Lagos is near the west coast of Portugal and the largest town in the Algarve. Our first day we explored the town and got our bearings. Here’s some of what we saw: The 17th century fort has a drawbridge, thick walls, and small watch towers. Buildings with colorful tile are sprinkled throughout the town. An octopus made of fish net and plastic bottles is a reminder of what is happening in our oceans and to encourage recycling. Skillfully laid cobble mimics the waves. And inviting praças (plazas) to sit, relax, and enjoy the beauty.
Will King Sebastian Return?
We learned the fascinating story of King Sebastian and marveled at his statue. He was made king at the age of 3 when his father died. When he was in is early 20s he decided to go to Northern Africa and try to take more land from the Moors. He disappeared in the battle and his body was never found. He did not have any heirs so the throne was passed onto the Spanish royalty, leading to many years of turmoil in Portugal. A legend grew that he was alive and would return in dire times to fix Portugal’s problems. Soon after this statue of him was erected in 1973 the Carnation Revolution occurred, and the dictator Salazar was deposed, leading to democracy in Portugal. Coincidence?
Hiking the Cliffs
Lagos is near some stunning cliffs, so we hiked around Ponta da Piedade and enjoyed the beautiful views with long staircases leading down to stunning beaches.
Fun Boat Tour
We also found a local, independent boat tour company called Grotto Pioneers. Unlike other boat tours packed with people, the two of us stepped into the boat and off we went. The small boat allowed us to get into narrow caves, through arches, and see the incredible views of the cliffs from the water. The captain’s cute dog, Victor, joined us and was pointing the way home as we returned.
Exploring the Southwest Corner of Portugal
We took a day trip out to Sagres to visit the lighthouse and hike along the steep cliffs and then to Farol do Cabo de São Vicente where we learned more about Henry the Navigator. He set up a school there in the early 1400s to focus Portugal’s resources on setting up trade routes to Africa and beyond. His focused efforts over many years led to advances in navigation and boat design that enabled Portugal to become the world’s first global super power. As a result he is very famous in Portugal. Christopher Columbus, who was only 10 when Henry died, was trained in Lisbon on mathematics, astronomy, cartography and navigation based on the knowledge and skills Henry had sponsored a generation before. Columbus unsuccessfully asked the Portuguese monarchy for funds to sail west to India. Spain funded Columbus, leading to its own global empire.
Historians are unsure what the large stone circle (picture top left) was used for; perhaps celestial navigation or maybe a wind-to-sail compass. Instead of planting a flag to claim ownership of a new territory, Portuguese ships brought dozens of columns (picture top right) to erect and proclaim the land as theirs. The very popular food truck (middle picture) is the “Last Bratwurst Before America.”
Life’s a Beach
We found a wonderful beach with soft sand that was surprisingly uncrowded, just east of Lagos. We were able to walk at least a mile to the east and see only a few people. The water was swimmable but cooler than Tavira and Carvoeiro because Lagos is closer to the open Atlantic Ocean. Our €20 beach umbrella that we bought at the beginning of our stay in the Algarve held up well.
Exploring the West Coast
Lagos was our last stop in the Algarve before heading north to the Lisbon area. On the way north we drove along the west coast and enjoyed the views of the Atlantic. We found a thought provoking warrior/angel made with recycled iron; he is screaming out in desperation to draw attention to the environmental problems caused by humans. On a similar note, storks are taking over the power infrastructure in southern Portugal (lower right picture) despite efforts (spikes and wires) to deter their nests.
The Journey Continues…
We had a marvelous time during our 30 days in the Algarve enjoying Portuguese culture, seeing the sights, and relaxing. As we headed north we knew our 90 day visa to the Schengen Zone was drawing to a close and we had less than 2 weeks before we had to leave. Time to tackle Lisbon!