Between all the beaches, marina complex and outdoor markets, there are plenty of things to do in Vilamoura and Quarteira in Portugal. They are the perfect day trip destination if you are searching for an excursion from Albufeira or Faro.
First of all, Vilamoura is a modern resort town along the central Algarve coastline in Portugal. It is relatively new as it was constructed in the 1980s when many golf courses were built.
And while you are in Vilamoura, you must visit Quarteira, a small fishing village adjacent to Vilamoura. The small town is charming and has a popular gypsy market.
If you are wondering what to do in Quarteira and Vilamoura, then you must follow my one-day itinerary and see all the best highlights of these two towns on your own.
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What you need to know before taking a day trip to Vilamoura and Quarteira
Before you start your Vilamoura and Quarteira day trip, take a look at some of these useful travel tips first:
- The best day to visit Vilamoura and Quarteira is on Wednesday because the Gypsy Market is only open on Wednesdays from 8 am to 2 pm.
- Start your Vilamoura day trip early. Try to arrive in Quarteira by 9:00 am so you can comfortable follow my 1-day itinerary below.
- Bring cash if you plan on doing a bit of shopping at the Gypsy market.
- Install and set up the Uber app on your phone just in case you you don’t want to wait for the bus at the end of the day.
- Time your visit to Vilamoura and Quarteira with these festivals and events:
- Carnival in Vilamoura (second week of February) – similar to the Brazilian carnival, this carnival in Quarteira has massive floats, parties and lots of celebration.
- Fisherman’s Festival (end of May) – seafood lovers can enjoy a vast array of seafood in Quarteira.
- Festas dos Santos Populares (June) – honouring the three Catholic saints, St Anthony, St John and St Peter, with big parades and street barbecues. Portimão, Ferreiras and Castro Marim have similar celebrations at the same time.
How to get to Vilamoura and Quarteira in Portugal
Vilamoura is a small coastal town between Faro and Albufeira. And right next to Vilamoura is Quarteira, a small fishing village. You can easily take a day trip to both places from neighbouring towns like Albufeira or Faro.
From Albufeira or Faro, the easiest way and cheapest way to Vilamoura is to take Vamus bus 9. This bus travels between Albufeira and Faro and stops in Vilamoura and Quarteira in both direction. Just make sure to check the bus timetable because they run on a specific schedule.
FYI – this itinerary starts at the Gypsy Market just north of Quarteira. The bus stop name is Fonte Santa (Rotunda) (see location), which is between Quarteira (Terminal Rodoviário) and Quarteira (Terminal Rodoviário).
Day trip from Albufeira to Vilamoura and Quarteira
- Vamus Bus 9: from Terminal Rodoviário de Albufeira to Fonte Santa (Rotunda)
- Time: 60 minutes
- Cost: €4.35 (pay bus driver or buy at bus station)
- Check the bus schedule below
Day trip from Faro to Vilamoura and Quarteira
- Vamus Bus 9: from Terminal Rodoviário Faro to Fonte Santa (Rotunda)
- Time: 40 minutes
- Cost: €3.55 (pay bus driver or buy at bus station)
- Check the bus schedule below
Best of Vilamoura and Quarteira: 1-day solo itinerary
There are many things to do in Vilamoura and Quarteira that you might feel overwhelmed. But if you follow my one-day itinerary, you can see all the best attractions in Vilamoura and Quarteira efficiently and effortlessly.
All you have to do is follow the numbered red pins on the interactive map and read the descriptions below.
Are you ready for your Vilamoura and Quarteira day trip? Here we go!
Things to do in Quarteira: best of the small fishing village
1. Shop for cheap souvenirs at Mercado da Fonte Santa
One of the best things to do in Quarteira is to visit Mercado da Fonte Santa (Quarteira Gypsy Market) on Wednesdays. Many vendors set up temporary stalls at the edge of town in a dusty parking lot and sell many items like clothing, shoes, accessories, household items, toys, Portuguese souvenirs, etc. The quality is just okay but everything is pretty cheap.
