Sagres: the most southwestern tip of Europe

What to do in Sagres

Surfing

Most people travel to Sagres for its beautiful beaches and perfect surfing conditions, for both beginners and the more the experienced surfer. The parking lot at popular surf beach Tonel is packed every day with vans with surfboards on the roof.

Tip! If you are with your own transportation buy a surfboard and wetsuit in advance or while road tripping. We bought an 80 liter surfboard at the Decathlon for 180 euros. This sounds like a lot of money, but renting a board costs about 20 euros for 2 hours. So after 9x times you already have it out. If there are two of you, you can switch and have it out in 4 days.

A wetsuit doesn’t cost a dime anyway, so it’s better to just buy it instead of renting it.

Cape Saint Vincent

People used to think that the world was flat and that here in Sagres the earth stopped. The End of the World, that’s how Sagres is also called. We now know that this is the most southwestern tip of Europe and, fortunately, the earth does not stop here. Still, it remains a special place to visit. A visit costs you nothing else and the lighthouse is super easy to get to.

Beach hopping

The beaches in Sagres are wonderful. Because Sagres is located in a point, you have a variety of beaches to choose from. Visit Tonel beach and enjoy spectacular waves or visit Praia da Baleeira or Praia Martinhal beach, where the waves are often nice and calm.

Tip! HUur for a day a scooter, bring a picnic basket and go ride up the nicest bays all day.

Visit Lagos

Lagos can be found about a 30-minute drive from Sagres and is a lovely town for a few days. If you don’t have the time for this then we definitely recommend taking a day trip there. In fact, the town of Lagos is very charming and packed with nice restaurants, cafes and coffee shops. The beaches in Lagos are also magnificent. We did (a bit of a touristy) one-hour boat tour (incl. dog) and were really super impressed. WIe found a super nice tour at restaurant CAIS J CAFÉ. You pay 15 euros p.p. for an hour (young kids are free) or 120 euros for a private tour. You sail past all kinds of impressive beaches and caves.

Sunset picnic

Super budget and also totally fun: plan a sunset picnic. In Sagres, you may have the most beautiful sunsets in Europe. After all, it is the most southwestern point of this content. As such, the sunsets are spectacular and you have plenty of choice to sit down somewhere with a picnic blanket and enjoy the sun sinking into the sea while enjoying a snack and drink.

Hotspots & food in

Best time to travel to Sagres

The question really should be, what is not an appropriate travel time for Sagres. It’s always good here in the region. In high season it can be a bit crowded and perhaps a bit hot. So should you be able to avoid those we say do. We were there in October and found this to be the perfect time. During the day you still have glorious sunshine and in the evening it already cools down considerably. Starting in November, the temperature decreases significantly. In December, it averages 17 degrees and there is a chance of rain.

Best travel time for Sagres is from April to October.

January: average 15 degrees during the day (approx. 11 days chance of rain)
February: average 15 degrees during the day (approx. 10 days chance of rain)
March: average 16 degrees during the day (approx. 10 days chance of rain, 29mm)
April: average 19 degrees during the day (approx. 6 days chance of rain, 18mm)
May: average 17 degrees during the day (approx. 7 days chance of rain, 18mm)
June: average 20 degrees during the day (approx. 4 days chance of rain, 5 mmn)
July: aver 22 degrees during the day (still. 1 day chance of rain, 1 mm)
August: average 23 degrees during the day (approx. 2 days chance of rain, 2mm)
September: average 22 degrees during the day (approx. 4 days chance of rain, 12mm)
October: average 21 degrees during the day (approx. 7 days chance of rain, 39mm)
November: average 18 degrees during the day (approx. 11 days chance of rain)
December: average 15 degrees during the day (approx. 20 days chance of rain, 94mm)

Transportation in Sagres

Having your own transportation is a bit of a must in Sagres to see some of the area. The town itself is very small, but if you really want to see something you have to take the car. Public transportation we did not really spot and only in the evening there are some cabs. You can easily park anywhere in and around Sagres. It is also possible to rent the village a bicycle or scooter.

