Top 20 Things to Do in Lagos, Portugal

Lagos is a famous coastal town down in the Algarve region and it is one of Portugal’s most beautiful coasts in our opinion.

Lagos is known for its amazing beaches and great weather throughout the year – even in December you can get +20 Celcius. That’s just one of the reasons why there are so many things to do in Lagos, Portugal.

It’s not just a place to relax by the beach of a Portuguese coastal town – it is a place for soul searching, water sports, and amazing food and drinks!

It is no wonder that it is one of the best cities to live in as a digital nomad.

After spending a few months in Lagos, we’ve created a list of activities, food places, and tours you can do in Lagos.

We hope this list will give you an idea of what to expect when visiting Lagos and help you plan your trip as much as we did!

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What to do in Lagos, Portugal

#1 Enjoy a coffee at Black and White coffee shop

• Black and White Instagram
• Black and White Tripadvisor reviews

It’s always good to know the best coffee shop wherever you go, right? Lagos has a few good coffee shops but Black and White takes the cake. It’s located right in the heart of Lagos and they have bomb coffee and a really good menu with some great vegetarian-friendly food.

We’d usually stop by in the morning before it gets too busy since lunchtime and the afternoon can get quite busy. A fun fact about Black and White is that it’s actually owned by an Aussie and sometimes you’ll even hear Aussie baristas working behind the counter. It is very much an expat cafe right in the heart of Lagos. 

If you’re looking for a proper cafe to get your day started or just want some yummy cafe food then stop by and try their Aussie-style specialty coffee! We hope ya love it!

#2 Go on a Ponta da Piedade kayak tour

If you’re looking for an outdoor activity to do in Lagos then kayaking around the Ponta da Piedade should be on your bucket list! Ponta da Piedade is one of the most beautiful parts of all of Lagos. There are plenty of hidden beaches and caves you’ll see along this tour.

For two and a half hours you’ll be out on the water off the coast of Lagos enjoying the views and cruising along the ocean on your kayak.

It’s especially fun since it is a tour of the coast but you actually still get to kayak and not just sit and watch everything which is nice if you like being active.

You can also hike to Ponta da Piedade if you wish to see this beautiful area from above as well. More on this under activity number #6.

There are a few boat and water tours around Lagos but the kayak one has to be one of our favourites. There’s also the option of renting a kayak yourself and going out for however long you want.

You don’t need to reserve it or anything and can just go directly to Kai Nui Kayak in Lagos and rent a kayak for a few hours.

Here are some of the best-rated Ponta da Piedade kayak tours:

• Ponta da Piedade Kayak Tour
• Lagos Marina: Ponta da Piedade Kayak Tour
• 2-Hour Kayak Cave Explorer Tour

#3 Play mini golf

• Pro Putting Garden website
• Pro Putting Garden reviews

Lagos actually has one of the best mini golfs we’ve ever played. The Pro Putting Garden course is really nice and has 18 holes that are all quite different and unique. There are even frogs statues that run on a sensor and spray water whenever people walk by. So be prepared for them! 

Mini golf is fun if you’re with a few friends or looking for something to do on a sunny day that isn’t just laying on the beach.

It’ll probably take around an hour to play the course. If you like mini golf you’ll have fun at this one. We always try to play mini golf wherever we go and this one’s up there as one of our favourites.

#4 G’s cake and pie shop

• G’s Lagos Facebook
• G’s Lagos reviews

Of course one of the things to do in Lagos is to fill your belly with delicious food! We know it’s not local Portuguese food but good food is worth mentioning and sharing. Wow, G’s Cake and Pie shop is something else!

The best part is they have options for everyone. Veggie, meat, and even sweet pies they have it all. It’s a proper British Pie shop but even Australians and other pie connoisseur countries agree that G’s makes amazing pies! 

So if you’re feeling like a pie and strolling the streets of downtown stop by G’s and feel like you’re in the UK for a while.

#5 Go on a Ponta da Piedade boat tour

Another fun tour where you can get out on the water and see the caves and the beaches around Lagos is by going on a local boat tour of Ponta da Piedade. Usually, the tours are quite small and don’t feel overcrowded at all and you get to really see how beautiful the coast around Lagos is. You can also scan the coastline and some of the most beautiful beaches in Lagos to explore later! 

The boat tours are usually a few hours long. The tours start right from the marina in Lagos and take you out all the way to Ponta da Piedade while going through a few of the inlets and caves before turning back. If you’re lucky you may even see some cool wildlife! 😉

We went with Lagos Grotto Trips which is run by a Danish-Portuguese couple and really enjoyed our tour. Here’s a more in depth post about the boat tour from Lagos to Ponta Da Piedade.

