Lagos – party capital of Portugal, home of white sand beaches and rugged rocky outcrops, picturesque historical town. Sounds like the perfect holiday destination for a backpacker, doesn’t it? And attract the backpacker it does, as I trundled my way via public bus along the Algarve coast from Sagres.
My original plan to stay in Lagos for five nights had been whittled down to three, following my love affair for Sagres, and the discovery of a double decker bus hostel further down the coast (cause who doesn’t love a gimmick!). I probably could have easily stayed for five nights – there is plenty to do in this seaside hub, whether it be any number of water sports, booze cruises at sea, the discovery of historical delights in town or just soaking in unreasonable amounts of vitamin D on the beach.
Choose your hostel wisely in Lagos, as there will be a distinct difference between your experience if you decide to lay to head at a non-party hostel, or give up on sleep altogether at a party one. It’s been my experience that it’s far easier to meet people at a party hostel, especially if you don’t mind a tipple or two, but it always comes down to how critical shut eye is for you. And I’ve, unfortunately, always regretted picking the quieter option, no matter how sensible my 30-something year old brain tells me I need to me.
In this instance, I did choose quiet accommodation at the clean and well-run Camone Hostel, on the pretence that I had plans to go to a pizza party. A pizza party, you ask? Well it’s exactly what it sounds like – a party/doof/rave that also serves free pizza for a limited time, located in the rolling hills north of Lagos.
*A word of warning here – pre-organise your transport. Whether it be a return taxi or Uber, or a hire car, make sure you have a way to get back to town. Cause BELIEVE ME, it’s almost impossible to get back without some form of hitchhiking and obscene taxi fare. Shoutout to the lovely gentleman (and world leader in permaculture education) who came to my aid*
But if you’re partial to some forest d-floor time with some crazy locals, this is for you. Morgan and I also ran into a bunch of our former hostel buddies, which made for a ridiculously fun and memorable night. (sorry, I could and did not manage to get any photos of the party, so historical shots you must live with)
As a result of my night time antics, the rest of my time in Lagos was verrrry low key, predominantly involving naps on the beach, naps under palm trees, and naps in my dorm bed. Luckily I met fellow dorm mate Amalia who dragged me out for dinner and to see a bit of this beautiful, albeit touristy town.
Food wise, it very much caters to an international market and you won’t find much traditional fare in town, but given its coastal frontage, you’re sure to get some delicious seafood. I did, however, try the famous Portuguese chicken and the perfect gelato for the steamy Mediterranean night.
Some cheeky fellow backpacker gave me the wild idea of hiring a car to continue on my journey through Portugal. And that’s exactly what I did, picking up Pablo the Peugeot the next morning for my short drive along the coast to Pera, where my caravan of love awaited.
voyage mountain 