Walk the historic centre in short loops
The old centre is best approached as several short walks rather than one long route linking every attraction and beach. Combine a square, a museum and the waterfront, then leave a coastal outing for another part of the day. Pedestrian streets make walking attractive, while gradients and paving still affect comfort. Trace the return to your accommodation as carefully as the outward walk if steps or hills are a concern.
Use A Onda for local journeys
A Onda is the local bus network to consult for Lagos-area travel. Look up the stop nearest your property, the destination stop and the timetable for the relevant day. It helps to plan the homeward service first when heading away from the centre. A route that is convenient for a morning beach visit may be less useful after dinner. Save the stop name rather than relying only on a map pin.
Treat Ponta da Piedade as its own outing
The headland is a different proposition from a short stroll along the town waterfront. Decide whether you will walk, use local transport or arrange a lift, and leave enough energy for the paths and viewpoints once you arrive. The stairs towards the water add another effort. A one-way walk with an arranged return can be a sensible compromise for a group with different walking abilities or for a day built around coastal scenery.
Use rail for towns on the same corridor
Lagos station gives access to the regional railway for outings along the Algarve line. It can work for a day in Portimão or a longer journey east, provided the station location at your destination fits the visit. The train does not deliver you to every resort beach. Add the walk or local connection at both ends before deciding that a rail excursion is easier than a bus journey or a day with a car.
Keep a car or taxi for the journeys it improves
A vehicle can be useful for scattered western beaches, rural stops or a return after an outing that ends far from your base. Compare that benefit with parking and the amount of time you will actually drive. For a taxi pickup, name an accessible meeting place and the beach entrance you used. Avoid assuming that an app will find a vehicle immediately at a remote viewpoint; make the return arrangement part of the outing.