Alternative destinations near the Algarve.
Places near the Algarve that score high on beauty and low on crowding, according to our data.
Marmelete
A compact Algarve village of whitewashed houses with terracotta rooftops set among orchards and scrubland, backed by forested hills, offering a quiet rural c…
Sao Marcos da Serra
A pocket-sized village in the Algarve's inland mountain terrain, São Marcos da Serra sits within the municipality of Silves and lends its name to the São Mar…
Porches
A pocket-sized Algarve village where a whitewashed baroque church with an orange-tiled roof stands above palm trees, with coastal beaches and rolling hills c…
Almodovar
This pocket-sized Alentejo town in southern Portugal's Beja district is home to the Museum of Southwestern Writing, which holds ancient stones bearing what s…
Messejana
This modest Alentejo village in Portugal's Beja district, Messejana centres on a whitewashed, blue-trimmed church square with a stone pillar monument, offeri…
Sao Martinho das Amoreiras
This modest Portuguese village in the Odemira municipality, centered on a striking white-and-blue twin-towered church fronting a cobblestone square, with vin…
Santa Luzia
Known as the "capital of octopus," Santa Luzia is a tiny waterfront village in the Algarve municipality of Tavira, where the local speciality fills menus acr…
Parchal
A tiny town on the Rio Arade in Portugal's Algarve, Parchal has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, with scenic viewpoints in the surrou…
Sesimbra
This fishing town on Portugal's Setúbal coast where the Serra da Arrábida mountains meet the sea, Sesimbra has a walkable centre with a dense food-and-drink…
Setúbal
This port city south of Lisbon with a dense café and restaurant scene, historic churches in the centre, and a waterfront position at the edge of the Arrábida…
Estoril
This Portuguese Riviera town on the Atlantic coast is home to Casino Estoril, one of Europe's largest casinos, and has long attracted royalty, celebrities, a…
Palmela
A wine-country town south of Lisbon on the Península de Setúbal, Palmela sits among vineyards with scenic viewpoints across the surrounding landscape and a w…