Here are some of the best Ponta da Piedade boat tours:

• 75-Minute Boat Cruise to Ponta da Piedade
• Lagos: 1-Hour 15-Minute Boat Cruise to Ponta da Piedade
• Boat Cruise to Ponta da Piedade

#6 Hike the Lagos Coastal Walk to Ponta da Piedade 

If you know us, you know we like to hike wherever we go! So of course one thing we looked for in Lagos was if there were any hikes or walking trails. Surprise surprise, there is a walking trail in Lagos and it’s absolutely stunning!

We have a whole post about the Ponta da Piedade trail which explains where the trail starts and everything else you need to know.

You can also combine this hike with exploring the beaches around Lagos. Most of the beaches are accessible from this coastal trail and you can just hop off the trail to one of the beaches whenever you want. 

The Ponta de Piedade hiking trail in Lagos is the best trail if you want to go on an actual walk out of the city for a few hours. You’ll pass by some awesome viewpoints and even walk by Praia do Camilo which is one of our favourite beaches in Lagos.

#7 Go on a dolphin boat tour

It’s quite common to see dolphins along the coast of Portugal and especially along the Algarve coast near Lagos. If you want to see these beautiful sea creatures, Lagos is a great place for it.

Dolphin tours run daily from Lagos and the success rate of seeing dolphins off the coast of Lagos is really high. We weren’t kidding when we said there’s a bunch of different water activities and tours to do from Lagos. This is just another great tour you can do from town if you want to get out on the water.

If you’re lucky, you might even see whales too! The whale season in Lagos is from spring to fall so there is plenty of time to watch these beautiful creatures. You can even find Killer Whales in the Algarve region from June through September!

#8 Visit Lagos Marina

If you do end up going on a boat tour or two you’ll more than likely find yourself at the Lagos Marina. It’s the main area where all the boats launch into the ocean in Lagos and it’s a great place to spend an hour or two exploring the marina and the cute cafes and restaurants parallel to it. 

Next to the marina, you can find lots of the boat tours including dolphin watching, kayaking, and the boat tour around Ponta de Piedade. You can walk up to the stands and book your tickets there or you can also book the trips online to guarantee a spot.

You’ll find a little footbridge that will take across the entrance of the marina where you can see all the different variations of boats!

#9 Go Surfing in Lagos Portugal and the rest of the Algarve

If you’re into surfing then you’ve come to the right place! The surf beaches stretch from Faro all the way to the west coast of the Algarve down by Sagres. The west coast by Sagres is by far the most popular area for surfing in Algarve – both for locals and professionals who are looking to catch the best waves. However, you should not underestimate how great the Surfing in Lagos can be! There are some great areas to surf as well.

There are a few surfboard shops in Lagos from where you can rent boards like Magic Board Center and Lagos Surf Rentals. You can also stop by one of the surf schools where you can go ride with an instructor and get a grasp of the waves with the help of a pro.

During the summer months when the Atlantic is nice and toasty is an awesome time to be out on the water practicing to surf.

If you’re looking to take a surf lesson in Lagos, this 2 Hour Surf Lesson at the Beautiful Algarvian West Coast is top-rated!

#10 Spend some time walking around the Old Town of Lagos

If there’s one way to see a city then it’s by getting lost in the historic streets of the old town. We love getting lost in cities when we’re exploring new places. We find that not knowing what to expect sometimes leads to the best surprises!

The old town of Lagos isn’t that big so you can easily walk around it in 30 minutes to an hour but take your time and stop by some of the local shops and restaurants, and see what you find in this historic part of Lagos.

It is a touristy town because of its amazing beaches, boat tours, and good food but it’s also rich in history and lots of the stuff dates back to the 12th century and even further back. If you’re interested in the history of Lagos, you can read more here.

#11 Visit one of the many beautiful beaches in Lagos

You can find a list of all the amazing beaches in Lagos here and let’s just say they’re all worth a visit. Lagos has nudist beaches, student beaches, and all sorts of beautiful golden sand beaches.

You can easily walk to most of the beaches in Lagos which we absolutely love. The coastal walk to Ponta de Piedade is the easiest way to get to most of the beaches.

Praia dos Estudantes is one of the closest beaches to town and a great place if you want to relax and read a book. If you’re looking for the biggest beach then head to Praia de Dona Ana. Dona Ana is a great beach to swim and relax with a few restaurants and cafes near the beach. 

