Memmo Baleeira
Why we like it: A hotel above the Baleeira harbour in Sagres, with sea-facing rooms and suites, a spa with an indoor pool and a wood-oven restaurant.
Duration2 nights
From LisbonAbout 3 h by car
From Huelva2 h 25 by car
ActivitySurf lesson, from €45
Getting aroundBy car
Best timeMay – Jun · Sep – Oct
The plan
The plan, hour by hour
Designed to leave Lisbon on Friday at 16:00 and return on Sunday afternoon. The surf lesson runs from May to October; outside that period, swap Saturday morning for the Trilho dos Pescadores. From Huelva or Seville it works the same: you leave at the same Spanish time and arrive earlier, because in Portugal it is an hour earlier.
Friday
- 119:15Arrival in Sagres
Leave your luggage at the Pousada Sagres, on Ponta da Atalaia, opposite the fortress. Dinner in the village or at the pousada's restaurant.
Saturday
- 110:00Surf lesson at Arrifana
About 40 minutes to the north. Arrifana Surf School has a hut on the sand from May to October: the 2-hour group lesson costs from €45 booked on its website, and the 3-hour one, €65. They give you board and wetsuit; being able to swim is enough. The time can move with the tide: confirm it the day before.
- 213:00Lunch at Várzea Horta & Bistrot
On the way out of Aljezur, with a big terrace and local produce: pork cheeks, prawns à Brás and sweet potato bonbon. Lunch from 12:30 to 15:00; closed on Tuesday and from January to March. Book on its website.
- 316:00Rest in Sagres
Go back to the hotel along the coast road. The Pousada has an outdoor pool.
- 4at sunsetCabo de São Vicente
Ten minutes from Sagres. The 1846 lighthouse, the cliffs and the sun falling into the sea. The car park is free; bring a coat, because it is very windy.
Sunday
- 19:30Sagres Fortress
Opens at 9:30; admission €10. The wind rose, the prince's church and the 2 km trail along the edge of the headland. A good hour and a half.
- 211:45Praia do Amado
Along the coast road to Carrapateira: an open beach between cliffs, with surf schools on the sand. Walk along the shoreline.
- 313:30Lunch at Quarenta & Quatro
In Alfambras, at the Barranco da Fonte accommodation. On Sunday it is open from 9:00 to 21:00: octopus cataplana with sweet potato, monkfish rice and almond tart. Order the cataplana by phone. Closed on Wednesday and from 15 December to 15 January.
- 415:30Heading back
Via Aljezur towards the A2. You reach Lisbon around 18:30.
The Costa Vicentina is the Atlantic side of the Algarve: slate cliffs, beaches open to the waves and almost nothing built, inside a natural park that runs from the Alentejo to Cabo de São Vicente. From Lisbon it is about three hours of motorway south, just right for leaving on Friday afternoon and sleeping in Sagres. This plan makes a surf lesson at Arrifana the centrepiece of Saturday, saves sunset for the cape and leaves Sunday for the fortress and a long lunch before heading back.
How do you get there from Lisbon?
By car. You cross the 25 de Abril Bridge and head south on the A2 towards the Algarve; at the junction with the A22 you continue towards Lagos and from there to Sagres along the N125. The A2 has a toll; the A22 has not since January 2025. Allow about three hours to Sagres. For the return, the most direct route from Alfambras is to go up through Aljezur towards the A2. From Huelva it is two and a half hours via Ayamonte and the A22; from Seville, a little over three.
Where to sleep?
Sagres is the most convenient base: the cape and the fortress are minutes away and Arrifana about 40. The Pousada Sagres is opposite the fortress, with rooms with sea views, an outdoor pool and free parking, from €84 a night according to its website; it accepts dogs of up to 15 kg in some rooms. If you want a spa, the Memmo Baleeira, above the harbour, has an indoor pool, sauna and restaurant.
| Where | Who it suits | |
|---|---|---|
| Pousada Sagres | Opposite the fortress | Car, pool, small dog |
| Memmo Baleeira | Above Sagres harbour | Spa and harbour views |
Outside the surf season
From November to April the Arrifana hut is not on the sand. Swap the lesson for the Trilho dos Pescadores between Aljezur and Arrifana, about 17 km of sand and cliff, or do just the last stretch to the bay. With a winter sea, watch the surf from above: Amado and Arrifana get the big waves.
