The coastal town of Lagos is one of the most popular places to visit in the Algarve with amazing beaches, epic cliffs, a cozy old town, and colorful nightlife. This is a Guide to the Best Hotels and Accommodations in Lagos Portugal. Choose the perfect hotel and area for a fantastic holiday in the Algarve.
Don’t miss out on The Best Boat Tours From Lagos!
The three most popular towns to visit in the Algarve are Lagos, Albufeira, and Faro. In season all three of these locations get very busy. Lagos is the smallest of the three and the most authentic Portuguese village with cobblestone streets, famous beaches, and impressive rock structures, The Albufeira Old Town is an authentic area, but the Strip has many nightclubs and bars and has the busiest nightlife and Faro has an airport. Lagos is a great location as a base for exploring the Algarve. Only 15 km away the small beach city of Portimão has a shopping mall and should have most facilities you can not find in Lagos.
Strategically located along the southern coast of the Algarve, Lagos is a small and cozy coastal town. It is not a quiet fishing village, but not a large city. A vibrant, busy town in the season with some of the best beaches and scenery in the Algarve and loads of restaurants and activities. With a picturesque historic center full of bars and restaurants, the city is an excellent option to have as a base during your trip through the region. There are some amazing hotels and apartments to stay in Lagos.
To find the best place to stay in Lagos the most important considerations are the area and your budget. Here we try to make it easy for you to pick both!
In this article, you will find the distances to the nearest beach and supermarket. When you look at these distances with Google Maps make sure you navigate there. Apps like Booking dot com often give you the distance as the crow flies, crossing rivers, etc. 1 km from a beach or supermarket could in reality easily be 3 km.
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Top Places to Stay in Lagos Portugal
Here are our top places to stay in Lagos, Portugal. Luxury to budget, all in great locations with good reviews!
- Best Luxury Hotel – Casa Mãe, a 5-Star boutique hotel, located in Lagos Old Town.
- Apartment (resort) on the Beach – Belmar Spa & Beach Resort overlooks the beautiful Porto de Mos beach.
- Budget Accommodation – Olive Hostel Lagos, historic center, close to Batata Beach.
- Private Apartment – Excellent Apartment in Lagos city center walk to Dona Ana Beach.
The main areas to look for accommodation in Lagos are; Lagos Old Town, Lagos Marina, Dona Ana Beach Area, and Porto de Mos Beach Area.
Lagos Old Town -very central, everything within walking distance.
- Closest Beach – Praia da Batata (Navigation PIN) 650m (5 to 10 minutes walk).
- Closest Supermarket Spar (Navigation PIN) or Pingo Doce (Navigation PIN) depending on location in Old Town 1 km about 10 min walk.
Marina de Lagos – beautiful area, very alive, lots of activities, very central location close to the beach (Meia Praia), Old Town, supermarket (Pingo Doce), bus station, and train station.
- Closest Beach – Meia Praia (Navigation PIN) (10 to 15 minutes walk).
- The closest Supermarket Pingo Doce Marina (Navigation PIN). 5 to 10 minutes walk
Dona Ana Beach – is a nice sandy beach, surrounded by spectacular overhanging cliffs in a classic Algarve Cove within walking distance from the old town. There are several restaurants and accommodation options in the area.
- Closest Beach – Praia Dona Ana (Navigation PIN) Around 500m (5 to 10 minutes walk).
- Closest Supermarket Spar (Navigation PIN) or Pingo Doce (Navigation PIN) depending on location in Old Town 1 km about a 10 to 15 min walk.
Porto de Mos – a long golden sandy beach between cliffs and the ocean located on the north side of Lagos a couple of minute’s drive from the Lagos Old Town. Best beach in Lagos for watersports.
- Closest Beach – Porto de Mos (Navigation PIN) Around 500m (5 to 10 minutes walk).
- The closest Supermarket Intermarche (Navigation PIN) is about 30 min walk.
Lagos Old Town – Stay Central
The historic center of Lagos is a beautiful area with cobbled streets, charming street cafes, and plenty of restaurants. Exploring the vibrant Old Town is fun, and the variety of cool things to do will keep every kind of traveler happy.
Enjoy admiring cool street art, visiting small curiosity shops, and funky surf shops with music playing everywhere. This is a very central area to stay, the center of town is only 700 m from Praia de Batata and Estudantes Beach and 1 km from the Marina de Lagos.
From the historical center, it is easy to walk everywhere; shops, the beach, the marina, the bus station, and the train station are 10 or 15 minutes away. If you arrive by car I will recommend you confirm parking with the facility, since finding a place to park in narrow streets is not always fun. See our detailed guide on exploring the Old Town of Lagos.
Best Luxury Hotel – Casa Mãe, a 5-Star boutique hotel with a pool and garden in an excellent location in Old Town. The hotel is well known for its relaxing and elegant environment, excellent customer service, and fantastic attention to detail.
Mid Range Hotel –Tivoli Lagos is a 4-star hotel featuring spa facilities and a courtyard with a swimming pool. The Algarve-themed décor and ambiance are nice. A restaurant with an outside grill features Portuguese-style cuisine.
Budget Accommodation – Olive Hostel Lagos, is excellent in the historical center of Lagos, and only a 10-minute walk from Batata Beach, accommodation is available in dormitories as well as private rooms. Fantastic ratings.
Apartment (with children) – Two Bedroom Apartment, we prefer to stay in apartments nowadays traveling with a child. It is nice to have a kitchen, laundry facilities, and a bit of outside. – Spacious (110m2), well-equipped apartment. About 10 minute’s walk from the center. Only 1.5 km from Batata Beach.
