Three days reward focus over mileage. Pick a characterful base — Lagos gives the best drama-per-kilometre — and let each day carry one headline act.
Day 1 — Old town and golden hour
Morning coffee in the walled centre, then walk or take the little train out to Ponta da Piedade's staircase. Swim at Dona Ana before the afternoon crowds, and book a terrace table facing west — tonight's job is watching the cliffs glow.
Day 2 — Boat day
Take a morning grotto cruise from the marina — the light enters the caves best before noon. Keep the afternoon loose for a beach you liked yesterday, then eat grilled fish where the display looks freshest.
Day 3 — The clifftop finale
Taxi or drive to Vale de Centeanes and walk the first stretch of the Seven Hanging Valleys trail as far as your legs fancy — even one valley delivers the postcard. Finish with a long lunch; flights home taste better with sand still between toes.
Swap options
Travelling without a car? Base in Lagos works unchanged — trains, boats and town buses cover everything above. Prefer the east? Mirror the plan around Tavira with an island-ferry day replacing the boat tour.