I didn’t find too many things but it is still worth visiting. Also, this flea market has several food trucks. You can get donuts or bifana (sliced pork) sandwich for breakfast.
Address: EM527-2 621A, Quarteira | Hours: 8:00 am to 2:00 pm Wednesdays only
2. Walk along the boardwalk of Praia de Quarteira
From the Gypsy Market, walk down the Av. da Fonte Santa (main road) to Praia de Quarteira. It’s a bit of a walk – about 25 minutes. But the good news is it is all downhill.
This is your first opportunity to spend a bit of time at the beach. At Praia de Quarteira, there is a cute swing for an Instagram photo, several cafes on the boardwalk if you want a snack or coffee, and of course, a beautiful golden sandy beach.
You can even rent a standup paddle board or a kayak from Decathlon on Avenida Infante de Sagres if you want to spend some time here. Or simply walk across the boardwalk towards Vilamoura and enjoy the scenery.
Address: Praia do Quarteira, Quarteira
3, 4, 5 & 6. Wander around the town of Quarteira
Continue walking on the boardwalk or the beach towards the town of Quarteira as there are several attractions worth checking out.
First, visit Mercado do Fazendeiro, a local farmer’s market opens on 8:30 am to 2:00 pm on Wednesdays only. Vendors sell vegetables, fruits, and locally made products like honey. It might be a good time to pick up some snacks and fruits here.
If you are in Quarteira on the first Saturday of each month, check out Feira de Velharias de Quarteira, an antiques fair held at the exact location as Mercado do Fazendeiro. If you like old vintage items, this might be a good place for you to rummage through.
And because there is a fishing heritage in Quarteira, there is a thriving Mercado do Peixe (Fish Market) near the beach. It is worth checking out. And also take a look at Mercado da Fruta (Fruit Market) next door too.
Mercado do Fazendeiro Address: 8125-507, Quarteira | Hours: 8:30 am to 2:00 pm on Wednesdays only
Feira de Velharias de Quarteira Address: 8125-507, Quarteira | Hours: 8:00 am to 1:00 pm first Saturday of each month
Mercado de Peixe Address: Largo do Mercado 3, Quarteira | Hours: 7:00 am to 3:00 pm (closed Sundays)
Things to see in Vilamoura: best of the modern resort town
7. Walk across Praia de Vilamoura
Although Praia de Vilamoura is a nice beach that has several beachfront cafes, I would suggest you to walk across the beach and continue the rest of the itinerary.
It is still very nice to see the sandy beach but there’s not much else to do other than suntanning and eating at one of the cafes. And also, its better to walk across the beach than to walk across the semi-developed neighbourhood.
Address: Praia de Vilamoura, Quarteira
8. Stroll around the perimeter of Marina de Vilamoura
At the end of Praia de Vilamoura, turn right and you’ll arrive at Marina de Vilamoura.
The modern marina is the first marina built in Portugal. Since its construction in 1974, Vilamoura marina has earned many awards and recognition including the “Best Portuguese Marina” for the past 11 years.
Follow the pedestrian walkway and see all the luxury yachts docked around the marina. And you can find an array of international cuisine lining the perimeter. I wasn’t particularly hungry the day I visited the marina so I opted for pancakes and ice cream at Gran Sorvete. Yum!
Address: R. do Oceano Atlântico, Quarteira | Hours: 9:30 am to 8:00 pm
9. See an archeological site at Cerro da Vila
Cerro da Vila is a museum and an archeological site near Vilamoura marina.
The museum area has Roman and Islamic artefacts related to architecture, sculpture, and etc. And you can see a typical Roman maritime villa, including some of the typical “rooms” like bedrooms, peristylium, warm/cold water pools, water cistern and much more.
Plus, there is a small archeological site at the back which showcases ruins of a Roman village.
