Stunning.

If you've ever been to Portugal, chances are you've been to the Algarve. It's nice, it's warm, it's a decent holiday destination if you want something a little different for your summer break but also still very similar. Decent enough, like. If you're at all debating where to head off on your algarve holiday though, let us just go ahead and straight up suggest the Portuguese town of Lagos. It's small but not too small, it's not that touristy but touristy enough that you'll still be able to hang out with some fellow holidayers, it's old but not old enough that it doesn't have a few sushis bars. You get the idea - it's a nice spot. Here's a few things you need to go ahead and do there. 1. Go on a grotto boat trip  If you do one thing when you're in Lagos, make sure it's a grotto boat trip. One of Lagos's longest serving boat trip companies, Bom Dia, offer two hour and four hour trips out to see some stunning grottos, have a swim in the sea, and have a barbecue on deck, if that's your thing. The trips also include bar service, helpful guides, and staff more than willing to convince you to throttle yourself into the (freezing) sea. The two hour trip will only set you back €27.50 too, while the four hour one costs €55.00 - that bit pricier but absolutely worth it. 2. Visit Batata beach There are a couple of beaches floating around Lagos well worth spending a few hours on, but the one most worth visiting has to be Batata beach. Located just a few minutes walk down the town, the slightly secluded, definitely quieter beach is tucked away between a mass of rocks making it one of the town's more secretive spot. Also ideal to hit up for a midnight bottle of wine or two. Just saying. 3. Zanzi bar - that's all  Lagos has a good few bars that are worth hitting up, but Zanzi bar is most likely going to be the busiest. Sat in the middle of the town, the small enough space doesn't have a whole lot of room for sitting, but if you're looking to solidify some brief friendships with strangers who you will definitely never see again, this is the spot for you. 4. Spend the evening on the marina  Lagos has got a lovely marina - there's boats, there's restaurants, there's bars, and the odd ice cream parlour or two. You wouldn't think a marina would necessarily be hopping at the weekend either, but - thanks to incredibly cheap cocktails, karaoke machines, and an abundance of sports bars - it actually is. You could probably sit around the marina for the day and not feel the need to venture off anywhere else, really. Fairly ideal. 5. Hit up the Delhi Darbar Indian No, seriously - this specific Indian restaurant, just hit it up. The food is stunning, it's intensely reasonably priced, and the staff are probably the nicest people you will ever meet in your entire life. And their vegetarian options are legit a God send. So much paneer. So much.