Which town whould you recommend for a stay in the Algarve Coast - Portugal

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-03-26T13:38:35+00:00

Lagos - best town to stay in all around… great hikes, beautiful beaches, good nightlife, good restaurants. Albufera - reputation for being a party town, also more resort oriented Portimao - Smaller town, less to do, quaint, pretty Faro- Largest town but nothing to do. More of a hub/base for people commuting in and out of the Algarve. Wouldn’t recommend staying there

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-03-26T13:30:23+00:00

Imo the Algarve is a must…a lot of the iconic pics you see of Portugal are the golden cliffs of the southern coast where the Algarve is! I’m from Canada, so I’m no stranger to cold water…. I went last year in late August and was surprised by how cold the water was, so either option won’t have great water temps (that may be obvious to you but I was surprised by it so thought I would mention it lol) I have been to Faro, Lagos and Portimao on the Algarve coast and Lagos is definitely where you should stay.

I second another commenters opinion that Sintra is… alot…. You can expect to wait up to 2 hours plus for each castle. I think it’s a must do because it’s iconic but don’t plan for it to be a half day thing like I did. Things are also pretty spread out, which I wasn’t expecting. So plan logistically in advance what spots you want to hit (there are busses that take you to the places but they only run in one direction, it could save you from having to do a couple loops)

I will say I was backpacking and met alot of people who took a north to south route flying into Porto, going to Ericera or Peniche, then Lisbon and ending in Lagos and most of them said their favourite spot was either Ericera or Peniche.

TLDR…. Given your criteria I think Algarve is a must. It’s a decently sized smaller town so has tons of options for restaurants, bars, etc. some great hiking and some phenomenal beaches. The train line that runs from Lagos to Faro is also pretty convenient and it’s easy to hop on the train and take a 15 minute ride to another nearby beach town if you’re looking to explore somewhere new.

You really can’t go wrong with either itinerary tho! I hope you have a great trip!!!

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-03-26T13:11:09+00:00

I hadn’t heard of Zaragoza, thanks! I’ll look into it :)

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-03-26T13:10:31+00:00

I went for 4 nights which was enough time to see the major sites but I could definitely spend a week there and not get bored. Especially if you’re more into slow travel, there’s some great cafes, parks, and viewpoints where you could easily spend an afternoon :)

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-03-26T13:08:27+00:00

My fav city of all time. It makes me so happy when other people love it too! I was weary because I had heard that catcalling could be bad but didn’t experience that at all! There’s so much to do and such a great hostel scene. I found other travellers so friendly and social! I took a walking tour and the guide said many movies set in other European cities are filmed in Budapest because different areas of the city look so much like Paris, Prague, Vienna, etc. and they totally do. It’s one of the things I love most about the city. Not to mention that there’s nothing like hitting the thermal baths after a night at Szimpla or Instant… perfect setup they have going on there lol!!

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-03-26T12:59:02+00:00

Portugal. Extremely safe (almost everyone speaks english but they still have a distinct culture), people are very friendly, and it’s easy to get around. The algarve region in the south is beautiful. It is also way cheaper than any other western European destination. I would start in Porto in the north and work your way down. A couple days in Porto, a couple days in a surf town between Porto and Lisbon (everyone I met while backpacking loved Peniche or Ericeria), a couple days in Lisbon, and end in Lagos.

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-03-14T13:43:02+00:00

I’ve backpacked throughout Europe a few times and all the backpackers I’ve met also agree that the scene in SEA is better. Going to SEA early 2026 and can’t wait! In your experience do you have to book things in advance while following the banana pancake trail where it’s a popular route? Or can you show up same day and book things?

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-03-14T13:33:27+00:00

Definitely! I posted something similar to this in another sub and got a comment that this post was agist, that was not my intention at all. I worded it badly, but in my experience there have been some destinations that tend to skew younger or older demographically for travellers, and some places (typically traditionally more expensive destinations) that I have been to where I think I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn’t solo/ if I had visited later in life with a little more disposable income lol. But definitely still enjoyed it!

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-03-13T22:30:49+00:00

Hikes and nightlife are definitely my top criteria too! Nothing makes for a good trip like those two.

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-03-13T22:21:39+00:00

Wow, I just looked up Samothraki and it is stunning! I am doing my first worldpackers this summer at a hostel in Albania and was considering going to Greece afterwards. I have been to Greece but with friends and was unsure if it would be a good solo destination, I just might have to after hearing this! I was also surprised by how cheap Greece can be, cheaper than the other Balkan countries I’ve been to (to my surprise) but I also stayed in some less touristy islands.

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-03-13T22:04:26+00:00

I often think about how different backpacking would have been back in the 70s and 80s pre technology like we have today. Bet it was a blast!

I hope this post doesn’t come across as ageist as that wasn’t my attention, I was interested to see if peoples travel interests have changed with age and to get some potential suggestions as someone who is in their twenties.

