Things to do — Algarve

The Algarve offers a far wider range of experiences than the beach alone.

Sea excursions are the flagship activity. From Lagos, Carvoeiro, Armação de Pêra or Albufeira, boats run 2-4 hour coastal circuits including entry into the Benagil cave from the inside, the Algar Seco rock formations and Praia da Marinha seen from the sea — a perspective impossible from the cliff tops. Transparent kayak and stand-up paddle tours let you approach the caves and coves at water level.

Cape Sagres and Cape São Vicente deserve a dedicated half-day. The Sagres Fortress (1459), built by Henry the Navigator, commands the sea on three sides. Cape São Vicente, 6 km away, is the westernmost and southernmost point of mainland Europe — every evening a small crowd gathers to applaud when the sun touches the horizon. The Sagres area is also one of Portugal's finest surf destinations, with breaks suited to all levels.

The Ria Formosa is the great reward of the eastern Algarve. This 18,000-hectare nature park shelters flamingos, avocets and sand lizards. Boat trips from Faro or Olhão serve the islands of Culatra and Armona, where fishermen's restaurants serve clams and cockles pulled straight from the lagoon.

Algarve gastronomy deserves a dedicated focus. Grilled sardines are ubiquitous from June to September — the finest are eaten in the small fishing port restaurants of Sagres, Olhão or Santa Luzia. Cataplana, a seafood stew (clams, prawns, chouriço) simmered in the copper pot of the same name, is the region's signature dish. Tavira wine, little known outside Portugal, is a fresh, mineral white that pairs perfectly with seafood. And Algarve figos — dried figs stuffed with almonds and chocolate — are the essential local sweet.