If you’d only ever heard of Sagres beer, you might assume that a place with such a well-known brew named after it would be a fairly sizeable town. In reality, Sagres is very much a quaint little surf hamlet tucked away where the west and south Portuguese coasts meet.
The main part of town is essentially two large roads, but there are more than enough lovely cafés, diner-style restaurants, and some of the best seafood in Portugal. The surf is one of the biggest draws in autumn (the time we visited). I thought I saw plenty of van-life types in the UK, but that was completely dwarfed by the number of vans lining almost every beach we stopped at during the week.
A view of the harbor from our hotel in Sagres.
With decent road links to nearby Lagos and Faro, as well as the entire west coast, the world—or coastline, in this case—is your proverbial oyster. If one beach feels crowded, you can simply hop in the car, drive 10–15 minutes, and find yourself at a quiet spot with classic tall cliffs and expansive, clean beaches.
WHERE WE STAYED
There are plenty of good options in Sagres depending on your budget. We decided to base ourselves at Memmo Baleeira Hotel Sagres. I’m happy to say it’s one of the nicest hotels I’ve stayed in; the breakfast was second to none and genuinely some of the tastiest I’ve had in all my travels (bar maybe Orobie Alpes Roncobello—the homemade cakes there were incredible!). The service was incredible I will also say, all the staff were super welcoming and made the stay there extra enjoyable.
Both pools, indoor and outdoor, were brilliant places to unwind after a six-hour surf session. The hotel restaurant was very good value for money, and the fancy drinks in the evening became a highlight of each day. Other potential options we considered included Mareta View Boutique B&B. There really are plenty of choices depending on your priorities and budget.
WHERE TO EAT
As mentioned, Memmo Baleeira has a lovely restaurant. It’s slightly on the pricier side, but worth it in my opinion. As Sagres isn’t a huge town, we ended up eating at quite a few different places.
Dromedário Bistro Bar served excellent burger combo meals that were well worth a visit. Arte Bianca – Cucina Italiana – Sagres lived up to its high rating, and we had some of the best fancy pizza I’ve had outside Italy—high praise from a pizza fiend like myself! Three Little Birds was a great spot for a chilled brunch or mid-morning coffee. It’s tucked away from the main street and has a fantastic atmosphere.
Burgers at Dromedário Bistro Bar.
Outside Sagres, Ribeira do Poço in nearby Vila do Bispo offered some of the best seafood of the whole trip. Just around the corner is Dizpensa—trust me, drop in for some lovely Portuguese red wine and even better company. The chap who runs it, along with the locals who were there when we stopped by, were some of the funniest and friendliest people we met.
Freshly caught fish in Ribeira do Poço.
If you’re still hungry for more options, a short 30-minute drive to Lagos Old Town gives you far too many good restaurants to list here. Have a wander down the narrow alleyways and see what takes your fancy. Lagos is definitely more touristy, but it’s not overwhelmed by tourist traps and still holds onto plenty of local charm.
BEACHES NEAR SAGRES
The closest beach to us in Sagres was Praia da Baleeira. It’s more of a swimming beach, as it’s fairly sheltered from the swell by its south-facing aspect and the harbour wall. We did see a few people surfing there on one of the bigger days, but in general it’s best suited for a morning or evening stroll.
Mareta at sunset.
Praia da Mareta is the next beach along. When we arrived, the swell was easily 6 ft and massive. The following day the size dropped, and the place was absolutely packed with surfers—easily one of the busiest beaches I’ve ever surfed. That said, it’s very pretty, the café is a great escape from the midday sun, and the horseshoe shape makes for some dramatic sunset views.
Tonel with dramatic sunset colours.
Tonel Beach is just a short walk across the headland and technically the first taste of the wild Portuguese west coast. The landscape is striking: rock stacks and imposing cliffs frame Tonel and give it a feeling of remoteness—though the reality didn’t quite match that. When I surfed there, it felt like the entire German expat community had turned up. Every wave had about six people paddling for it! Crowds aside, the beach is lovely, and the cliffs above, near Sagres Fortress, make for a perfect spot to watch dramatic sunsets.
I had a much nicer surf at a more local spot that I won’t name—I wouldn’t want to add to overcrowding—but it’s well worth exploring further up the coast to see what you come across.
Farol do Cabo de São Vicente is also worth visiting. It’s widely regarded as the south-westernmost point of Portugal, and the views are fantastic.
the south-westernmost point of Portugal
Praia da Bordeira, Praia do Amado, and Praia da Arrifana also deserve honourable mentions. My best advice: hire a car and drive up the coast. There are far too many beautiful beaches to list, and if you explore a little, you’re sure to find your own slice of Portuguese paradise.
Praia da Bordeira
Praia da Arrifana
Praia do Amado
SURF SHOPS
A quick mention: visit the Pirate Shop (yes, it’s a real place) for a unique shopping experience in Sagres. For surf supplies, Surf Planet was great—I ended up buying all sorts from there. Algarve Surf Shop & School had a solid selection as well, and Surf Shack Sagres had a cool range of gear (I picked up some new sunnies there!).
The Pirate Shop.
CONCLUSION
Sagres may not be a big town or packed with things to do, but what it lacks in size it makes up for with lovely cafés, a pleasant climate, plenty of surf spots, and an extremely laid-back way of life. While it wasn’t as mind-blowing for me as some of the mountains in Austria, the sea and beaches were incredibly clean and some of the prettiest I’ve surfed in a long time.
As I mentioned earlier, do yourself a favour and hire a car. There are so many brilliant beaches and wide-open spaces—it’s genuinely unique. With its huge number of south- and west-facing beaches, Sagres is great for all levels of surfer depending on the swell.
Dreamy Sunsets in Sagres.
The full gallery is live now, so if you want to see more photos, check out the Sagres gallery in the Explore tab. Otherwise, keep an eye out for videos once I’ve had a bit more time to edit! I hope this helps anyone considering a trip to Sagres :)