Lagos & Sagres: Coasteering, Cliff Jumping & Sea Caves Tour

4.97

(212 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

You know that feeling when you’re standing at the edge of something new? That’s how it started—wetsuit half-zipped, helmet a little crooked, salt in the air so thick you could taste it. Our guide João handed out gear with this calm grin like he’d seen every nervous face before. We were just outside Lagos, somewhere between Praia da Ingrina and those ragged cliffs that look like they’ve been chewed by time. The ocean below was all turquoise and white spray—honestly, I almost chickened out right then.

The first jump was small (maybe two meters?), but I still hesitated. João didn’t rush anyone—he just told us to watch for the fish darting in the shallows. When I finally jumped, cold water slapped my skin and for a second everything went silent except my own heartbeat. After that, it got easier. We scrambled over rocks slick with seaweed (I slipped once—laughed it off), ducked into caves where the light turned emerald and weirdly peaceful. There was this moment inside a grotto where our voices echoed back at us—someone tried singing fado and we all cracked up.

As we moved along the coast, the jumps got higher—up to ten meters if you wanted. Not everyone did; nobody judged. João pointed out limpets clinging to the rocks and told stories about local fishermen who still harvest them by hand (I tried to say ‘percebes’ in Portuguese and failed spectacularly). The walk back over the cliffs felt different after all that adrenaline—the wind stronger on my face, colors sharper somehow. I still think about how raw and alive it felt out there, even now writing this down. It’s not polished or pretty every second—but maybe that’s what made it stick with me.