When planning our trip, I didn’t have a preference where we ended up in the Faro District, Portugal’s southernmost region. I just wanted a beach, and Lagos was familiar.
I agonized over where we would stay in Lagos — but for the wrong reasons. I was so concentrated on stars and reviews that I neglected one of the biggest factors: location.
The Airbnb I booked was wonderful. As a New Yorker, I wasn’t even intimidated by Google Maps’ projected 12-minute walk to Old Town Lagos and 25-minute walk to the beach.
What I didn’t account for, however, was how incredibly steep Lagos is and how sore my calves would be.
Porto had been hilly and full of 15,000-step days, historic churches, and museums — and Lisbon would be more of the same — so I banked on Lagos being the relaxing stint of the trip.
Unfortunately, I never did get that break I was hoping for. A mile-long walk to the beach on vacation feels like five. And climbing up a hill after dinner makes it feel like a mountain.
However, we had a much better time at our accommodation in Porto, Casa da Companhia, Vignette Collection. This five-star IHG hotel offered complimentary breakfast and was located in a central location that made exploring the area simple.
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