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Lagos nightlife: where to go, and when

Nightlife in Lagos is concentrated into two streets in the old town, which makes it easy to work out. Here is what each area is like, what a night costs, and how to get back.

The areas

  1. 01

    Rua Cândido dos Reis

    The main bar street, and the reason most people say Lagos has a nightlife at all. Bars run down both sides, doors open onto the street, and the crowd moves between them rather than settling in one place. Busy from about ten in summer.

  2. 02

    Rua Lançarote de Freitas

    Runs parallel and is a little calmer. More seats, more conversation, and a better bet if you want to hear the person you came out with.

  3. 03

    Praça Luís de Camões

    The square where the evening starts. Tables outside, a drink before dinner, and street performers in high season. Nobody is drinking fast here.

  4. 04

    The marina

    Quieter and slightly smarter. Wine and cocktails looking at the boats, and it empties by midnight because everyone walks back into town.

  5. 05

    Meia Praia beach bars

    Sunset drinks on the sand east of the river. They close early compared with the town, so treat this as the first stop rather than the last.

Doing it as a pub crawl

The bar street works best if you keep moving, which is why an organised crawl suits Lagos better than most towns. You get taken to the bars that are actually busy on that night, the drinks are included or discounted, and you are walking with a group rather than reading reviews on a phone in a doorway.

The local operator is Lagos Pub Crawl, which runs from the old town through the Rua Cândido dos Reis bars. Their site has the nights it runs, the meeting point and the current price.

If you would rather do it yourself, start in Praça Luís de Camões around nine, move to Rua Lançarote de Freitas for a proper drink, then join Rua Cândido dos Reis after eleven when it is full.

Lagos Pub Crawl

Guided bar crawl through the old town. Meeting point, schedule and pricing are on their own site.

Visit lagospubcrawl.com

Practical questions

What do drinks cost?
A beer is roughly two to three euros in town and four or more at the marina. Cocktails sit between six and nine euros. Shots are often a euro on the bar street, which is how the night gets away from people.
When does it get busy?
Dinner runs to about half nine, the bar street fills from ten, and the peak is midnight to two. Out of season most bars still open but the crowd is thinner and some shut by one.
Is it walkable?
Yes. The whole of the old town is within ten minutes on foot, and the bar streets are a two minute walk from each other. You do not need a taxi unless you are staying out at Meia Praia or Porto de Mós.
Getting back
Taxis wait at Praça Gil Eanes and by the marina. Ride hailing works in Lagos but surges after two. Agree the fare before you set off if you take a rank taxi late.
Doing a boat tour the next morning
Book an afternoon departure. The Atlantic swell is usually calmer in the morning, but so is your stomach after a late one, and the grotto boats do not refund a no show.

Next: the old town walking guide or the best things to do in Lagos.

The Lagos boat tour cheat sheet

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