LAGOS - Jewel of the Algarve

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My favorite place in the entire Algarve is Lagos, a small fishing port of about 32,000 near the western end of the province. It has been occupied over the centuries by Carthaginians, Romans, Visigoths, Byzantines and Moors, whom the Portuguese expelled for good in 1241. Today it has a bit of everything – a sheltered marina, natural beauty, historical artifacts, good shopping, a leisurely lifestyle, and many sporting activities such as sailing, wind-surfing, fishing, para-sailing, scuba diving, ultra-light flights, and championship golf.

Lagos has a long military and maritime history. In 1415 King Joāo I led an army to Morocco to capture Ceuta. Back in Lagos his son Prince Henry (“The Navigator”) established a navigation school at nearby Sagres, and when Henry’s naval architects designed the caravel, a fast, efficient ship, Lagos became a major ship-building centre and commercial port. This is where the ships set sail on their voyages, and where they returned laden with gold, ivory, jewels, – and human cargo as well. (for sadly it was the site of Europe's first slave market).

Sir Francis Drake attacked the small towns all along the coast in 1587, including Lagos, and caused damage to the town's walls. Then they were largely destroyed in the terrible earthquake of 1755. Those parts that remain today are an impressive testimony to the size and scope of the original Moorish fortifications. Today, access to the old town is easy through entrances in the wall. The main shopping and tourist area is closed to vehicles, so you can browse and take in the sights at leisure. You'll find a market and shops specializing in silver filigree, copper, leather, a good selection of wines, great breads and pastries, and restaurants for all tastes. Most significantly of all, although the great earthquake destroyed or damaged many of the historic buildings, it left almost unscathed one of Portugal's greatest national treasures, the military chapel-church of Santo Antonio. For more information, go to http://www.Lagosuncovered.com/ .

On the entire 120 mile Algarve shoreline one beautiful place stands out above all others, Ponta da Piedade, a fantastic region of multi-coloured rocks, sculpted by the pounding seas, and one of Portugal's prime tourist attractions. It's just a hop, skip and jump from downtown Lagos. You can descend a sturdy concrete stairway right to the water's edge, with platforms at various places where you can stop to take photos if the sea is too rough to get closer. The sea has gradually eroded the sandstone columns there so as to make seventeen arches that the waves pass through. A dozen of them look like recognizable figures, and have been given names. Here is an interesting web-site which has catalogued and named the known arches: www.archmillennium.net/ponta_da_piedade.htm . So in conclusion, if you go to the Algarve some day, don’t forget this most beautiful of natural settings ... you won't be disappointed.

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Comments

[Rainyb]

oooooooo I clearly remember this place which we visited on an area tour.

[Rainyb]

The detail here blew me away!

[Rainyb]

I forget what kind of pots those are? for octopus? I remember there were many along the Algarve coast.

[Rainyb]

aha now I remember praia = playa = beach ;o) I tried to learn some Portuguese before I went there. In writing it seems a lot like Spanish but they pronunciations often stumped me ;o) Did you manage ok?