Workation in the Algarve, Portugal: a guide to the perfect wellbeing retreat

The Algarve has all the ingredients for a relaxed remote working lifestyle: an almost tropical climate, a laid-back culture, endless beaches and trails to explore, fresh organic cuisine, and Europe’s most spectacular coastline. After spending a week at a community-focused coliving retreat and exploring the region between work shifts and dips in the pool, here is our guide to taking the perfect workation in the Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost region.

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Why choose the Algarve in Portugal for a workation?

Balance is always my priority when choosing a workation destination. I want somewhere I can be productive but also unwind; somewhere I can experience new things but also slow down; somewhere I can plug in when I need to, but also feel disconnected.

The Algarve has all of this. As Portugal’s southernmost region it overlooks the moody Atlantic but has a warm Mediterranean climate, which fuels a relaxed way of life. Nobody is in a hurry, and stress isn’t in the local vocabulary. But when you need to get things done, you can.

This climate itself is a big draw for a workation, of course. It’s never truly cold, and the endless sunshine encourages an outdoor lifestyle that I can only dream of at home in the UK.

On my first day staying at Bela Vista Coliving & Retreat, one of my fellow guests told me that this outdoor culture was what they loved most about the region, and I quickly came to agree.

If you’re into staying active, the Algarve delivers. Its Atlantic coast has some incredible surf and kite surf spots, and you’re never far from a scenic running or cycling trail. It’s the kind of place where you can squeeze in a morning surf or evening run without it eating into your work day.

Then there’s the friendliness of the local people. This has been true wherever I’ve travelled in Portugal, but especially in the Algarve; no matter where you’re from, people treat you kindly and with a smile.

This creates a positive atmosphere where it’s easy to make connections. As you’ll read in this guide, whether you want to meet locals or other remote work travellers from around the world, you are never far away from community in the Algarve.

Getting to the Algarve and getting around

Faro Airport is the region’s hub for international travel, with routes all over Europe, often on low-cost carriers. For me it was a cheap and easy three-hour flight from East Midlands in the UK.

The region isn’t the easiest to navigate internally by public transport, but honestly, that’s part of its appeal. Many of the hidden coastal gems or great foodie spots take effort to reach, but they’re worth it. And getting around by bike feels like a far more wholesome way to soak up those long days of sunshine.

Slow, sustainable travel in the Algarve

While the Algarve is popular as a classic “holiday” destination for obvious reasons – with its golden beaches and sunny climes – spending a week or two in a walled resort setting could never do the place justice.

Most of the workationers and digital nomads I met in the Algarve were staying for a month or two, or even longer, giving themselves time to get to know the place properly, without rushing. This feels like how it should be done.

Slower travel of this kind lets you connect with the area more naturally, helps you travel more consciously and support the communities you visit, and can be much more cost-effective.

When is best to visit the Algarve for a workation?

Average temperatures in the Algarve don’t vary drastically throughout the year. Winter daytime lows sit around 12°C, while summer highs usually reach 28–30°C. It can occasionally get freakishly hot in the summer (the record is over 43°C 🥵) which coincides with peak tourist season, something we usually prefer to avoid.

No matter when you visit, you can expect sunshine, with more than 300 days and 3,000 hours of sunshine around the year.

I took an Algarve workation in October, which is a lovely time for it. Roads and town centres are quieter, but it’s still lovely and warm – it reached 26°C on most days during my trip.

Spring and autumn both have a similar vibe, with warm weather and fewer tourists. Winter in the Algarve is still a great time for remote work trips, with mild weather, lower costs and even quieter surroundings (and it’s also peak season for surfing).

Where to stay: Bela Vista Coliving & Retreat

I had a fabulous week staying at Bela Vista Coliving & Retreat – you can read my full review, but here’s a little taster. Situated a little inland in a remote spot with elevated views out to the ocean, it’s run by Sara and her mother, and has been in their family for more than eight decades.

Not all coliving spaces get the community feel quite right, but Bela Vista has a genuinely communal atmosphere, and a lovely culture of doing and experiencing things together.

The space itself is well geared towards community, with varied hangout areas, from the poolside to the dining veranda to the cosy indoor lounge.

Sara coordinates regular group activities, with anyone is welcome to join in. During my week’s stay, we went out for two group dinners, had another communal meal at the space, and went on trips to islands, beaches, olive oil farms, local food markets, and the famous Benagil Cave.