Which budget do i need in Sagres?

The south of Portugal is a lot more expensive than the north, but still very affordable. For a beer you will pay about 2 euros and for a good burger you will be done for 10 euros. If you skip the trendy hotspots and eat at a traditional Portuguese restaurant, you will, of course, spend even less.

• Budget for camping: 30 – 60 euros per day for 2 people
• Budget with accommodation: 60 – 100 euros per day for 2 people

Cost overview Sagres

With a budget of 20 euros per person per day, you can get around Sagres just fine with a van. We ate out every day during the 6 days and often grabbed lunch somewhere. Our costs were a lot higher as a result.

We spent a total of 6 days in Sagres and tried almost every hot spot. Therefore, the budget is somewhat above average. In total, 6 days of Sagres cost us 460 euros. That’s a budget of 76 euros per day.

Practical information about Sagres

• Surf lessons in Sagres are quite expensive. If you do want to try a surf lesson, the best place to drive to is Aljezur. Here the cost is a lot lower.
• Wild camping has not been allowed in Portugal for some time. In the north this is still possible in some places, but in the Algarve it is strictly controlled. The fine is about 120 euros.
• Want to go surfing. Buy a surfboard and wetsuit in advance. After all, you’ll soon have the cost of renting it out. After all, a beginner’s board does not have to be so expensive.
• Try to avoid toll roads as much as possible. The toll in Portugal is huge. We paid about 30 euros for an hour’s drive. You also miss the most beautiful spots this way.
• You have electronic Tolls in Portugal. You can arrange this in advance by purchasing a toll card or you can buy a prepaid card at the gas station. The electric toll roads are not very clearly marked, so pay attention!
• Use the app park4night or camper contact to find the nicest RV sites and campgrounds
• Looking for a free overnight stay? Through TrustedHousesitters, you can babysit other people’s homes and pets for free.
• We have already had 2x per breakdown on the road and were very happy with the ANWB then. This year we even opted for the complete package, since last year we got stuck in Germany for 8 days and only spent 80 euros per day on accommodation
• Download the foreign affairs app and stay up to date with the latest travel advice
• Attention Orange Travel Advisory. Also, if you travel through an orange area, your insurance can deny charges. If there is an orange travel advisory regarding Corona, the insurance will only not cover costs related to Corona (please check, because this is not the case everywhere).
• Refueling is cheaper in villages. So never fill up your tank on the highway. Should you enter Portugal via Spain, fill up your car with gasoline, as gasoline prices are very favorable in Spain.
• If you want to withdraw money in Europe, you often have to pay a small fee to your bank. We recently switched to Knab, which does not charge additional fees. We are very happy with it + you now receive €50 gift when you use Knab’s Switch Service!
• A credit card is really handy to have with you. For example, purchases are extra insured and in some places you can only pay by credit card.

How to get to Sagres?

We visited Sagres during our road trip through Portugal and entered the country through northern Spain. Fat tip! Portugal is truly a road trip country and although it is quite a drive with the motorhome, the route to it is really full of enjoyment. If you have the time, we would definitely recommend driving to Portugal with your own transportation and, if possible, taking in northern Spain right away.

If you do not own your own camping equipment or do not feel like going all the way to it but still want to enjoy the Portuguese vanlife life, you can always rent a camper van in Portugal. You are not alone, because really everywhere in Portugal you come across the vans and campers of INDIË campers.

Of course, you can also enjoy the Portuguese sun minus the vanlife life. If you want to visit Sagres, it is best to fly to Faro. From Faro, it is about a 1.5-hour drive to Sagres. We do recommend renting a car immediately upon arrival and taking a nice mini road trip along the Algarve coast. Thus, you may also add Aljezur, Lagos and Faro to your trip.

It is also possible to fly to Lisbon. From the capital, it is about a 3-hour drive and this is another beautiful route. For example, you can visit Ericeira, Aljezur and Sines, among others, during your trip.