Lagos, in the western Algarve, is one of the most charming towns on Portugal's south coast: a walled old town, cobbled lanes full of bars and restaurants, a marina and, just outside town, some of the most photographed beaches and cliffs in Europe. With about 33,000 people in its municipality, it fills up in summer with young travellers from all over the world, yet keeps an authentic soul and a prominent history.
A little history
Lagos has more than two thousand years of history: it was a Celtic settlement and then a Roman port called Lacobriga. After the Visigoths it was ruled by the Arabs, who fortified it, until in 1241 it became part of the kingdom of Portugal for good. In the fifteenth century it became one of the main ports of the Portuguese voyages of discovery promoted by Prince Henry the Navigator, who lived in nearby Sagres: caravels sailed from here to explore the African coast, such as that of Gil Eanes, who rounded Cape Bojador in 1434.
A dark chapter also belongs to this era: in 1441 ships returning from Africa brought the first African captives to Lagos, and in 1444 the first large slave sale in Europe was held here. The Mercado de Escravos, a building under the arcades of Praça Infante D. Henrique, is now a small museum recalling this history. From 1576 to 1756 Lagos was the capital of the Algarve; in 1755 the earthquake and tsunami destroyed much of the town, which was later rebuilt.
What to see in town
The centre is ringed by walls, enlarged in the sixteenth century, parts of which you can walk along. On Praça Infante D. Henrique are the statue of Prince Henry, the Mercado de Escravos and the church of Santa Maria, the mother church, with a Renaissance facade. Beside the walls stands the Castelo dos Governadores, the former governors' residence.
The finest monument is the church of Santo António, from the early eighteenth century and restored after the earthquake: behind a plain facade it hides a lavish interior covered in talha dourada, carved and gilded wood, and azulejos, one of the richest in Portugal. It is entered through the Museu Municipal Dr. José Formosinho, with collections of archaeology, sacred art and ethnography. On the harbour, at the mouth of the channel, is the Forte da Ponta da Bandeira, a small seventeenth-century fortress with an azulejo-decorated chapel that guarded the harbour entrance.
Ponta da Piedade
Two kilometres from the centre, Ponta da Piedade is a headland of golden cliffs carved by the sea into arches, pinnacles, caves and sea stacks, with a lighthouse on top and a stairway down to the water. The best way to admire it is from the sea, on a boat or kayak trip from the harbour that slips in among the caves. At sunset, from the viewpoint by the lighthouse, the sight is unforgettable.
The beaches
Among the coves enclosed by cliffs are the famous Praia de Dona Ana, little Praia do Camilo, reached by a long wooden stairway, Praia dos Estudantes, with its rock arch, Praia do Pinhão and Praia da Batata, a stone's throw from the centre. Further west is the wide, quiet beach of Porto de Mós. East of the harbour stretches Meia Praia, a long sandy beach of about 4 kilometres, ideal for families and water sports. Heading west you reach the village of Luz, with its beach, Burgau, Salema and finally Sagres.
Tips
Inland, about ten kilometres away, is the Bravura dam, with a lake among the hills, and further north the Serra de Monchique. In the evening the old town comes alive with fish restaurants, bars and clubs. Lagos is the western terminus of the regional Algarve railway and has buses to Faro and Lisbon; by car it is reached on the A22.