Is Lagos Portugal Worth Visiting?

Asking yourself “Is Lagos Portugal worth visiting?” Then you’re in the right place!

While I love Lagos and will tell you that “YES! Lagos is worth visiting!” it might just not be your cup of tea.

So in this post, I’ll briefly go through the pros and cons of visiting Lagos before listing the reasons to visit and reasons why you might not want to visit.

This way, you can make a sound decision whether it’s the right vacation destination for you or no.

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Is Lagos Portugal worth visiting?

Pros

• Quaint old town
• Spectacular beaches
• Beautiful coastline
• plenty of restaurants and bars
• great nightlife
• plenty of activities

Cons

• gets very crowded in the summer

Reasons to visit Lagos Portugal

Spectacular beaches

The beaches in Lagos are nothing but spectacular and easily some of the prettiest beaches in the Algarve with coves and tunnels through the rock taking you from beach to beach, and not to mention the picturesque bridge at Los Estudantes Beach.

Other favorites are Dona Ana Beach and Camilo Beach which are both on the way to Ponta da Piedade and easily reached by walking the boardwalk.

If you’re looking for a long beach without steps or rocks, don’t worry, Meia Praia is the perfect spot for a long day relaxing in the sun.

With such a variety in beaches, Lagos is among the most sought-after beach towns in Portugal.

Beautiful coastline

When mentioning the beaches, it’s only fair to talk about the insanely beautiful coastline of Lagos. Besides all the coves, hidden beaches, and tunnels taking you further along, Lagos is home to one of the most epic rock formations in Algarve. Ponta da Piedade.

With rock formations jutting 20 meters above the water’s surface, it’s the perfect place to go for a kayaking tour or a boat tour to see the famous coast.

However, if you prefer to keep your feet dry, there’s a newly built boardwalk taking you all the way out to Ponta da Piedade.

It’s a beautiful 30-minute hike one way, though I do recommend stopping by the beaches of Dona Ana and Camilo as they are just breathtaking. Visiting these spots are definitely amount the best things to do in Lagos.

Lively old town

Lagos Old Town is lovely with plenty of restaurants and bars and even a whole lot of vegan (-friendly) cafés and eateries which I always welcome.

I love that the town center has pedestrian streets and even in the streets where there are cars, it’s mostly just locals driving to and from their homes.

There’s always something going on and besides, you can explore some of Lagos’ attractions, like the churches and the old city walls. Lagos is easily one of the most beautiful towns in Algarve.

Great shopping

Lagos is actually also great for shopping. There are plenty of boutique shops in the old town where you can find unique handicrafts, clothes, and local goods.

I love browsing the small shops as I always find something special. But there are also markets in Lagos, I like the stalls along the seaside towards the marina. They’re usually there during late spring and summer.

Plenty of water activities

Lagos is a haven for water activities! I love that you can go kayaking or paddleboarding straight from town and there are many cool boat trips too.

If you’re in Algarve to surf, Lagos will not disappoint. It’s a great hub for exploring the western Algarve surf spots and it’s even easy to reach sites further up the west coast like Aljezur.

Great nightlife

Lagos is also great if you’re looking for good nightlife. While it has been a few years since I was chasing Lagos’ night clubs, I still enjoy a good bar with live music.

And there are plenty. I assure you that with so many places to choose from, you’ll find something that caters to your taste.

Sunny weather all year round

With it’s fantastic location in southern Portugal, one of the main reasons to visit Lagos is the weather. With over 300 days of sun a year, it’s a great destination year round and it’s one of the most popular destinations in Europe for winter sun.

I’ve been to Lagos all different times of year, even in the rain, because, let’s be honest. Even Lagos needs some rainwater. But altogether, it’s a very sunny place in Europe!

Reasons not to visit Lagos

It gets very crowded in summer

Ok, so crowded is a synonymous to the Algarve in the summer, but Lagos is one of the most busy and popular summer destinations in Portugal.

Needless to say, there are less crowded places on the Algarve. Personally, I try to visit Lagos between October and May which is when I think it’s the most pleasant to be there.

Travel safety

Portugal is one of the safest countries in the world to travel to, and so is the Algarve. But if you look at the crime rates over the last 3 years, it has increased, even though it’s still fairly low in the big picture.

This matches my feeling when I’ve visited Lagos the last few years too. There are more drug addicts and alcoholics on the streets who have made me feel uncomfortable than what it’s been before and definitely more than I’ve experienced in other places in the Algarve.

That said, assault is rare in Lagos. But you should be careful with your belongings as petty crime might occur as any other crowded tourist hub. Besides, it’s one of the places on the Algarve where there are quite a lot of cars being broken into.

To prevent this, make sure you don’t leave any valuables visible in your rental car. Even a couple of Euros can be enough for someone to break the glass, so better be safe than sorry.

Altogether, I’ve never felt unsafe in Lagos, but considering I’ve noticed a change over the last few years, I think it’s worth mentioning.

If this is a dealbreaker for you, I’d consider nearby Alvor or Tavira in eastern Algarve.

Summing up: Is it worth visiting Lagos Portugal?

Summing up, Lagos is a fantastic destination. The only downsides I can think of are how it gets insanely crowded in the summer and how I’ve noticed more dodgy people frequenting the streets the last few years.

For me, this isn’t a dealbreaker. I love Lagos and the town has so much to offer that more than balances the minuses for me.

Is it right for you, though? Whether you decide to det Lagos as your travel destination or any other town on the Algarve, happy travels!