About Lagos

Situated in the extreme southwest of the of Portugal this historic town is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the Algarve. Not only is it an ancient town steeped in history it is within walking distance of some excellent beaches.

The towns old winding cobbled streets has a host of excellent restaurants and lively late night bars. The marina is a lovely place to grab a snack from West Bar and Grill or a sailing trip for the day.

Lagos marina is the only Portuguese marina with the "Euromarina Anchor Award" and holds the European Blue Flag. The marina also has a good choice of restaurants and bars and is connected by a footbridge to the town and is within walking distance to the stunning Meia praia beach.

Lagos has a beautiful bay, surrounded by 6km of fine sandy beach. The bay itself is surrounded by wonderful small coves and beaches - perfect for anchoring, diving, fishing and snorkelling.

Because of its location Lagos has played an important part in the story of discovery and conquering the rest of the world. The city became a port of departure and arrival for the vessels that set off year after year on great voyages, one most famous voyager being Prince Henry the Navigator. It became a centre for trade in iron, gold and silver and other exotic merchandise brought back from Africa. It was the capital of the Algarve from 1578 until 1756.

Visitors to Lagos can also take time to discover some of the town's history by visiting the Church of Santo António, the slave market dating back to 1445, sections of the old city walls and several statues built to the famous figures from the past. One of the most noticeable is the one sculpture of Dom Sebastião standing in the main square. Few historic buildings remain in Lagos, apart from some ruins in the old section of town, because of an earthquake in 1755.