LNOF in the

June 2023

Portugal has given the world some beautiful things. The pastel de nata. A glass of port. Cristiano Ronaldo’s jawline. But it has also given stags and hens one of the best places in Europe to party – the Algarve is a sun-scorched playground.

Take a look at what we got up to during 48hrs in the Algarve!

SATURDAY 10AM - We arrive!

The Algarve is a sprawling sea of lush green golf courses and golden, sandy beaches that offer stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean. Oh, it is also a massive mecca for stags and hens – and the only round we were interested in at the airport was at the bar.

After flying into Faro we were whisked to Balaia Golf Village, a fabulous four-star resort in the heart of the Algarve. However, Team LNOF are more interested in sinking pints than putts, so we were headed straight to one of the three hotel bars as we cooled down with a welcome frozen cocktail or two alongside our leisurely lunch.

Last Night of Freedom at the airport drinking beers

SATURDAY 5PM - Pre-drinks

After a relaxing afternoon soaking up the Portuguese sunshine by some of the hotel’s seven pools, it was time for a change of pace.

And if you fancy visiting the Algarve for some peace and quiet, then whatever you do, stay as far from Cooper’s Bar as possible. However, if like us you enjoy fun, then you’ll be in heaven.

Cooper’s was the premier spot for pre-drinks before our (memo to our liver: boat parties don’t need pre-drinks) and it was raucous. In fact, there was even a waiting list just to get in – so make sure you book well in advance.

3 members of LNOF staff sunning it up in the pool at the hotel

SATURDAY 7PM - Boat party baby

An can be so romantic. But who needs romance when you have a boat full of booze?!

After boarding we set sail for an evening of, well, total carnage. Highlights included our accountant trying to do everyone’s shot for them at once – and spraying half the boat with the remnants from his mouth – while the vessel got so wet from it basically became an ice rink on the open water.

We may have bruised our backs from all the falling over – and our internal organs from all those shots – but my word is this is a fun experience. A must-book for any stag or hen weekend.

Two female members of our team stood on a boat with drinks in hand with the caption 'I'm on a boat'

SATURDAY 9:20PM - Bar crawl time

Returning to dry land (and dry clothing), it was time for our boozy .

The Algarve is great because, young or old, it has something for everyone. But at the heart of it is a truly vibrant party scene with bars and clubs akin to the likes of Benidorm.

As we found out, the strip in Albufeira is as good as anywhere for gloriously tacky fun. Stags and hens are welcomed with open arms, the bars are absolutely bouncing until the small hours and any bar that markets itself with a big polar bear outside is a winner in our eyes.

Our accountant wearing tacky light up glasses with the caption

SUNDAY 8AM - Exploring hotels

Anybody who has spent Saturday night partying on the Albufeira strip will know how we all felt on Sunday morning.

Rough was an understatement.

But after a filling brekkie at the resort, a leisurely morning of hotel visits was just what the doctor ordered.

We checked out some of the best Algarve accommodation on offer through Last Night of Freedom - , , and – and we would recommend staying at any of them (but we wouldn’t recommend the headache we all had that morning).

At the Balaia Plaza hotel. A huge pool and sun terrace with the caption

SUNDAY 1:30PM - Giant tapas!

Thankfully, hangover help was at hand in the form of a – with portions bigger than Cristiano Ronaldo’s ego.

We parked up at the Waterfront which, you won’t get a prize for guessing, boasts stunning sea views.

Our famished group then tucked into some truly immense grub that helped soak up the booze – and catapult us back into the seeing of things for another day of hard partying.

Dishes of half eaten tapas with the caption 'Tapas Gobbled'

SUNDAY 6PM - Ribs and wings

Now while we weren’t in Barcelona, we still needed a siesta to recover from our bar crawl, so after a power hour in our beds, we were ready to once again paint Portugal red (and green).

But still in need of sustenance (We admit we were still hanging a bit) Team LNOF was whisked to the ultimate stag do diner.

Ribs and Co sells the best ribs and wings in Portugal (well, in our opinion) and after a heavy night, the prospect of unlimited saucy, fatty, meaty pork is music to anyone’s ears.

This is a cracking spot, especially for stags who like their meat and want to ensure they’ve lined their stomach ahead of a heavy night on the sauce.

Our head of sales looking very pleased with the ribs he's about to eat with the caption 'get in ma belly'

SUNDAY 11PM - Hitting the strip again

And a heavy night on the sauce followed – as Round Two got underway.

We once again hit the rowdy strip although this time it was VIP all the way as our group swarmed La Bamba – one of the Algarve’s most premium nightspots – for table service.

There was bottle service, sparklers in the Grey Goose and being a stag and hen party firm, there was of course some sexy strippers to entertain the staff (and leave one with what has been cryptically described as a ‘defensive’ wound).

Our head of sales pouring himself a large drink in La Bamba

MONDAY 10AM - The Benagil Caves

Nothing beats a spot of sea air to clear the cobwebs.

Thankfully, we had the highlight of the weekend to wake us from our vodka-induced slumber.

A trip to the famous and very Instagrammable Benagil Caves is a must-do for any tourist to the Algarve. We were transported via speedboat (very James Bond) to the caves which were absolutely immense.

However, the real main event was what we spotted en-route – a pod of orca whales! Sightings are rare (our guide said this was only the third time they’d spotted any all year) which made it even more memorable!

The iconic Benagil caves with the caption 'that's a nice cave'.

MONDAY 1PM - A cocktail masterclass

Back on dry land, we suddenly had the appetite of a whale, so what better way to soak up that stunning Atlantic view than lunch on the marina at Fat Cats – which was followed by a with our lovely host, George.

This is a fun experience that really helped get the group going again after a tipsy 48 hours – and the list of cocktails we could make was bigger than the ocean.

Two male members of our team making some cocktails

MONDAY 7PM - The Old Town

With the weekend now winding down, we were due an easy night after two days of whales, vodka and over-enthusiastic lapdancers.

So for our final night, we kicked off proceedings with a spot of fresh, at Carpe Diem before heading to the Old Town.

Now the Old Town is a bit more sophisticated and sedate than the New Town (home of the strip) but fear not – it absolutely isn’t tame. Almost every bar seems to offer karaoke and there’s plenty of liveliness to be had here – although after two late nights of sunrise bedtimes, it was the perfect way to say Tchau to Portugal.

A male and female member of our staff posing for a selfie with the caption 'last night vibes'
 

Book your Algarve stag or hen experience

If you fancy having a ‘nata’ about where to book your upcoming stag or hen do, our experts would definitely recommend the Algarve - for more information, visit our Algarve stag and hen pages.

About the Author

Having swapped papers for partying, Ian is LNOF’s PR guru and loves travelling. He’s visited over 30 of LNOF’s stag do destinations and knows our top spot, Newcastle, like the back of his hand. Born in the shadow of St James’ Park, he studied politics at Northumbria University before covering the city’s nightlife during an award-winning, decade-long career as a journalist. Crucially, he also knows a thing or two about planning a stag do, having organised two as the best man. Both were reportedly bang average.

Ian no longer works for LNOF, but there's not a day goes by we don't long for his return.

Article Updated: 21/02/2024

Ian Johnson

Ex Head of Content

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