Contents:

Portimão Farewell

Arriving in Lisbon & Our Hotel

Afternoon Walk in Lisbon

Cabo da Roca – The Westernmost Point of Europe

Portimão Farewell – Our Last Day in the Algarve

The morning started quietly—while the family was still asleep, I finished packing. Once everyone was up, we decided to begin our day in Portimão with a relaxed breakfast, followed by one last dip at the famous Praia da Rocha beach.

We had breakfast at Casa Inglesa, a café-style restaurant near Portimão’s promenade and marina. We chose this spot simply because it was the only place open around 9 a.m.—luckily, it had plenty of outdoor seating, which gave the whole visit a cozy, pleasant vibe.

Their selection included a variety of pastries and adorable marzipan figures, which I loved. Although the staff weren’t particularly attentive—surprising, given the light morning crowd—we still enjoyed the atmosphere, and the food was tasty.

After breakfast, we walked over to the promenade to take a few photos with the famous PORTIMÃO sign, then drove to the far end of Praia da Rocha—an area we hadn’t visited before.

The beach is huge, stretching for more than a kilometer, both long and incredibly wide. The ocean water is a stunning shade of blue, and the sand is soft and clean—perfect for little ones who love building sandcastles and playing at the shoreline. Our daughter happily collected stones and built her sand creations, and we took one last refreshing dip in the Atlantic.

We spent about an hour and a half on the beach, then returned to our accommodation by 11 a.m. After a quick shower, we were ready to start our journey toward Lisbon—where we would spend our final night in Portugal.

On the Road to Lisbon

After checking out of the hotel, we set off. We knew Liny would nap well in the car, so before she fell asleep, we stopped for a light lunch and to fill up the tank. Our plan worked perfectly—she slept almost the entire drive to Lisbon.

When we first planned our Algarve holiday, we chose to fly to Lisbon because Faro flights were significantly more expensive. And since Lisbon had long been on our bucket list, we were happy to combine our beach holiday with a short city break.

We didn’t have enough time to see every landmark, but it was just enough to get a feel for the city and enjoy its unique atmosphere. On the day we arrived, we explored the famous Belém district—there’s a separate post about that.

The day before our flight home, we wandered around downtown Lisbon, and on our final morning—before heading to the airport—we visited Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe.

If Lisbon is your base, you can easily find exciting activities and tours on sites like Freetour, GetYourGuide or Tiqets, and book them in advance.

Arriving in Lisbon & Our Hotel

Our Lisbon accommodation was a classic hotel room with breakfast included. It wasn’t very big, but it had everything we needed—clean, comfortable, and perfectly located for sightseeing.

Parking, however, was a bit more challenging. We arrived on a Sunday, when street parking is free until 8 a.m. on Monday. The next morning, my husband woke up early to move the car to a nearby paid parking garage. This is very common in Lisbon—finding street parking in the city center can be tricky, so if you’re arriving by car, it’s a good idea to look up parking garages in advance.

We were able to check into our room early in the afternoon, so we tried to time our arrival accordingly. A little after 2:30 p.m. we were checked in, rested for a short while, and then headed out to explore the city.

Afternoon Walk in Lisbon

Our hotel was close to downtown, so within a few minutes we were already in the heart of the Baixa district. Our afternoon route began at Rossio Square, made instantly memorable by its wave-patterned black-and-white mosaics and elegant baroque fountains. From there, we walked to the iconic Santa Justa Lift, then continued down the lively Rua Augusta all the way to the ornate Arco da Rua Augusta.

Passing under the arch, we reached the spacious Praça do Comércio, opening directly onto the Tagus River. This square is also a great practical starting point: river cruises depart from here, and the famous Tram 28 is within easy reach if you’d prefer to explore Lisbon’s uphill neighborhoods—like Alfama or Chiado—by historic tram.

We chose to continue on foot and made our way toward Sé Cathedral. From there, we climbed up to the Miradouro de Santa Luzia viewpoint, where a stunning panorama of Alfama’s terracotta rooftops and the shimmering river opened up before us. We paused on the bougainvillea-covered terrace, enjoying the late afternoon light as it softened over the city—classic Lisbon, complete with the sound of trams and gentle guitar music in the distance.

From Santa Luzia, we continued uphill toward São Jorge Castle. We didn’t go inside—the castle closes at 6 p.m., and we arrived just before that—but we took a short rest outside. Liny absolutely loved watching the peacocks wandering freely around the streets.

Instead of walking back the same way, we chose a quieter, lesser-known street leading down through Alfama’s narrow, winding alleyways. Colorful buildings, flower-filled windows, tiny cafés, and weathered tiles accompanied us all the way down.

For dinner, we chose Pizzaria Tapas La Familia near the cathedral. Warm atmosphere, delicious food, friendly service—everything we needed at the end of a long day.

Cabo da Roca – The Westernmost Point of Europe

On the morning of our departure, we took a short trip to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe. The cape rises 140 meters above the Atlantic—a place where you truly feel like you’re standing at the edge of the world. The landscape was breathtaking in every direction: rugged green-grey cliffs covered in hardy, flower-like plants, and below us the deep blue, endlessly moving ocean. Standing there felt both humbling and peaceful.

The parking area is right next to the viewpoint, making it easy to visit even with small children. There are no railings along some cliff edges, though, so extra caution is essential.

Next to the parking lot, there’s a small gift shop and café, Artesanato Bar, where we stopped for hot chocolate and coffee.

After finishing our drinks, we started our drive back toward the airport.

Before returning the car, we made one last stop near the airport to refuel, have lunch, and clean out the car.

Our flight departed on time, and as the plane lifted off, we looked out the window one last time—Lisbon, the river, the bridge, and somewhere far along the horizon, perhaps even Cabo da Roca.

It was the perfect end to a memorable journey, filled with new experiences, discoveries, and treasured family moments.

If you’d like to dive deeper into our Lisbon trip, including accommodation tips and a more detailed guide to each attraction, check out my full travel diary: Our Detailed Lisbon City Break Experience.