But Cerro da Vila is closed temporarily. Check the website and see when it is open again so you can plan your day trip to Vilamoura accordingly.
Address: Av. Cerro da Vila, Quarteira | Hours: temporarily closed | Admission: €4
10 & 11. Walk the entire length of Praia de Falésia
From Cerro da Vila, walk west on the main road for about 14 minutes. Cross the Ponte Pedonal da Praia da Rocha Baixinha (bridge) and arrive at Praia de Falésia, the best attraction in Vilamoura.
Most beaches on the Algarve are absolutely stunning. But Praia de Falésia is something else! It is a 8km picturesque beach with the most mesmerizing reddish-orange cliffs along the entire length of the beach.
I saw Praia de Falésia from sea level and at the top of the cliffs. It is possible to hike the top parts of the cliff but be careful. FYI – there are three sets of staircases to the top of the cliff throughout the entire length of the beach.
For this itinerary, walk the entire coastal beach walk from Vilamoura to Olhos de Água (east to west). It will take about 2 hours or so depending how often you stop for photos or breaks.
If walking the entire length is too much for you, you can backtrack part way and return to Albufeira or Faro with bus 9 from Vilamoura.
Address: Praia da Falésia, Albufeira
12 & 13. Finish the day in Olhos de Água
Walk to the west end of Praia de Falésia and you’ll arrive at Praia do Barranco das Belharucas. There is a road behind the cafe and a set of stairs on the left which will lead you to the small roads in Olhos de Água.
Keep walking west until you arrive at the main road, Estrada de Albufeira.
Walk west on the main road until you reach Torre da Medronheira bus stop in Olhos de Água. And this is where you can wait for vamus bus 9 to take you back to Albufeira or Faro.
Time-saving tip: if you don’t want to wait for bus 9 (because it runs on a specific schedule so you may end up waiting for a long time), order a car through Uber. It is not expensive to use Uber in the Algarve. It costs about €6 from Olhos de Água to Albufeira.
Address: Torre da Medronheira bus stop, Olhos de Água
Other things to do in Quarteira and Vilamoura
There are many more things to do in Quarteira and Vilamoura other than the attractions mentioned in the day trip itinerary. If you are spending another day in the area, here are a few more things to see in Vilamoura and Quarteira (see blue pins on the map):
- Golfing – some of the best golf courses in the world are in Vilamoura.
- Casino de Vilamoura – try your luck at the casino. But if you are not into gambling, there are restaurants, bars and shows at the casino.
- Aquashow Park – spend the day at the wave pool and slide down the 32m free fall slide at the largest waterpark in Portugal.
Are you ready to take a day trip to Vilamoura and Quarteira in the Algarve?
I hope so! I really enjoyed spending the day in both Vilamoura and Quarteira. Initially, I didn’t plan to go, but after some research, I’m so glad I did. I really enjoyed the outdoor markets and walking the entire length of Praia de Falésia.
And most of all, I felt safe going to Vilamoura and Quarteira as a solo traveller. Taking public transportation wasn’t an issue, and I felt safe the entire time there.
Let me know in the comments below if you will take a solo day trip to Vilamoura and Quarteira or have any questions about either town.
Thank you for reading my Vilamoura Portugal post
You might also like these other posts on solo travel in Portugal:
Lisbon region posts
- Lisbon solo travel guide for first-timers
- Is the Lisboa Card worth it?
- Best day trips from Lisbon Portugal
Northern Portugal posts
- 2 days in Porto: things to do alone in Porto
- 17 best Porto food: what and where to eat in Porto
- 7 excellent day trips from Porto
- Day trip to Guimarães from Porto: 1-day itinerary
- Day trip from Porto to Espinho: 1-day itinerary
Central Portugal posts
Algarve posts
- Algarve solo travel guide: 7 best places
- 20 best things to do in Albufeira for solo travellers
- Loule itinerary: best things to do in one day
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