10 Fun and Unique Things To Do in the Algarve, Portugal

Last Updated on 30th March 2026

ad This post about the best unique things to do in the Algarve is written in collaboration with Jet2holidays and Indulgent Escapes. The post also includes affiliate links; please see my disclaimer for more.

Are you planning a trip to the Algarve in Portugal, but you’re not 100% sure what to add to your itinerary? My huge guide below features some top travel inspiration for the best and most unique things to do in the Algarve!

Portugal is one of my favourite European countries for a summer holiday, so when the awesome team at Jet2 invited me on a press trip to experience another one of their holidays to Portugal, I absolutely jumped at the chance!

Flights from London Stansted Airport to Faro International Airport take less than 3 hours, and the convenient early morning flight times mean that you arrive in the Algarve bright and early to make the most of your day!

As part of our trip, we stayed at the W Algarve with Jet2holidays, which was truly one of the most beautiful hotels I’ve ever stayed in! You can read my complete review of W Algarve here for ultimate hotel inspiration!

If you’re also planning a trip to the Algarve, but you have no idea where to start when it comes to putting your itinerary together, I hope you’ll find my guide to the best unique things to do in the Algarve useful! It includes plenty of foodie recommendations, as well as the best towns and cities to explore in the region, some of the best hikes and beaches in the Algarve, and so much more!

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Looking for more Portugal travel inspiration? Check out my guides below!

Fun and Unique Things To Do in the Algarve

The Algarve is one of Portugal’s most famous regions, with its spectacular hotel resorts, stunning beaches, fresh seafood, dramatic coastlines, and more.

It’s safe to say that I had high hopes for this region, and I’m happy to report that it did not disappoint! The only slight caveat I want to mention is that we visited the Algarve in mid-March, and while it wasn’t necessarily cold, it wasn’t the warmest either.

If you’re planning a trip to Portugal and looking for the best unique things to do in the Algarve, I would suggest planning your trip between April and October in order to get the best chance of clear skies, sunshine, and warm weather!

Of course, the summer months of July and August will be the warmest, but they will also be the busiest due to the summer holidays, so prepare and plan your trip accordingly!

1. Explore the beautiful city of Loulé

One of my favourite things to do in the Algarve is take a little day trip to the beautiful city of Loulé, just a 25-minute drive from Faro, 30 minutes from Albufeira, and one hour from Lagos, making it an easy spot to add to your Algarve itinerary.

Loulé is known for being one of the most creative and culturally-rich parts of the Algarve, with an incredible artist scene, including pottery-making classes, tapestry decorating, weaving, tile painting, tie dyeing, and so much more!

Unfortunately, we didn’t have quite enough time to partake in any of these classes, but we did get a glimpse of the incredible women weaving remarkable creations at Casa da Empreita, as well as spectacular works of art at Teresa’s Pottery.

While in Loulé, we also explored the Mercado Municipal de Loulé; the city’s impressive indoor market, which is home to 26 shops and 78 stalls, selling everything from flowers to fresh fruit to homemade alcohol to local handicrafts to honey, meat, cheese, salt, spices, tea, seafood, and so much more!

The market is open daily from 7 AM to 3 PM, and closed on Sundays. As we were in Loulé on a Saturday, we also got to see the Loulé Saturday Market which is held just outside the Mercado Municipal and boasts even more market stalls.

Bonus: Lunch at Café Calcinha

Café Calcinha isn’t exactly one of the Algarve’s hidden gems, as it’s one of the most renowned restaurants in the region. However, I wanted to include it in my guide to the best things to do in the Algarve as I think it’s definitely worth the visit!

At almost 100 years old (originating in 1929), Café Calcinha is not only one of the best places to eat in Loulé, but it’s also one of the most prestigious and historic cafés in the whole of Portugal!

