THINGS TO SEE IN ALGARVE WITH YOUR DOG IN 6 DAYS

We have prepared this optimised itinerary of things to see in Algarve with your dog in 6 days with which you will be able to see the essential (and then some) without wasting much time. This is just a suggestion, you can add and subtract what you want. We have added to the itinerary the possibility of entering the main attractions, but you also have to take into account the time and that in some of them you will be able to see the main sights without losing too much time, as in some places dogs are not allowed. The itinerary is designed to see everything in a more panoramic way, so you can adapt what you want. If you want to organise a trip to Algarve like this one, and you don't know how to adapt it to you, remember that we have the consultancy services that are available at a very cheap price..

We arrived in Lagos at 17:00 local time, which is 1 hour earlier than in Spain. We did the check-in in the hotel and showed Snow our room for the week. As we had already been in Porto a month ago, we were lucky that it didn't feel too strange for him to be away again. In fact, he settled in that very afternoon. We left our suitcases and went to see a bit of the city of Lagos. We chose this city because it was one of the best known and also because they said it was the quietest city to be in. So, we walked around the city centre for a while, and we leave you with the most important things to see in Lagos:

• Historical centre of LagosInside the city walls is the city centre, with lots of alleyways, white houses and lots of life. There are also many bars and street musicians, so it's worth going from six in the evening onwards.
• Lagos Marine: it was Snow, curiosamente. Es un paseo larguísimo al lado del puerto que es perfecto para pasear, aunque habitualmente hace mucho viento y a veces es hasta incómodo pasear por aquí. Hay muchos puestos artesanales, de souvenirs y también se encuentran los puestos para reservar las actividades por la ciudad: paseos en barco, alquiler de kayaks, paseo en barco pirata, etc. Pero te recordamos que también puedes reservarlas con antelación y ahorrarte mucho tiempo gracias a Civitatis.
• Slavery MuseumAs the name suggests, this is a museum about the slave era. To learn more about this dark period in Portugal's history, the museum is well worth a visit. The building it is housed in also served as the city's customs house until 1820. Admission is €3. Pets are not allowed, but you can take turns to see it.
• Governors' Castle and Sao Gonçalo's Gate: it is an example of military architecture built in the 14th century. What you can see today is a reconstruction carried out three centuries later to become the seat of the governors of the Algarve. The most impressive part is the Porta de São Gonçalo, a gateway flanked by two albarran towers that forms part of the entire defensive structure of Lagos.
• Avenida dos Descobrimentos and Municipal Market: the town's main street and market, this is a market square with a strong local character and is best visited in the morning, when the atmosphere is at its most lively, especially on Saturdays.

Well, once we had rested, what we did was to go directly to the Lagos Marina to see all the activities that could be done. The first thing we did was the boat trip around Ponte da Piedade, which we really enjoyed, and you can find out how we did it in this other post. Snow was very calm and had a great time, he's a really nice guy. In this post, we will go into more detail and tell you how to do this tour with your dog.

More plans for you and your dog:

• Benagil boat tour: otro de los paseos en barco más famosos donde vas a visitar las cuevas de Benagil. El paseo se hace en una lancha rápida y tiene una duración de 2 horas porque está a media hora de Lagos. No recomiendan hacerlo en lancha rápida si vas con perro, por lo que te recomendamos que hagas este paseo de Civitatis, que sí admite perros porque se hace en una barca normal.
• Ponte da Piedade kayak tour: This was an alternative that the tour girl gave us to do with a dog. In Civitatis it says that dogs are not allowed, but we saw lots of people there with their dogs in the kayak. It's a great plan to strengthen the bond with your dog while you exercise and enjoy the day.
• Visit Lagos beaches: probablemente de las playas que más nos han gustado del Algarve, ya que la mayoría son salvajes y casi no hay gente. En este post tendréis una lista detallada de TODAS las playas pet friendly del Algarve.

The next day we went to visit Albufeira, as we had heard great things about the city, as well as being one of the main cities of the Algarve. The city is a 45-minute drive from Lagos, so you have to count on being able to travel there as well.

The first place we visited was the historic centre, where we highlight the following places:

• Matriz Church: built at the end of the 18th century, it is one of the finest examples of neoclassical architecture in the Algarve. It replaced the previous mother church, which was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake. The highlight of the interior is the painting by the Albufeira painter Samora Barros on the altar.
• São Sebastião Church: another of the religious buildings to see in Albufeira is this early 18th century church with a Manueline style side portal, a beautiful altarpiece and a 16th century image of the Señora de la Piedad.
• Capela da Misercórdia: Built on the site of a former mosque, this small late Gothic church also has a beautiful altarpiece in its main chapel.
• Torre do Relógio: Located in the old prison, this is well worth a visit to Albufeira. In the tower there is a bell supported by a wrought iron structure that was added in the 19th century. At night, it is usually illuminated.
• Rúa dos bares/The Strip: If you're staying in the area and want a bit of atmosphere, Avenida Sá Carneiro is known as the 'bar street' or 'The Strip', after the one in Las Vegas. While certainly not comparable to the US, this is a street full of bars and nightclubs geared towards foreigners. In the summer months, it tends to fill up as the sun goes down.
• Municipal Archaeological Museum: In this small museum you can learn about the history of Albufeira through various archaeological discoveries. The entrance fee is only €1 per person.

We really wanted to do this tour around Albufeira, but it was too hot and Snow was not going to have a very good time, so we ruled it out.

• Pau da Bandeira viewpoint: from this place you will get the best views of the city. We really liked it because you have an incredible panoramic view, and it's an amazing place to take photos.

