hike through and explore. Which beach you choose really just depends on your preference. The closest beach to the center of town (and probably the easiest to access) is Praia de São Roque. This is a long and beautiful beach full of golden sand! 

If you’re in the mood for a small hike to some big cliffs and incredible secluded beaches, head to one of the following.

• Praia dos Estudantes 
• Praia Dona Ana
• Praia do Pinhão
• Praia do Camilo
• Praia da Balança

OTHER

If you’re on the beach and feeling hungry, there’s a great restaurant right on the beach called Linda the Beach Bar!.

For a great night out, head over to Inside Out, a great discoteca not far from the beach in downtown Lagos.

If you happen to be there during the month of June, check the schedule to see when the annual Summer Festival is. I accidentally stumbled upon it while exploring the streets of Lagos by myself. After hearing music, I followed it and discovered a huge square with a concert, people in costumes, and a ton of dancing. I hopped in the middle of the dance circle and danced the night away with all of the locals. Another core memory for sure!