Free itinerary
The perfect 7-day Portugal itinerary — the way we actually travel it
We're the family behind @our_adventures_in_portugal, and this is the route we send to everyone who asks. One week, three regions, no tourist-trap detours.
The route at a glance
Lisbon (2 nights) → Alentejo coast (1) → Costa Vicentina (1) → West Algarve (1) → Central Algarve (1) → depart Faro or Lisbon. Total driving: about 7 hours across the week. Best months: April–June and September–October.
How many days do you need in Portugal?
Seven days is enough for one half of the country, not all of it. This route covers Lisbon and the south coast, which is the easiest first trip: short drives, warm sea, one airport in and another out. If you want Porto and the Douro as well, you need ten to fourteen days — trying to fit both into a week means five hours of motorway you will not enjoy. With five days, drop the Costa Vicentina night and go Lisbon → Sagres → Lagos.
Day 1–2 · Arrive, no car needed
Lisbon — but the local side
Skip the Baixa crowds after your first morning. Base yourself in Graça or Campo de Ourique, ride tram 28 before 9am, watch sunset from Miradouro da Senhora do Monte instead of the packed castle, and eat dinner at a tasca where the menu is handwritten. Day-trip option: Sintra at opening time, not midday.
- Morning one: walk Alfama downhill from Largo das Portas do Sol, before the tour groups arrive around 10am.
- Afternoon: Time Out Market is fine for one lunch, but Mercado de Campo de Ourique is where locals actually eat.
- Sintra day trip: book Pena Palace tickets online for the first slot (9:30am) and take the 434 bus up, walk down through the gardens.
- Don't drive in central Lisbon. Pick the car up on the morning you leave — parking is expensive and the trams win every argument.
Where to sleep: Graça, Campo de Ourique or Príncipe Real
Day 3 · ±2h driving
Lisbon → Alentejo coast
Pick up your rental car and head south across the 25 de Abril bridge. Stop at Cabo Espichel for the cliff views, then on to Porto Covo or Vila Nova de Milfontes for the night. This stretch — the Costa Vicentina — is the Portugal most itineraries drive straight past.
- Route: Lisbon → A2 → Cabo Espichel (±50 min) → Comporta for lunch → Porto Covo. Tolls on the A2 are around €10.
- Swim stop: Praia da Ilha do Pessegueiro, a short walk from Porto Covo with the fort island offshore.
- Evening: the Rota Vicentina fishermen's trail starts here — the first clifftop kilometre at sunset is worth the walk.
Where to sleep: Porto Covo or Vila Nova de Milfontes
Day 4 · ±1.5h, slow on purpose
Costa Vicentina — the wild coast
Beach-hop south: Praia da Samoqueira, Almograve, Zambujeira do Mar and the dramatic cliffs at Cabo Sardão where storks nest on sea stacks. Overnight in Odeceixe or Aljezur. Dinner is grilled fish and vinho verde — this coast does it better than anywhere.
- Cabo Sardão is the one stop people remember: white storks nesting on sea stacks above the Atlantic. Free, never crowded.
- Odeceixe beach sits where a river meets the sea — calm water on one side, waves on the other, which makes it the best family beach on this coast.
- This coast is windy in the afternoon. Swim before 1pm and walk the cliffs after.
Where to sleep: Odeceixe or Aljezur
Day 5 · ±1h
West Algarve — surf country
Arrifana, Amado and Cordoama are the beaches where Portugal's surf families spend their summers. Even if you don't surf, the cliff walks are world-class. Sleep near Sagres and catch sunset at Cabo de São Vicente — the southwestern tip of Europe.
- Beginner surf lessons run daily at Amado and Arrifana; most schools charge around €35–45 for a group lesson with board and wetsuit.
- Cabo de São Vicente sunset gets busy from about 45 minutes before — arrive early, bring a jacket, the wind is real.
- Fortaleza de Sagres is a short, flat clifftop loop that works well with children.