More plans to do in the Albufeira:

• Albufeira beaches: Although they might have different names, lPeneco Beach and Pescadores Beach are the same beach. The first is also known as the Praia do Túnel, as it can be accessed from the centre itself through a tunnel or, if you prefer, by a free 28-metre high lift, the Elevador do Peneco. From here you'll get some nice views, but even better views are from the viewpoint we've marked on the map at the end of this article on places to see in Albufeira. On the other hand, the Pescadores Beach also offers a large golden sandy beach to relax on. You can go down the escalators and there are sunshades and sun loungers at your disposal, as well as toilets, restaurants and shops.
• Albufeira coastline: this town is surrounded by ochre and reddish rock cliffs that contrast with the turquoise colour of the sea. Although it is possible to visit the beaches by land, our recommendation is that you don't miss the opportunity to do so from the sea and admire the coastline in this way.
• Albufeira Marine: before leaving, we made a stop here, and what struck us most were the colourful houses. In addition, you can enjoy its restaurants and cafés or, if it's a rainy day, you could spend some time in the bowling alley or in the karting zone.

More plans for you and your dog:

• Benagil boat tour: otro de los paseos en barco más famosos donde vas a visitar las cuevas de Benagil. El paseo se hace en una lancha rápida y tiene una duración de 2 horas porque está a media hora de Lagos. No recomiendan hacerlo en lancha rápida si vas con perro, por lo que te recomendamos que hagas este paseo de Civitatis, que sí admite perros porque se hace en una barca normal.
• Ponte da Piedade kayak tour: This was an alternative that the tour girl gave us to do with a dog. In Civitatis it says that dogs are not allowed, but we saw lots of people there with their dogs in the kayak. It's a great plan to strengthen the bond with your dog while you exercise and enjoy the day.
• Visit Lagos beaches: probablemente de las playas que más nos han gustado del Algarve, puesto que la mayoría son salvajes y casi no hay gente. En este post tenéis una lista detallada de TODAS las playas pet friendly del Algarve.

We couldn't leave out the beaches for this 6-day tour of the Algarve with a dog, so you can spend the day visiting one of the many dog-friendly beaches. We went to Meia Praia, as it has a special area to be with your dog, but the truth is that we asked the lifeguards, and they told us that it was OK to be on the beach with your dog, even if it was a normal beach, as they didn't fine you. Meia Praia is a huge beach with fine sand and ideal for strolling. In addition, every few metres there are areas with sun loungers. We were in the sun beds of the beach club of our hotel, but you can hire them if you're not a hotel guest. Snow had an incredible time and he loved the beach. He even dared to have a bath in the sea! But the water was freezing, so he didn't try again.

As we don't want you to get fined, just in case you do, we have prepared this post with the dog friendly beaches in Portugal.

We decided to visit Sagres because it was close to Lagos and we had heard good things about the town. In Sagres you can visit the fortress and Cape San Vicente. Visiting the fortress costs €3 per person and it is pet friendly, so it's a great plan to do with your pets. As well as being able to walk around the outside, inside the enclosure you can visit a small museum, a, a gift shop, a chapel and a unique monument called: the sea voice. There's not much else to do here either, so it's a perfect way to spend the morning.

Antes de continuar, queremos dejarte 3 vídeos sobre el Algarve que podrás ver en nuestro perfil de Instagram. De esta manera te puedes hacer una idea de lo que te vas a encontrar allí.

To finish our 6-day tour of the Algarve with a dog, we relaxed in the hotel swimming pool, where we had to take turns so that Snow wouldn't be left alone. It was a bit of a drag, but you get used to it in the end. You have ALL the details of the hotel in our Instagram. Here are some other important cities in the Algarve that you can visit:

• FARO

Faro is the capital of Algarve and where its airport is located. The city is in the eastern part of the region and besides being surrounded by points of interest, it has several places worth visiting such as the Jewish cemetery or the old area next to the marina. We didn't go because there were already too many places and too much driving, so we preferred to take it more relaxed. We have made an exhaustive search on what to see in this city, and we leave you some ideas:

• Faro old town
• Sé de Faro
• Faro Marine
• Carmo Church and Ossos Chapel
• Vila Arch and Rapouso Arch
• Lethes Theatre
• Ría Formosa Natural Park
• Pet friendly excursions and activities in Faro

• PORTIMÃO

It is a city very close to Lagos, and despite being a small city, it is said to be the best prepared for all tourism in the Algarve. Here is a summary of what to see in this city:

• Portimao Old Town and ribeirinha
• Portimao Museum
• Santa Catarina Fortress
• Visit Alvor, a nearby village
• Pet friendly excursions and activities in Portimao

• LOULÉ

Loulé is one of the largest inland towns in the Algarve and is situated north of Faro. There was a very popular pet friendly accommodation here and we didn't get there in time to book. Here is a list of ideas:

• Loulé Castle
• The Market
• The Old City
• San Clemente Parish Church

• TAVIRA

Loulé is one of the largest inland towns in the Algarve and is situated north of Faro. There was a very popular pet friendly accommodation here and we didn't get there in time to book. Here is a list of ideas:

• Santa Maria do Castelo Church
• Tavira Castle
• Roman Bridge
• Tavira Tower
• Misericordia Church
• Republic Square
• Public Garden
• Main Museum
• Tavira Island
• Islam Museum

Even if it is a short trip, think that many things can happen, such as your dog getting sick, getting cut by a bottle (in Brussels there was a lot of glass on the ground), or simply getting sick because of the change in temperature or for any other reason. For this very reason, it is VERY IMPORTANT that you hire travel insurance. We recommend you IATI, as it is one of the few insurances that not only offers a very competitive price, but also covers practically everything, including your pet. Remember, you have a 5% of discount si reservas desde el enlace, solo por leernos. El precio de un seguro para dos días es de 1,50€ por persona.