We were very lucky to be treated to lunch at Café Calcinha while we were in Loulé, and it was an experience that I’d definitely recommend to anyone heading to this part of the Algarve (just be sure to reserve a table if you’re visiting in the peak season, as it gets booked up very quickly!).

We tried a few dishes at Café Calcinha, including their seafood and vegetarian cataplana (a traditional Portuguese seafood stew), as well as their charcuterie boards, salad, and some of their renowned pastries!

2. Take a cooking class at Taberna by Lucia Ribeiro

Continuing on with food as the theme for some of the best unique things to do in the Algarve, head to Taberna by Lucia Ribeiro in Almancil for an epic cooking class experience!

This is actually the first activity we did in the Algarve when we got off the plane in Faro and it was the perfect experience to welcome us to the region!

As part of our cooking class experience at Taberna by Lucia Ribeiro, we made two cataplanas; one meat and one fish, as well as flamed chorizo and garlic carrots as side dishes. Some of the girls also helped make a torta de amêndoa (almond tart) for dessert, and even though I’m not usually the biggest fan of almonds, this was truly scrumptious and probably the best part of the meal, in my opinion!

The wonderful Lucia really encouraged us to get involved in the whole cooking process, and we took part in peeling, chopping, cutting, slicing, stirring, and more! It was so amazing to hear Lucia speak so knowledgeably about everything we were making and she taught us so many valuable cooking skills that I will endeavour to remember going forward with my own cooking!

If a cooking class isn’t your kind of holiday activity, you might be pleased to know that Taberna by Lucia Ribeiro is also a restaurant that you can dine at without taking part in the culinary creations! The menu features plenty of delicious Portuguese specialities, including octopus rice, pork cheeks, salt baked fish, salads, tapas, and more.

3. Hike the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail

The Seven Hanging Valleys Trail is one of the most beautiful coastal hikes in Portugal, and is definitely something you should consider adding to your Algarve itinerary.

The entire trail is 6 km one-way (12 km there and back), and takes approximately 3 hours each way (6 hours round-trip). However, the great thing about the Seven Hanging Valleys Trail is that you don’t have to walk the complete trail in its entirety…

As part of our Algarve itinerary, we started the hike at Marinha Beach viewpoint and then walked to the Benagil Beach lookout point before turning back. This was approximately 4km in total and took us 1 hour and 50 minutes, however, as this was a blogger trip with Jet2holidays, we spent a lot of time stopping and admiring the view (and taking a tonne of photos and videos!).

The part of the walk we did was relatively easy and not too steep. There are definitely more challenging parts of the hike, with loose rocks to clamber over, but I would say that it was easy-to-moderate in terms of difficulty; just remember to pack comfortable trainers or hiking boots!

4. Relax at the beautiful beaches

As I mentioned above, we visited the Algarve in March, so the weather wasn’t as nice as it usually is in the summer months, which meant that we didn’t spend quite as much time on the beautiful beaches as I would have liked.

However, if you are planning to visit the Algarve, especially in the summer months, the beaches in this region are an absolute must! Here are just a few of the best beaches in the Algarve to get you started:

Praia Da Marinha
Praia Do Camilo
Praia da Salema
Benagil Beach
Praia Do Vale Centeanes
Praia Do Carvoeiro

5. Unwind at rooftop bars

There are very few things I love more than a good rooftop bar when I’m travelling, and we were lucky enough to visit a few of the best rooftop bars in the Algarve, including the Pure Formosa Concept Hotel Rooftop Bar and the rooftop at Forno Nero Ristorante at Hotel 3HB.

The Pure Formosa rooftop bar was actually a hidden gem that we stumbled across while exploring Olhão, and we managed to time it perfectly to see the spectacular sunset over the city while we were there. The sparkling sangria was a massive hit, as were the margaritas which were absolutely delicious and so refreshing!

The cocktails we had at the rooftop at Forno Nero Ristorante were also scrumptious and it was a great little spot that had both indoor and outdoor seating (when the weather is warm!).