Where to sleep: Sagres, Carrapateira or Vila do Bispo
Day 6 · ±1.5h
Sagres → the golden coast
Head east along the south coast. Kayak into the Benagil cave early (before 10am beats the flotillas), swim at Praia da Marinha — Portugal's most photogenic beach — and overnight in Ferragudo or Carvoeiro instead of busy Albufeira.
- Benagil: boat and kayak trips leave from Benagil and Praia de Carvoeiro. Book the first departure of the day — by 11am it is a queue on the water.
- Praia da Marinha has a clifftop path (Percurso dos Sete Vales Suspensos) — even 20 minutes of it gives you the view from the postcards.
- Lagos is the liveliest option for dinner; Ferragudo is the prettiest and quietest.
Where to sleep: Ferragudo, Carvoeiro or Lagos
Day 7 · ±2.5h to Lisbon
Eastern Algarve or back to Lisbon
If you fly from Faro: spend the morning on the sandbar islands of the Ria Formosa from Olhão. If you fly from Lisbon: take the A2 motorway back with one last stop at Évora for lunch in the Alentejo wine country. Either way, end with a pastel de nata.
- Faro departure: the ferry from Olhão to Ilha da Armona takes about 15 minutes and costs a few euros return.
- Lisbon departure: Évora adds roughly 30 minutes to the drive and gives you a Roman temple, a walled old town and Alentejo wine.
- Leave three hours before a Lisbon flight — the A2 backs up on Sunday afternoons.
Where to sleep: Departure day
What a week costs
Rough 2026 ranges for two people travelling this route outside high season. The low column is what we pay as residents who cook and stay simple; the high column is a comfortable holiday with hotels and restaurants.
| Item | Simple | Comfortable |
|---|---|---|
| Rental car (5 days, small automatic) | €150 | €350 |
| Fuel + motorway tolls for this route | €90 | €130 |
| Accommodation per night (double room) | €60 | €180 |
| Lunch at a local tasca (per person) | €8 | €15 |
| Dinner with wine (per person) | €15 | €35 |
| Benagil boat or kayak trip (per person) | €25 | €45 |
The best time of year to drive this route
April–June
Our favourite. Warm days, green hills, wildflowers on the Alentejo coast, sea still fresh. Everything open, nothing full.
July–August
Hot, busy and expensive in the Algarve. Book beds months ahead, start beach days before 10am, and expect crowds at Benagil.
September–October
Warmest sea of the year and far fewer people. The best compromise if you can only travel outside spring.
November–March
Quiet and cheap, with real rain days. Great for Lisbon and walking, less so for a beach-led route like this one.
Check the current forecast for each stop before you lock in beach days.
Practical things we wish someone had told us
- Tolls. Most Portuguese motorways are electronic. Ask the rental company for a toll transponder — it saves you paying at post offices later.
- Automatic cars. Rare and expensive here. If you can't drive a manual, book months ahead.
- Beach parking. Small west-coast car parks fill by 11am in summer. Arriving early is the whole trick.
- Lunch times. Kitchens in small villages run roughly 12:00–15:00 and 19:00–22:00. Outside those hours you get a sandwich, not a meal.
- Cash. A lot of tascas and beach bars are still card-shy. Keep €50 in the glovebox.
Get our free hidden-gems map
Every stop on this itinerary is pinned on our Google Maps list — plus 50+ beaches, tascas and viewpoints that didn't fit in one week. Free, straight to your inbox.
Want it fully planned?
The Road Trip Guide has 7, 10 and 14-day routes
Four ready-made routes with exact driving times, where to stay per night, GPS links for every stop and rain-day backups — 26 pages, €29, VAT included.
See the Road Trip GuideKeep planning
- Free trip planner — answer five questions and get a route built around your dates.
- The best beaches in Portugal — the ones we go back to, by region.
- The best places to visit in Portugal — every region, and the right season for each.
- Portugal with kids — calm beaches, short drives and rain-day plans.
- Weather for every stop — before you book beach days.