11 of the best hotels in Lagos
Prefer smaller and more boutiquey? Head for Lagos old town instead. The city has a long history as one of southern Portugal's most important ports — and former capital of the Algarve — and its cobblestone lanes and picturesque churches are enclosed by chunky walls dating back to the 16th century. It's a glorious place for a stroll and you'll find some wonderful little hotels tucked away. Here are some of the best places to stay during your next visit to Lagos.
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££ | SPA | POOL | Best for a chic stay in the city
This beautifully renovated 19th-century estate house is tucked away beneath Lagos's city walls and has light-filled suites with smooth wooden floors and a soothing almost all-white colour scheme. You'll find freestanding bath tubs and vintage furniture throughout, while the ground-floor farm-to-table restaurant makes the most of the garden's produce, including eggs from a happy, clucky brood of hens. Deckchairs surround the courtyard pool and treatments can be booked in a small rooftop spa, complete with its own saltwater pool, sauna and steam room.
• Discover our full guide to the Algarve
£ | SPA | POOL | Best for a laidback beachside stay
Just back from the sands of Praia de Porto Mos, a few minutes' drive from Lagos itself, this sea-facing hotel has an alfresco pool for whiling away sunny days and simple, elegant studios and apartments. The latter can sleep as many as six and come with lovely balconies overlooking the gardens and pool or facing out to sea. The on-site Levante restaurant serves up local seafood lunches and delivers drinks and snacks to you poolside, while the hydrotherapy circuit and indoor pool are a welcoming retreat on cooler days.
• Best affordable hotels in the Algarve under £200
££ | POOL | Best for city centre location
This stylish, adults-only hotel in the centre of Lagos has unrivalled views of the marina from its glass-edged rooftop pool, designed to feel like it's suspended above the sea. Many of the bedrooms gaze out this way too, so you can watch the yachts coming and going from your balcony, and there's an easy-breezy vibe throughout, with wood and wicker furniture, flowing white drapes and beachy wall art. Breakfast is served in the ground-floor restaurant, where the best tables have marina views, and it's a ten-minute drive to the sands of Meia Praia.
• Best family hotels in the Algarve
£ | SPA | POOL | Best for keeping the whole tribe happy
This five-star is perched on top of a cliff above the secluded scoop of sands at Praia do Canavial and is easily one of the Algarve's most luxurious stays. There's a huge range of facilities and guests can choose between everything from lazing in its lagoon-like pool to playing tennis or floating around the thermal circuit in the Cascade Spa. When it comes to dinner there are plenty of options too, be it fine dining at Senses or the more casual Gastropub, which serves local seafood and steaks. Rooms run the gamut from chic doubles with contemporary four-posters to private villas that sleep up to ten and come with their own private pools.
• Read our full guide to Portugal
£ | SPA | POOL | Best for couples
Surrounded by lush gardens atop the cliffs overlooking Praia de Porto Mos, this small hotel feels more like a private home — and when it was built in the 17th century, that's exactly what it was. You'll find your eyes constantly drawn towards the sea — from your Adirondack chair amid the trees, perhaps, or from the lounger on your room's private balcony, as well as from the piano-shaped alfresco pool. Rooms are truly individual, with decor that includes bold striped walls and hot-purple window-top lighting. For dinner, it's Mediterranean cuisine on the terrace of the Mirandus restaurant.
£ | POOL | Best for golfers
You'll find three nine-hole golf courses sweeping down to the ocean here, all with glorious views of the sea and the Alvor estuary. Those same views are enjoyed by the (adults-only) hotel, where the 20 rooms all feature generous seaward-facing balconies and the inviting pool is perched overlooking the links. The beach is an easy stroll through the grounds, while the Clubhouse is home to an all-day restaurant and the Michelin-starred Al Sud. Families can stay in the neighbouring apartments that sleep up to six.
££ | SPA | POOL | Best for beach breaks
People drive for miles to visit Praia dos Tres Irmaos, famous for its hidden caves and trio of sea stacks, but stay at this clifftop hotel and you'll find its sands on your doorstep, easily accessed via a direct lift. All rooms have balconies here, and most have sea views, while the buffet restaurant will please the whole family and there are both indoor and outdoor pools plus tennis courts and a (summer only) kids' club. The spa offers treatments as well as a sauna, steam room and hot tub.
£ | SPA | POOL | Best for families
With wide, open gardens leading down to the sands of Meia Praia, this beachfront hotel is ideal for families, and it has a kids' club, playground and children's splash pool complete with mini waterslides to boot. That beach is one of the Algarve's best too with miles of golden sands making it easy to find a quiet sunbathing spot, even in high season. Even the smallest rooms can sleep three, while family rooms and junior suites have sofa beds for kids. Of the three restaurants, Massa Fina is the top pick, with tasty pizzas and crowd-pleasing pastas.
£ | SPA | POOL | Best for wellness
Clean, soothing design and a laser-sharp focus on wellness make this hotel unique on the Algarve. This is a place for rejuvenation and many of the guests are following programmes tailored to detoxification, weight loss or mindfulness with the on-site clinic. Book any of its minimalist rooms though and you'll get inclusive spa access, for two warm pools (one for detox, one for relaxation), sauna, hammam and pebble-clad reflexology path, plus a healthy breakfast at vegetarian Pure Café. Note that the en suite bathrooms are separated from the bedroom by only a glass wall.
£ | POOL | Best for value
It's all about the beach at this Lagos hotel, where the bedrooms feature walls filled with sea-themed artworks (think pictures of sandy swirls, starfish and the Algarve's famously caramel-coloured cliffs). The sands of both Porto de Mos and Dona Ana are within walking distance and the hotel can organise water sports, from kayaking to paddleboarding, as well as boat trips along the coast. It's just over a mile into Lagos old town but you might prefer to stay by the pool deck, where you'll find a lively atmosphere with upbeat music and cocktails mixed to order.
£ | POOL | Best for oenophiles
Prefer a more rural feel? Just half an hour's drive outside Lagos is this picturesque winery dotted with whitewashed modern villas. Your stylish home-from-home sleeps up to 14 people and the largest properties come with private pools. There's a gorgeous communal swimming spot though, beside the sculpture garden and overlooking the vineyard, and activities range from wine tasting (naturally) to tennis, padel, boules and mini-golf. Children will also be happy to find a small playground.
• More of the best hotels in the Algarve• Best beaches in the Algarve
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