Bonus rooftop bars in the Algarve:

Rooftop Eva
Cosmopolitan Rooftop Bar
Lagos Avenida Hotel Rooftop
Yolo Lounge
2 Passos

6. Embark on an epic Jeep tour

Another fun and unique thing to do in the Algarve is a Jeep safari experience to explore some of the region’s picturesque villages and local culture.

We did a Jeep tour with Alsafari, which was so much fun, even though we missed quite a bit of the experience as our entire day was running massively behind and it was also torrential rain for the entire day, which meant we couldn’t do some of the usual activities.

We managed to experience a local village and taste some honey, jams, and alcohol at a local farm, but unfortunately, we missed out on swimming in a local river and enjoying the views from a nearby vantage point, all due to a shortage of time and the terrible weather!

However, I would still recommend checking out the tours that Alsafari have to offer, especially if you’re travelling in the better-weather months!

7. Try out the incredible local restaurants

One thing we certainly weren’t short of in the Algarve is delicious food; we ate so well and discovered so many amazing restaurants, cafés, and bars!

Of course, you would need months to explore all of the incredible restaurants that the Algarve has to offer, but if you only have a few days in the region, there are a few certain spots that I would highly recommend adding to your itinerary.

10 Fun and Unique Things To Do in the Algarve, Portugal

Paper Moon is the on-site restaurant at the hotel we stayed at (W Algarve), and is probably one of my favourite restaurants in the Algarve! Everything from the bread starter to the sensational beef and veal tagliatelle to the refreshing sorbet for dessert was all delightful, and I’d highly suggest booking a table at Paper Moon, even if you’re not staying at the W Algarve!

Another one of my favourite places to eat in the Algarve is Forno Nero, the restaurant/rooftop bar at Hotel 3HB. The food here was incredible, particularly the garlic bread, burrata, and the chicken milanese.

Here are a few more restaurants in the Algarve to add to your itinerary:

Taberna by Lucia Ribeiro
Café Calcinha
Casa do Lago
Aqua Chill Seafood Bar & Restaurant

8. Head off on a boat tour

A boat tour in the Ria Formosa is a must-do on any trip to the Algarve as it’s such a great way to see more of the region’s beautiful coastline and waterways.

This tour includes visits to Culatra Island and Cais da Ilha do Farol where you can explore the local island fishing villages, enjoy a delicious seafood lunch, and take in the relaxing summer vibes.

As well as exploring the Ria Formosa Natural Park by boat, there are also many more boat tours that take you on incredible excursions around the coast of the Algarve, including:

9. Wander the streets of Olhão

Olhão is one of the most beautiful places in the Algarve, and while there isn’t a tonne of things to see and do there, I would suggest spending a few hours in Olhão as part of your Algarve itinerary, as it’s such a gorgeous little town.

Here are some of the best things to see and do in Olhão:

Municipal Museum of Olhão
Pure Formosa Hotel Rooftop Bar
Barrio dos Pescadores (Fishermen’s Quarter)
Church Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Rosário

10. Enjoy a wine tasting experience

As well as enjoying rooftop bars, I’m also a huge fan of embarking on a wine tasting experience to discover the local wine in the region that I’m visiting, and a wine tasting experience in the Algarve is a great way to sample the local tipples!

There are many wine tasting experiences located all over the Algarve, and I’ve rounded up some of the very best below!

Bonus unique things to do in the Algarve

If you’re spending longer in Portugal and you’re looking for more fun and unique things to do in the Algave, check out more ideas below!

Conclusion – unique things to do in the Algarve

I hope you found my guide to the best things to do in the Algarve useful and I hope it helps you plan your own Algarve itinerary for your next trip!

Fun and Unique Things To Do in the Algarve, Portugal

Has my guide to the best and most unique things to do in the Algarve convinced you to book a holiday to this beautiful part of Portugal? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram @imjustagirl_16.