The work setup at Bela Vista is relaxed and varied. There’s a coworking space in a lofty converted barn, with ample facilities, lounge areas and a gym.

I also had a desk in my room, where I could step out and enjoy views of the Algarve coast from my second floor balcony. The internet speed is super fast, and I had no issues for example downloading or sending big files.

Wellness workations at Bela Vista

Bela Vista fosters the perfect environment for wellness and healthy living. The space is surrounded by orchards and tree groves where fresh fruit is in abundant supply (to top up my organic produce from the local farmers’ market), and a local yoga teacher visits regularly to hold group sessions at the pagoda.

I also relished the opportunity to take dips in the pool between work sessions, and head out cycling on the coastal route.

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Most guests stay a month or two, giving enough time to get fully immersed in the community over a slow workation, but you can stay anything from a couple of days up to three months.

I really appreciated the feeling of remoteness at Bela Vista, giving that balance of connectivity and detachment. At the same time, I could head out to the local villages, towns and beaches on my hired bicycle. If you want to explore further afield, you could rent a car.

Meeting other remote workers in the Algarve

Beyond the networks at coliving spaces like Bela Vista, there is a broader ecosystem of community for remote workers and digital nomads in the Algarve. Sara is active in a community initiative called LOFT – named after the four towns of Loulé, Olhão, Faro & Tavira.

During my stay there was a weekend-long sustainability festival called Fertil Fest taking place in Olhão, so a few of us went along. You know that kind of soul-warming vibe when you’re at an event in an outdoor space on a soft evening as the sun sets – with chilled-out live music, talks, street food and craft stalls.

Events and initiatives like this happen throughout the year, so it’s easy to find community or a good time if you want to.

Things to do in the Algarve on a workation

The Algarve’s Atlantic coast is stunning. Think fishing villages, gorgeous beaches, and cycling and walking routes that wind through salt meadows and woodlands. There’s plenty to do whenever you have time away from remote work.

You might just want to soak up the Mediterranean warmth and do nothing at all. But if you’re itching to explore on your downtime, here are some of the things I loved.

Go cycling or walking on Ecovia do Litoral

The entire Algarve coastline is connected by a cycling and walking route called Ecovia do Litoral. A 60-kilometre stretch of this coast is covered by Ria Formosa Natural Park, a beautiful ecosystem of saltwater lagoons, mudflats and marshlands.

I loved cycling through this scenery and making stops at towns or viewpoints along the way. It’s a very flat trail, so it doesn’t take much energy – you can just keep going and going.

A bike ride on Ecovia do Litoral is a great way to reset your brain after work, or to start your day with something mindful before logging on.

If you’re staying at Bela Vista Coliving & Retreat, you can arrange for a hire bicycle to be delivered to you through a local service. The longer you hire it for, the cheaper it works out – I paid €9 a day for a week, but it’s €120 for a whole month.

Witness the spectacular Benagil Coast

You have probably seen pictures of Benagil Cave, which is the Algarve’s most famous sight and was used for an iconic Microsoft Windows wallpaper back in the day.

The entire coastal section around Benagil Cave is breathtaking, characterised by giant limestone rock stacks and arches that have been sculpted by thousands of years of relentless waves from the Atlantic. It reminds me a lot of the Twelve Apostles on Australia’s Great Ocean Road.

Concealed underneath this rocky labyrinth is a network of caves and sandy little beaches, which you can explore by taking a kayak trip or boat ride.

I went on a day trip here with some of the crew from the Bela Vista community. We parked up at Praia da Marinha and took a slow, scenic hike along the coastal path to Benagil village, stopping at several viewpoints along the way.

Once we got to Benagil, we booked onto a boat tour of the caves. Most people do the 30-minute trip, but we went for the full hour and ended up with a private boat just for our group of five!

The cave network is massive, way more extensive than I expected. Our boat captain took us deep into several caves, told us stories about smugglers and ancient erosions, and added some adrenaline with white-knuckle turns through the arches.

If you’re not travelling with a group or don’t fancy making your own way to Benagil, there are plenty of organised trips you can book, which is probably a good idea in high season. These are some options from different locations:

• From Faro: the original Benagil Cave, Marinha and more tour
• From Albufeira: Benagil caves dolphin watching speed boat tour
• From Lagos: Benagil caves speedboat adventure

Wander the region’s fishing villages and coastal towns

The Algarve coast is sprinkled with picturesque fishing towns and villages with cobbled streets, cute whitewashed buildings, cosy cafés and bakeries, and some of the best fish restaurants you’ll ever experience.

