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LAGOS PRAIA DA LUZ

PRAIA DA LUZ welcomes those who want a fairly get-away-from-it-all sort of family holiday with all the essential comforts but not too much razzmatazz. Of the coastal villages to the west of Lagos, Praia da Luz is the most developed, which means it is also the one which has lost a little more of its original fishing village charm. Small hotels, villas and apartments mingle with fisherman's cottages, and there are a good range of restaurants and shops. There is also a large shady camp site a short distance out of town on the Lagos road.

FARO MUSEU

The Municipal Museum, housed in a former convent and displaying local archaeological discoveries; