Is Vila Nova de Milfontes Worth Visiting?
Vila Nova de Milfontes is a small beach town on the western coast of Portugal, that is an absolute hidden gem of Portugal. If you’re looking for a good place to stop on your drive from Lagos to Lisbon – or vice versa – we highly recommend a pit stop in Vila Nova de Milfontes.
Where is Vila Nova de Milfontes?
The town of Vila Nova de Milfontes is located on the western Atlantic coast of southern Portugal. Easily accessible by car, Vila Nova de Milfontes is only a two hour drive south of Lisbon and a 90 minute drive up from Lagos (the two bigger tourist cities in the region).
Is Vila Nova de Milfontes Worth Visiting?
The short answer to to whether or not Vila Nova de Milfontes is worth visiting is – YES.
The long answer? I wish I knew about this cute little beach town while planning out my Portugal itinerary. If I had, I definitely would have granted it a whole day’s worth of time in our travel plans, instead of just a few hours on our way through from Lagos to Lisbon.
Vila Nova de Milfontes is a picturesque, colorful coastal town that embodies everything you think of when you picture a “small European city.” With cobblestone streets, brightly colored residential alleys, and beautiful ocean views – it honestly just felt like the perfect vacation getaway.
While Lagos has stunningly beautiful cliffs and beaches, they tend to be much more crowded & cramped due to all of the tourism. A walk through Vila Nova de Milfontes made it feel like we had stumbled upon a hidden gem only frequented by locals.
The beaches were expansive, easy to get to, and had soft white sand that I definitely wouldn’t have minded laying my towel down on for the afternoon. The ocean at Vila Nova de Milfontes was many shades of blue, all sparkling in the summer sun. I literally want to book a trip back to Portugal to enjoy this leisurely escape right now.
How Many Days Should You Spend in Vila Nova de Milfontes
If I was looking for some sort of escape where I just wanted to unwind and relax by the sea for a week, I would literally just stay in Vila Nova de Milfontes the whole time.
Since I don’t live locally to Portugal, and planned to visit Lagos, Madeira, and Lisbon as well, I more realistically would have only planned for one night in Vila Nova de Milfontes. This would allow time to explore the town, but also slow down and enjoy the beach & views before picking up to go to the much busier city of Lisbon.
All in all, Vila Nova de Milfontes is definitely worth a visit during Portugal’s warmer seasons. I know it will definitely be a bigger part of my next trip!
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About the Author: Hi, I’m Jill! I am a biomedical & mechanical engineer who loves traveling during my free time. My hope is to help make it easier for others to plan their dream trips by providing firsthand experience from the places I’ve been! Read More.
Beautiful post. We are hoping to do an extended stay in Portugal in the next few years so I´ll be bookmarking this post for research!
Love discovering charming beach towns. Vila Nova de Milfontes is so beautiful…this hidden gem in Portugal is definitely worth a visit!