Lagos

Walls, grottoes and Cape St Vincent over three days

Lagos repays three days: the walled town, the harbour fort and the Mercado de Escravos museum on day one with sunset at Ponta da Piedade, a boat or kayak trip into the grottoes on day two, and a drive west to Sagres and Cape St Vincent on day three. The museum marks Europe's reported first slave market of 1444.

Day one belongs to the town. Start with a coffee by the harbour while the fishing boats unload, then walk out to the Forte da Ponta da Bandeira at the harbour mouth. The Igreja de Santo António is a few minutes inside the walls, and the Mercado de Escravos museum, small and sobering, stands where Europe's first slave market is said to have been held in 1444. In the late afternoon, follow the cliff road south past Praia do Camilo to Ponta da Piedade and stay for the evening light on the lighthouse.

Spend day two on the water. A morning boat or kayak trip slips into the arches and grottoes below the headland; afterwards, swim at Dona Ana or Camilo, or cross the footbridge to Meia Praia if the coves are packed. On day three, drive the N125 west through Luz, Burgau and Salema to Sagres, about 30 minutes, and wait for sunset at Cape St Vincent. Keep one evening in the old town for piri piri chicken and a glass of medronho.

Piri piri, sardines and medronho

Order frango piri piri, chicken grilled over charcoal and brushed with chilli oil, and in summer sardinhas assadas with potatoes and salad. Bacalhau is on almost every menu. Visit the harbour fish market early to see what is in season, and finish with medronho, the local strawberry-tree spirit.

Lagos cooks the western Algarve's greatest hits. Frango piri piri, chicken split and grilled over charcoal, then brushed with chilli oil, is the dish visitors chase, and some grill houses do little else. In summer the smell of sardinhas assadas on small doorstep barbecues drifts through the residential streets, and local restaurants serve them simply with potatoes, salad and bread. Bacalhau, the salt cod Portuguese cooks claim to prepare a different way for every day of the year, turns up on almost every menu.

Go to the harbour fish market early for a sense of what is in season. In July and August the best family-run restaurants in the old town are booked several days ahead, so reserve as soon as you arrive; out of season the same places are quieter and keener to please. After dinner, order medronho, a clear, fiery brandy distilled from the fruit of the strawberry trees that grow in the Algarve hills. Many old-town bars cater to a young backpacker crowd, so pick a side street if you want to talk.

Sea wind, dry summers and quiet winters on the cliffs

Visit Lagos in May or October for cliff walking, with highs around 22°C and far fewer people. July averages 27°C with almost no rain and August peaks near 28°C, when coves fill by mid-morning and boat trips sell out. The sea stays cool all summer, and the west wind freshens the cliff tops.

The western Algarve has a long, dry summer. July averages a high of 27C with essentially no rain, August peaks around 28C, and June and September sit near 26C with only a few millimetres of rainfall between them. The sea lags behind the air and stays cool even in August, while the Atlantic wind from the west can make the cliff tops feel fresher than the thermometer suggests. Midsummer is also when Lagos is fullest: coves are crowded by mid-morning, boat trips sell out and the old town's bars run late.

May and October suit cliff walking best, with highs around 22C and far fewer people on the path. Winter is mild: January highs are about 15C, and December is the wettest month at around 87 mm. Some restaurants and guesthouses close between November and March, but those that stay open make an effort, and the headland is almost empty. For warm water, sunshine and space on the sand, aim for June or the second half of September.