Map
The stops, in order
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Plan the trip
Costa Vicentina, step by step
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
When to go to Costa Vicentina
J
F
M
A
M
J
J
A
S
O
N
D
Best timeGood timeLow season
How you travel
The same break, your way
The plan stays the same. What changes is where you sleep, how you get there and how much you spend.
The Costa Vicentina by car, beach to beach
The coast is long and the beaches lie at the end of minor roads: a car lets you link Odeceixe, Arrifana, Amado and Sagres in a weekend. From Huelva it is two and a half hours to Sagres by the A22, which has had no toll since 1 January 2025.
80–150 €per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayPousada Sagres, facing the fortress…
- Getting aroundA22 to Lagos and N125…
- Where to eatThe restaurants of the two…
- ServicesThe A22 has been free…
Where to stay
- Pousada Sagres, facing the fortress, with free parking
- Memmo Baleeira, above Sagres harbour
Getting around
- A22 to Lagos and N125 to Sagres; N268 north to Carrapateira and Aljezur
- Car parks beside the beaches: in summer they fill before 11:00
Where to eat
- The restaurants of the two hotels, with sea views
Services
- The A22 has been free since 2025; other Portuguese motorways still have electronic tolls, so check how to pay if you carry on to Lisbon on the A2
Sagres with views, spa and sunset
The south-western tip of Portugal has two well-kept places looking out to sea. Sleeping in Sagres lets you watch the sunset at the cape without a road home.
From €180per person per day, approximate
- Where to stayMemmo Baleeira, with sea-facing suites…
- Getting aroundTen minutes by car to…
- Where to eatThe Fornaria at Memmo Baleeira…
- ServicesSea and cycling experiences at…
Where to stay
- Memmo Baleeira, with sea-facing suites and spa
- Pousada Sagres, facing the fortress, with a pool
Getting around
- Ten minutes by car to Cape St Vincent
Where to eat
- The Fornaria at Memmo Baleeira, with a wood-fired oven
- Viagem aos Sabores, at the pousada
Services
- Sea and cycling experiences at Memmo Baleeira
How much does it cost?
People2
Nights2
Where to stay
Where to stay if you're drivingin style
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Pousada Sagres
Why we like it: A hotel on Ponta da Atalaia, opposite the Sagres fortress, with sea-view rooms, an outdoor pool and free parking. Small dogs allowed.
From €84
View details
Barranco da Fonte
Why we like it: Family rural guesthouse in Alfambras, inside the natural park, with six houses with kitchens, four suites, a pool, a hot tub, padel and a restaurant. The Rota Vicentina passes in front.
Where to eat
Where to eat in Costa Vicentina
Quarenta & Quatro Restaurant
What to order: if you are walking, an orange juice and a slice of almond tart; for a proper meal, order the cataplana or the monkfish rice in advance.
Várzea Horta & Bistrot
What to order: the pork cheeks or the prawns à Brás, and for dessert the Aljezur sweet potato bonbon.
Roots Aljezur
What to order: the sweet potato waffles and a fresh juice; for lunch, a salad or the soup of the day.
Tips
Worth knowing first
Local tip
Leave the cape for Saturday: if the day turns out cloudy, on Sunday you have another chance before heading back.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take from Lisbon to Sagres?
About three hours by car along the A2 and A22.
Do you need experience for the surf lesson?
No. The group lesson is for starting from scratch; you only need to be able to swim.
How much does the Sagres Fortress cost?
General admission costs €10. It is open from 9:30 to 17:30.
Can it be done without a car?
It is not practical: the buses along the coast are few and the plan links places far apart.
Can you go with a dog?
The Pousada Sagres accepts dogs of up to 15 kg in some rooms, for a supplement.