The coastline near Bela Vista Coliving & Retreat runs between two of these towns, Fuseta and Olhão, so I took the opportunity to cycle to both of them. This is very much a non-touristy part of the Algarve.

Olhão is the bigger of the two towns, and a group of us headed down here at the weekend to stock up on fresh produce from the food markets. A large hall by the marina is divided between a farmers’ market and a fish market, and it’s a hive of activity on a Saturday morning.

When you’ve finished browsing the stalls, you can slow down for a coffee and cake at one of the many cafés that line the perimeter of the hall.

Wander inland through the narrow cobbled streets and you’ll get a sense of the local atmosphere in Olhão. People come and go from little shops, and regulars chat on seats spilling out from tascas and taverns.

Fuseta has an even cosier feel. Many people come here for the beach or to take a ferry across to the island, but the town centre is like a little world of its own, set uphill from the waterfront. I stopped by Padaria da Vila, a local bakery where I got change from €3 for a large slice of homemade cake and a freshly brewed coffee.

A short way up the hill from the centre stands Nossa Senhora do Carmo, an impressive white church with views over the town. It might sound morbid but it’s also worth taking a walk through the small cemetery by the church, which is filled with beautifully colourful and ornate family tombs, and is a place for quiet reflection.

See flamingos at sunset

If you are visiting Algarve in spring or autumn, it’s the perfect time to see flamingos. Cycle or walk just a little beyond Fuseta on the Ecovia do Litoral just before sunset, and you will usually find a small flock bathing in the tidal lagoons.

It’s a magical sight, the pink birds silhouetted against the orange light, with the still water reflecting the sky. Bring a camera with a zoom lens if you have one, as they can be quite far out in the lagoons.

Cycling back along the Ecovia do Literal just after sunset has a wonderfully peaceful feel, and the pools look gorgeous in the fading light. Luckily for me there was a full moon hanging low by the horizon that added an extra glow.

Take a boat trip to the islands

A series of idyllic sandy islands cling to the coastline along Ria Formosa Natural Park, and the easiest of these to reach is Fuseta Island.

You can take a short ferry ride (€5 return) from the small port in Fuseta village over to the island, with gorgeous coastal views on the way across. From there you emerge onto a mesmerising stretch of beach on the far side of the island, with white sand and turquoise waters that look straight from the Maldives.

We spent a heavenly couple of hours here bathing and swimming in the mild waters. Make sure you check the last ferry time to ride back, which is usually 7pm in summer and 5:45pm in spring and autumn.

From Olhão you can take boat tours out to the other islands in the nature reserve, which have a more isolated and small-community feel. On a full day tour you can visit all three of Farol, Armona and Culatra, or you can take a shorter, half-day trip to Armona and Culatra.

Hit the beaches (and try some watersports!)

Whether it’s on the isolated islands or along the 200 kilometres of mainland coast, the Algarve has some of Europe’s most beautiful beaches to explore.

You might just want to sunbathe and bask in the idyllic surroundings, but the beaches are also where some of the region’s most adventurous souls spend their time, making the most of the prime opportunities for surfing and kite surfing.

The crew at Bela Vista made multiple trips to the beach during my stay, another reason why coliving is a great way to take a workation in the Algarve – it makes it so much easier to try activities like surfing when you’ve got people to go with.

Spots like Albufeira are great for learning to surf, or if you want to try something mellower, there are glorious spots all along the coastline for paddleboarding, sailing and swimming.

Eat the incredible seafood

The open exposure to the Atlantic means the Algarve has some of the freshest and most delicious seafood anywhere in the world, and you never have to travel far to try it.

On my first night in the Algarve I had probably the best piece of fresh fish I’ve ever had in my life. I promise you I am not exaggerating! We went out for dinner with the Bela Vista community to Restaurante À do Rui in Fuseta, where smoke was rising from a sizzling outdoor grill as we approached.

As is typical for these local restaurants, there was a long list of fish varieties on the menu. Sara recommended corvina, so several of us went for that, and we were served up a banquet of meaty, chunky yet beautifully flaky white fish with a charcoaled edge. Oh my word!

It was accompanied by a simple sauce made with olive oil and oregano, with a flavour that reminded me of chimichurri.