Two Bedroom Central Apartment Lagos – Large, well-rated 2-bedroom apartment with a good location in the city center.
Marina de Lagos – a Vibrant, Central Area
The Lagos Marina has a great location, these properties are inside the marina. It is near everything, but a bit of a walk to anything, about 10 minute’s walk from the historical center, the beach, and the supermarket.
The Marina has fantastic views of the boats, and plenty of bars, restaurants, and activities right at your doorstep. It looks like it is a bit of an older crowd that enjoys staying here, that still enjoys going out for dinner or to the Marina bars with some live music in season. Meia Praia Beach is located 800m (10-minute walk) from the marina. The Lagos Old Town is about 10 minutes walk on the beautiful promenade from the marina. Plenty of boat tours start in the Lagos Marina. The train station and bus station are both located close by.
Best Luxury Hotel inside the Marina – Marina Club Lagos Resort – modern apartments and studios with a private balcony, a great location in the marina.
Apartment inside the Marina – Lagos Marina Side Apartment, a well-rated apartment with a wonderful location in the Lagos Marina complex beside restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. Well-equipped kitchen, nice spacious, sunny balcony.
Lagos Marina Exclusive Apartment with a Balcony – Central location inside the Marina de Lagos, free parking available on-site, equipped kitchen, and a terrace with lake views.
Meia Praia Area – near the Beach
Meia Praia is the longest beach in the Lagos region, a 4.5-kilometer long, white, sandy blue flag beach that stretches from the Lagos Marina to the Alvor estuary. This beach is not backed by high cliffs typical of Lagos beaches, but by sand dunes. A nice neighborhood is located behind the dunes.
This is a good area for staying on the beach. The beach is perfect for long walks, conditions are calm and nice for swimming most of the time. Meia Praia is generally safe for children with a gradual slope and lifesavers on duty in season. The area is great for kayaking and paddle boarding. When the swell comes into the bay this is a good spot to learn surfing. Not protected by cliffs it can get windy. The majority of restaurants close by are in the Marina de Lagos. Supermarkets and the Old Town are quite far away.
Best Beach Front Hotel – 5-star Iberostar Selection, spa, outdoor pool with panoramic ocean views. Beautiful location right at the beach. Highly rated resort.
Mid Range – The Dom Pedro Lagos is an aparthotel located a quick walk from Meia Praia Beach. The property is situated about 20 min walk from the Marina de Lagos.
Guest House – Guesthouse Our House is located 300 m from Meia Praia Beach, with a sun terrace and views of the sea.
Porto de Mos – on the Beach
One of the largest beaches in Lagos with plenty of parking and good facilities. This is a great beach for watersports, long walks, or sunbathing. Praia Porto de Mos is a beautiful beach backed by yellow sandstone cliffs. The parking and access to the beach are on the same level as the beach, so there are no steep stairs down to this beach. One of a handful of beaches in the Algarve where you park next to the beach.
Porto de Mos is the best beach in Lagos for surfing and body surfing. This is a fantastic spot for sunbathing, playing on the beach, and taking long walks. When there are no waves this is also a nice place for freediving, spearfishing, and paddling.
Some great accommodations are close to the Porto de Mos beach. The location of Porto de Mos is far from town and shops (about 10 minute’s drive). There are some restaurants on the beach. Not impossible to walk to town, but a car is recommended if you stay here. You can easily get by with Uber and taxis. Uber works well in Lagos and is quite cheap over these short distances.
Best Beach Front Luxury Stay – The beautiful Belmar Spa & Beach Resort with a range of luxury apartments overlook the beautiful beach of Porto de Mos. It offers a wide range of luxurious spa treatments and an outdoor pool. 1,2 or 3-bedroom apartments with equipped kitchens and great facilities. Short drive to the center of town. Awesome spot to stay for a beach holiday.
Mid Range – Canavial I & II Apartamentos – modern studios and rooms opening out onto garden terraces located 600 m from Porto de Mós Beach.
Guest House – Bella & Gordinho GuestHouse located 1 km from Porto de Mos beach offers a garden with a furnished terrace.
Torralta – (Dona Ana Beach) Iconic Beaches and Old Town
A quiet neighborhood with plenty of accommodation options to the Western side of Lagos. The area is located around Ponta Piedade and Dona Ana Beach, 10 to 20 minutes walk Old Town, depending on where you stay. Since it is walking distance from several iconic beaches and the middle of the historic center the location is great. To get to the beaches you have to take some steep stairs down the cliff faces to the beach. Near Praia da Batata, Praia dos Estudantes, Dona Ana Beach and Praia do Camilo.
Dona Ana Garden – hotel with excellent location, 200 m from Dona Ana beach, 10-minute walk from the city center. Well rated with large rooms and a heated pool.
Lagos Village – mid-range hotel a 10-minute walk from Dona Ana Beach and a 10-minute walk from the Lagos historical center.
Casinha D’Avó Guesthouse – excellent location a couple of hundred meters from the Old Town and 800 m away from Dona Ana Beach.
Apartamentos Pinhão – great location 150 m from the Pinhão Beach. The center of Lagos is only a 10-minute walk away. Fantastic views, well-rated apartment with a fully fitted kitchenette.
Top Activities in Lagos
- Explore Ponta da Piedade on a kayak trip from Lagos have some fun and see some awesome caves.
- Ponta Piedade Boat Trip – for seeing Ponte Piedade, Dona Ana Beach and Camilo Beach.
- Benagil Caves .Trip– A fantastic trip to explore these fantastic sea caves from Lagos.
- Dolphin watching tour – a 1.5-hour trip from Lagos looking for dolphins with a marine biologist on board.
- All about Surfing in Lagos.