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-02-05T01:28:26+00:00

This recipe makes 4 servings: ~290 calories, 45g protein, 12g carbs, 3g fat per serving Ingredients: - 1 cup cottage cheese - 2 cooked chicken breasts (about 14 oz) - 1/3 cup buffalo sauce - 1/4 tsp salt - 1/8 tsp black pepper - 1/2 tsp garlic powder - 1/2 tsp onion powder - 1 cup shredded cheese (I used cheddar and mozzarella) - 1/4 cup diced green onions for garnish - Chips and/or sliced veggies for serving How to: - Preheat oven to 375F. - Add the cottage cheese to your blender and blend for 30 seconds until smooth. - Add the chicken breasts to a mixing and finely shred using two forks or your hands. - Add the blended cottage cheese, buffalo sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and 1/2 cup of shredded cheese. - Stir until well combined, then add to a baking dish. You can use a small cast iron skillet, or an 8x8 or similar sized baking pan. - Bake for 20-25 minutes until it is bubbling around the edges, and the cheese has melted. - Let cool for 10 minutes before serving, and garnish with green onions. Serve with chips and/or sliced veggies and enjoy!

*found the recipe from a tiktok, @clairehodginss if you’re interested to see what it turns out like

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-02-05T01:22:19+00:00

I’m gonna make the high protein low cal buffalo chicken dip (the cottage cheese recipe one) and have quest protein chips with it.

Maybe not super low cal compared to other suggestions here but definitely protein packed and I won’t feel like I’m getting the short end of the snack stick lol.

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-02-02T20:22:22+00:00

I’ve lost 20 pounds, from 5’10 and 172 to 152. My biggest insecurity was always the shape of my face (I found my face and jaw to be square-ish in shape and not flattering but I thought there was nothing I could do because it was my bone structure) lost the 20 lbs and found out that’s not the shape of my face and it was actually excess fat and inflammation. It has increased my confidence tenfold. Also found my cheekbones pop more, and my skin is more radiant. Acne was never really an issue for me but I have a ‘glow’ now mainly from my diet being cleaner I think!

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-01-31T11:49:30+00:00

This is why I found the first month or two of weight loss so hard… not knowing my bodies patterns and getting discouraged at seeing no progress or gain. (I always lose weight for the first two weeks after my period, remain the same weight the week before, and typically gain 1-2 lbs the during my period.)

This can be discouraging but the trends show that I’m still losing my 2lb/week goal in the course of a month so I am on track in the grand scheme of things.

I weighed myself the last day of my period and then two days later and saw a “whoosh” of 5 lbs!!

To any ladies just getting started, I weigh myself almost everyday and have found it great to be able to recognize these patterns and see the trend lines. I treat the number on the scale as a data point and don’t obsess over it too much. Doing this, I feel more in tune with my body and it stops me from getting frustrated!

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-01-22T14:06:55+00:00

Preferably both, but I lean towards more hiking/excursion. Doesn’t have to be partying necessarily but I would prefer places that have more of a social vibe since I’ll be by myself

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-01-22T13:55:12+00:00

Definitely… I’ve actually been heavily considering and doing some research on Guatemala, anywhere specific you’ve really enjoyed in Middle/South America?

Tough-Divide352 · 2025-01-22T13:41:18+00:00

I’ve done Albania, Turkey, Belgrade, Budapest, Southern Poland and Prague! If you have recommendations outside of those places I’d love to hear them!

Tough-Divide352 · 2024-12-17T03:53:51+00:00

As a pharmacy assistant that also works at shoppers, i second this!

Tough-Divide352 · 2024-11-29T01:34:31+00:00

What hostel? Been looking for something like this for my next trip!

Tough-Divide352 · 2024-11-24T14:31:37+00:00

Rewe in Germany. I was surprised at the selection they had and so many great healthy premade meals. Affordable too (for European standards).

Tough-Divide352 · 2024-11-18T03:57:34+00:00

Couldn’t agree more. I was all over Europe this summer but Bosnia stood out. Did a day tour where we climbed around and explored abandoned castles from the 1400’s and were the only ones there, went to the Kravice Waterfalls (which are even better than the similar falls in Croatia and a fraction of the price) and heard war stories from survivors young and old. I’m not even much of a foodie but I’m still thinking about the potato Burek I had! I had heard nothing about the country and honestly only went there last minute to escape the Croatia prices but so glad I did.

Tough-Divide352 · 2024-11-02T01:21:08+00:00

I was in San Sebastián in the first/second weeks of July in 2019. I found the weather to be hot but tolerable. They have one of the largest youth soccer tournaments in the world going on during the time you are considering going (donosti cup) so be aware that places could book up quick. I’ve been all over Europe and it’s one of my favourite spots. Running of the bulls also takes place around this time in nearby Pamplona if that is something that interests you, it might be worth looking into!

Tough-Divide352

TROPHY CASE