We were served so much corvina that we took half of it home and had a group meal of fish pasta back at the coliving the next night.

On the last night of my trip, we went further east along the coast to another charming little village, Santa Luzia, which is well renowned for its restaurant scene. Here we ate at Alcatruz, which specialises in octopus.

And again, it was sensational. We dined slowly over three hours, finishing up with a glass of port before heading back to Bela Vista for some ice cream.

Outstanding restaurants like this can be found all along the Algarve coast. And if you want to try your own hand at cooking up a seafood storm, you can find the best catches at local fish markets like the excellent one at Olhão.

Take a sunrise hike up to Miradouro Cerro de Cabeça for panoramic views

Many of the best hiking trails in the Algarve are along the coastline, like the southernmost section of the 120-kilometre-long Fishermen’s Trail, or the Seven Hanging Valleys trail along the Benagil coastal area, both among the best hikes in Europe.

But you will also find some great hikes inland from the sea, as you venture into the region’s mountains and hills. I tried a short hike to Miradouro Cerro de Cabeça, a spectacular viewpoint on a limestone hill just a few kilometres from the coast.

I set off from Bela Vista Coliving & Retreat about an hour before sunrise, and it took about half an hour to reach the base of the hill by bike. From there it’s only about a ten-minute hike up via a short trail and flight of steps.

At the viewpoint you can climb up to the top of a concrete observatory tower that almost looks like a little pagoda, and from there you can see way across the treetops to the coastline in the distance. It’s quite spectacular! And especially beautiful as the sun rises over the ocean.

You can also continue further along the trail to find more viewpoints and interesting old limestone structures.

For more extensive hiking trails, you can venture into the Serra de Monchique mountains, where the terrain becomes more dramatic and the trails more challenging.

Try an olive oil tasting experience

Did you know that vanilla ice cream and olive oil are an incredible taste combination? No? Neither did I until visiting Monterosa Olive Grove.

Located quite close to Miradouro Cerro de Cabeça, Monterosa is one of the Algarve’s many outstanding olive oil producers. We did an olive grove tour, mill visit and oil tasting that was great value at only €15.

Our tour guide was really knowledgeable about the different olive varieties and production methods, and you can buy bottles to take home if you find a favourite.

During the tasting you warm the shots of olive oil in your hands to release the aromas before you take a sip. Then, if you want to try that mesmerising combo, you can buy a little tub of vanilla ice cream and drizzle some olive oil on it. Highly recommended!

Day in the life of an Algarve workation

What might a typical day look like on a workation in the Algarve? Every day is different, which is part of the beauty, but here’s an example of how you might spend a leisurely day mixing remote work and wellness activity at Bela Vista Coliving & Retreat:

🏊 Morning routine: take it slowly, rise at your own pace. If you’re up in time, have a morning swim in the pool at sunrise. Make a wholesome, healthy breakfast of yoghurt, oats, honey and fruits from the local markets.

💻 9am, morning work shift: set up in the coworking space for a couple of hours’ work. Answer emails, schedule social posts, clear out the admin tasks that need doing. Take an occasional timeout for some fresh air, a chat with coworkers or a cuddle with Flora, the very cute resident dog at the retreat.

🏄 Mid-morning surf trip! join a group from Bela Vista who are taking the car down to the beach at 11am to catch the good surfing conditions. Book a lesson, hire some gear if you’re already experienced, or just relax and sunbathe.

🥗 2pm, late lunch: back at the retreat, make a salad with some organic local olive oil for lunch and sit out on the veranda with the coliving crew.

🧑‍💻 Afternoon work stint: time to get some serious project work done. Set up again in the coworking space or at your room desk, cut off distractions and find your productivity sweet spot, fully refreshed from the morning surf.

🦩 Flamingo sunset bike ride: now to decompress after a job well done. An hour before sunset, head off from Bela Vista and cycle along Ecovia do Litoral to the flamingo bathing spot just past Fuseta. Slowly absorb the serene setting at golden hour before cycling back to the retreat in the evening twilight.

🍷 8pm, communal dinner at Bela Vista: sometimes it’s a restaurant trip, but tonight the team at Bela Vista are hosting a BBQ grill night to welcome two newcomers. Round off the perfect day with good food, great company and a glass of wine!

See our ultimate guide to workations for practical inspiration on remote working retreats.

Have you worked remotely in the Algarve before? Share your experience in the comments below.

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