Our favourite beach has to be Praia do Camilo, though, which is the one you can see in the pictures above. It’s a bit further to get to from Lagos than some of the other beaches about halfway between Lagos and Ponta da Piedade but it is totally worth the hike out to get there. You can also go there by car if you don’t feel like walking!

#12 Benagil cave tour from Lagos

The Benagil Caves are probably the most iconic part of the Algarve coastline. So not only do you have the coastline right next to Lagos which is stunning and fun to explore you also have the Benagil Caves you can go explore. The Benagil cave tour from Lagos was probably one of the best tours we went on in the Algarve region.

The caves are not too far away from Lagos and you can get there by car but the best way in our opinion is to go by boat from Lagos. If you don’t want to rent a car or go by bus to Lagoa where the Benagil Caves are located, then the best option is to do one of the tours from Lagos to the Benagil Caves.

Along the way, you’ll see the beautiful coastline and beaches and then end up at the caves where you’ll see the famous Grotte de Benagil before you head back again along the coast. The best part is that the boats actually go quite far into the caves. If you like boats and like being on water you’ll love this tour.

Note: If you’re claustrophobic, this might not be the best tour for you as the boat will go into a few of the caves. We thought it was pretty cool but with the waves moving and being in the small caves, it can get quite uncomfortable if you easily feel claustrophobic.

Other than going on a boat tour to the Benagil Caves, you can also visit the caves by kayak. You can rent your own kayaks from Benagil Beach or you can book a guided Benagil Cave kayak tour.

#13 Try out Pom Pom Bagels

We always try to support local and small businesses wherever we go and we stumbled upon Pom Pom Bagels while exploring the old town of Lagos and really liked it!

This small little bagel shop has fully plant-based bagels and a really cool concept. It’s not every day you find a cute little bagel shop in Europe – and Pom Pom Bagels is the real deal. 

If you’re exploring Lagos between 8am-3pm you can stop by and most likely find Katie, the owner of Pom Pom, serving customers. The business is only two years old but the demand for good bagels in the Algarve has grown so much that this business went from inside a home kitchen to having its own place in old town Lagos.

Click here to check out their reviews on Tripadvisor.

#14 Have some delicious food at The Green Room

It’s not Portuguese food but sometimes if a place is good you just have to try it, right? The Green Room is one of those places! They make absolutely delicious Mexican food and if you’ve already tried some of the local food out and want to switch things up a bit, we recommend you stop by here one day for dinner.

It’s located right in the heart of Lagos like most places so it’s hard to miss if you’re exploring the city. The place gets pretty busy for lunch and dinner simply because most people know how good the food is but you should almost always be able to find a table. 

The combination of good food and just good atmosphere makes it a really good place to enjoy a nice meal.

Check out their Tripadvisor reviews here.

#15 Visit the Lagos Zoo

For being a small city down in the Algarve, Lagos has a really impressive Zoo: Zoo de Lagos. The monkey exhibit is really cool and you’ll see a bunch of different species in large open areas. It looks like they’re on their own little island and completely free!

The zoo itself isn’t as big as some other zoos you’d see around the world but it honestly has a large variety of animals for its size – over 140 animals to be exact.

The zoo is not located right in the city but it’s just a short drive from the center. So if you want to escape and get out of the city for a few hours then the zoo is a good option. You really do feel like you get close to the animals without invading their space which is really nice.

You can book your ticket online through Viator and skip the ticket queue when you get there! Check out the reviews for Zoo de Lagos on Tripadvisor here.

#16 Visit Monte da Casteleja Winery 

Like the Lagos Zoo, Monte da Casteleja Winery is a short drive from the center of Lagos. It’s a small winery that produces about 5000 bottles of wine a year. It has a small seating and sampling area where you can try the locally grown and produced wine.

Their wine is amazing and the staff is so friendly and knowledgeable about the wine. We didn’t try their tapas but apparently it’s good too!

Visiting Monte da Casteleja is a good way to get away from the busy beaches and away from all the crowds. You can easily go there by car, Bolt, or you can even do a guided tour that will take you there and drive you back afterwards.

Monte da Casteleja also has a little getaway hotel. If you’re looking for something a bit more romantic and away from the busyness of Lagos this private accommodation on the vineyard is perfect.

Check out Monte da Casteleja’s reviews on WineTourism here | Check out Monte da Casteleja’s reviews on Tripadvisor here

Recommended: This guided tour is rated 5 stars on Tripadvisor and is likely to sell out. Check the availability here and book your tour in advance!

