The Algarve in a week: from Sagres to the Ria Formosa lagoon
Portugal's south coast is the Atlantic with an almost Mediterranean summer: golden cliffs and sea caves between Lagos and Albufeira, the wild cape of Sagres at the edge of Europe, and the flat Ria Formosa lagoon with its sand islands off Faro. The loop of about 115 nm from Portimão heads west to Sagres first, while the crew is fresh, and spends the rest of the week sailing east with the wind behind: legs of three to four hours, nights in marinas and at anchor in the bay of Sagres and inside the lagoon. A good route for a first week in the ocean — as long as the lagoon entrance is timed with the tide.
Day by day
Portimão
- Portimão37.119, -8.527
Boat handover in the marina by Praia da Rocha at the mouth of the Arade river, about an hour from Faro airport. Across the river is the fishing village of Ferragudo, where you go for grilled sardines in the evening.
Portimão → Sagres
- Ponta da Piedade37.077, -8.668
- Sagres (Baleeira bay)37.012, -8.927
- Baleeira fishing harbour (Sagres)town quay37.011, -8.927
West past the cliffs and grottoes of Ponta da Piedade near Lagos, about four hours — best in the morning, before the westerly builds. Night at anchor in Baleeira bay at Sagres, sheltered from the northerly; five miles on is Cape St Vincent, the south-western tip of mainland Europe.
Sagres → Lagos
- Lagos37.110, -8.675
A short leg back east with the wind behind. Lagos is a marina in a river mouth with a lifting footbridge, and an old town inside its walls, from where the caravels of the age of discovery set out in the 15th century.
Lagos → Albufeira
- Benagil cave37.085, -8.428
- Albufeira37.084, -8.268
Along the best-known stretch of coast: golden cliffs, arches and sea caves, Benagil among them. In season its entrance is crowded with tour boats, and landing on the beach inside is not allowed. Night in Albufeira marina below the old town on the cliff.
Albufeira → Ria Formosa (Faro)
- Culatra (Ria Formosa)36.998, -7.845
- Olhãomarina37.022, -7.845
East along long beaches to the Ria Formosa lagoon, a natural park of sand islands and channels. Enter through the inlet between the islands of Culatra and Barreta on the flood and in daylight; night at anchor off the car-free village of Culatra, with a ferry to Olhão.
Faro → Vilamoura
- Vilamoura37.077, -8.121
Out of the lagoon on the flood and west along the beaches. Vilamoura is one of Portugal's largest marinas: fuel, shops and restaurants on the waterfront.
Vilamoura → Portimão
- Portimão37.119, -8.527
The last leg west past Albufeira and the Carvoeiro cliffs into the Arade. Refuelling and handover.
Coordinates are approximate, for the harbour or bay. Paste them into Google Maps or a chartplotter, and check the chart and pilot book before you moor or anchor.
Good to know
- Wind: summer mornings are usually calm, and in the afternoon a westerly to north-westerly fills in, noticeably stronger at Cape St Vincent and Sagres — so the westbound leg is sailed in the morning. Now and then an easterly, the levante, sets in: it makes the east-facing anchorages roll — Baleeira bay and the Culatra anchorage — and then the night is spent in a marina. The best months are May to October.
- Ria Formosa: the tidal streams in the inlet between the islands are strong, and on the ebb with a southerly swell the entrance is dangerous. Enter on the flood and in daylight, anchor clear of the fairway and the ferry route; the Culatra anchorage is being regulated — if buoys are laid, use them. The lagoon is a natural park: rubbish and holding tanks go ashore only in a marina.
- Fishing traps: the whole Algarve coast is dotted with hundreds of octopus-trap floats, thickest around Sagres and Lagos. Keep a bow lookout and don't motor after dark — this is the easiest place to wrap a line round the propeller.
- Logistics: Faro airport is about 70 kilometres from Portimão, around fifty minutes by car; book the Lagos, Albufeira and Vilamoura marinas ahead in July and August. Portugal is in the EU and Schengen, so there are no formalities along the coast.
How to get to the marina
- Marina de Portimão, Praia da Rocha
- Faro (FAO) — 70 km, 50 min by car
50–60 min · €100–130 per car
Taxi from arrivals along the A22 motorway to the marina at Praia da Rocha.
50–60 min · €70–110 per car
Pre-booked transfer: the driver meets you in arrivals; for a crew of six to eight a minibus works out cheaper.
50–60 min · €20–50 per day
Rental at the airport; there is parking at the marina, and a car is handy if you want to see the Algarve by land before or after the charter.
2–3 h · €8–15 per person
City bus from the airport to Faro bus station, then the intercity coach to Portimão — about an hour and a half — and a taxi or local bus to Praia da Rocha.
Marina de Portimão is at Praia da Rocha beach, three kilometres from the town centre and bus station: from the coach, a taxi is the easiest last hop.
Prices are autumn 2026 estimates in euros; times are without traffic. Bus and ferry timetables change with the season, so check them before you travel.
How long is the Portimão — Sagres route and where do you stay overnight?
7 days and about 114 nautical miles in a loop, starting and finishing in Portimão. Overnight stops in order: Portimão, Sagres (Baleeira bay), Lagos, Albufeira, Culatra (Ria Formosa), Vilamoura. The longest leg is day 5, 22 nm.
How do I get to the marina for the Portimão — Sagres route?
The route starts and finishes at Marina de Portimão, Praia da Rocha. The nearest airport is Faro (FAO), 70 km away. Fastest: taxi, 50–60 min, €100–130 per car. Cheapest: bus, 2–3 h, €8–15 per person.
When is the best time to sail the Portimão — Sagres route?
Around Lisbon the season runs May to October; June and September are the best months, with a weaker nortada than in July and August. The Algarve is sailed almost all year: winters are mild, with shorter days and more Atlantic fronts. In the Azores the window is June to September, when the Azores high sits over the islands.
Do I need a licence to charter a yacht?
For a bareboat charter (no skipper or crew provided), yes: a skipper's licence and, as a rule, a VHF radio certificate. Without a licence, we add a skipper, paid separately from the boat price.
What's included in the boat price?
Just the boat, for a week. Usually paid separately: transit log and final cleaning, fuel, marina fees, the security deposit (or deposit insurance), a skipper, cook and hostess if you need them, and extras (SUP board, on-board Wi-Fi, coffee machine, child safety netting).
