Lagos

Lagos is a coastal city in the western Algarve, with 33 494 inhabitants across 213 km², known for its role in the Portuguese Age of Discovery, its beaches and its historical and cultural heritage.

The largely pedestrian old town sits inside the city walls. The Avenida dos Descobrimentos, beside the Ribeira de Bensafrim, looks over the boats moving between the sea, the marina and the fishing harbour.

Beaches in Lagos

Meia Praia: long sandy beach east of the city, from the harbour breakwater towards the Ria de Alvor.
Praia de São Roque: beach next to Meia Praia.
Praia da Batata: town beach at the start of the cliff trail.
Praia dos Estudantes: beach crossed by a stone footbridge known as the Ponte Romana.
Praia do Pinhão: small beach below the cliffs.
Praia de Dona Ana: beach framed by rock formations.
Praia do Camilo: small beach reached by a long wooden staircase.
Praia da Boneca, Praia dos Pinheiros and Praia da Balança: small beaches at the foot of the cliffs towards Ponta da Piedade.
Praia do Canavial and Praia do Barranco do Martinho: small beaches beyond Ponta da Piedade.
Praia de Porto de Mós: beach with high cliffs and calm water.

Monuments in Lagos

City walls and Porta de São Gonçalo: walls around the old town, with a gate between two tall towers.
Igreja de Santo António: church rebuilt in 1769 after the 1755 earthquake, with one of the richest interiors of Baroque gilded woodwork in the Algarve.
Igreja de Santa Maria: parish church with a collection of Rococo religious images.
Forte da Meia Praia: ruins of a square 17th-century coastal fort in the dunes of Meia Praia.
Farol da Ponta da Piedade: 20th-century lighthouse above the sea caves.

Museums and culture in Lagos

Museu Municipal Dr. José Formosinho: municipal museum next to the Igreja de Santo António.
Núcleo Museológico Rota da Escravatura: museum in the building known as the Mercado de Escravos, on the sale of enslaved Africans in Lagos from the 15th century.
Centro Ciência Viva de Lagos: science exhibitions and activities for all ages.

Markets in Lagos

Mercado Municipal: fresh fish and produce, near the fishing harbour.

Nature in Lagos

Ponta da Piedade: headland with sea caves and rock arches, visited by boat.
Cliff trail: path from the Avenida dos Descobrimentos past the Miradouro da Praia da Batata to Ponta da Piedade and Porto de Mós.
Barragem da Bravura: reservoir in the hills of Bensafrim.

Golf in Lagos

Palmares: 27 holes behind Meia Praia, facing the Ria de Alvor and the sea.
Boavista: course near the city.
Espiche: 18-hole course in Barão de São João, on the road to Luz.

Marinas in Lagos

Marina de Lagos: 462 berths near the historic centre.
Clube de Vela de Lagos: sailing club on the cliff trail.
Boat trips: trips of about two hours from the Marina de Lagos to the Benagil sea cave, and shorter trips to the caves of Ponta da Piedade.

Parishes of Lagos

Luz (4 355 inhabitants · 22 km²): former fishing village west of the city.
Odiáxere (3 046 inhabitants · 32 km²), Bensafrim (1 530 inhabitants · 78 km²) and Barão de São João (895 inhabitants · 52 km²): inland parishes.