#17 Visit the Antigo Mercado de Escravos

The Mercado de Escravos is a historic building in Lagos and is actually the site of where the first slave market in Europe took place back in 1444. Not all history is nice but it’s still very interesting to learn about. 

Nowadays the building has been turned into a slave museum and you can learn all about the history of the area and how it was the first slave market in Europe. So if you want to learn about the first expeditions to Africa and how it all started you can find all that information at the Mercado de Escravos. 

Admission is €4 and you can buy your tickets at the entrance.

#18 Join a yoga session in Lagos

Lagos has become a very popular place for yoga, healing, breathwork, and energy work over the years. There’s some great yoga studios in town and even though you’re away from home it’s probably nice to keep up with your yoga. 

It’s also nice to try out new classes and new instructors and Lagos has an ever-growing yoga community.

There is both beach and studio yoga so it just depends on the setting and type of yoga that you’re looking for. You’ll have no shortage of yoga studios to try out in Lagos!

Check out some of the yoga studios in Lagos on Tripadvisor here.

#19 Play Paddle and Tennis 

Another of the many things to do in Lagos Portugal is playing paddle tennis! Paddle is probably one of the fastest-growing sports at the moment and also one of the funniest if you ask us.

If you’re two or four people you can book a time at the local Lagos Tennis Club and rent out a court for an hour or two. Paddle is basically an easier version of tennis that’s fun for everyone and highly addicting. 

Of course, they have standard tennis courts as well if you want to play a game of tennis. But if you love tennis give Paddle a try and let us know what you think because we absolutely love it and love how popular it is in Portugal.

#20 Try stand-up paddleboarding

To say that stand-up paddleboarding (or SUPing) has become VERY popular over the past few years would be an understatement.

Actually, it has become so popular that in 2020 it was announced that SUPing had become the fastest growing watersport in the world.

And we can totally see why! SUPing is super fun and it’s a nice way to spend some time out on the water without it being as wild as when you go surfing for example.

In Lagos, you can rent a paddleboard for around €25 for 4 hours which is the perfect amount of time for the activity in our opinion. Click here to rent a SUP.

Other related questions to Lagos, Portugal

Is Lagos Portugal nice?

Lagos, Portugal isn’t just nice it’s beautiful! Lagos is a coastal town in Portugal’s Algarve region which is one of the most beautiful parts of the country. This coastal town also has an incredible coastline with stunning cliffs and beaches.

Lagos is very very nice! If you love warm weather, good vibe, and an awesome atmosphere then you will hopefully really like Lagos!

Is Lagos Portugal cheap?

Lagos Portugal and the Algarve is one of the more expensive regions in Portugal because of its hype and popularity. Fortunately, restaurants, groceries, public transport, and activities in Portugal in general are still quite affordable.

The one thing you can count on paying a pretty penny for is accommodation and hotels in Lagos. Especially during the summer months, they can get quite expensive.

Is Lagos Portugal touristy?

Lagos Portugal is very well known for being a touristy town. Lots of boat tours, touristy restaurants, and tourist attractions in general are all over Lagos. The city still has a Portuguese charm to it but it is very much a touristy town.

It makes sense though. There’s a bunch of awesome boat tours in Lagos, Ponta Da Piedade coastal walk, and lots of delicious restaurants at affordable prices.

Lagos is one of the most touristy places in Portugal behind Lisbon, Porto, and some towns along Portugals Silver Coast.

You may also like…

• 8 Beautiful Beaches in Lagos You Need to Visit
• How to Explore the Ponta da Piedade Boat Tour in Lagos
• Hiking the Lagos Coastal Walk to Ponta da Piedade
• 5 Awesome Boat Tours to Do in Lagos, Portugal
• The Best Ways to Get From Lisbon to Lagos

Recap of things to do in Lagos, Portugal

As you can see, Lagos is full of awesome things to do!

 Our list of 20 things to do in Lagos gives you a good idea of what there is to do in and around the city since there’s so much more to see than just the beautiful beaches and swimming in the ocean. 

The old town has so much charm and character and some delicious places to eat. The cafes and restaurants mentioned are just a few of the awesome places to eat in Lagos so there’s definitely more to try then what we mentioned. 

The boat tours and day trips you can do from Lagos are also extremely fun! If you want to see some dolphins, caves, or just enjoy some time out on the water you’ll enjoy one of the many trips you can do from Lagos.

Have fun!

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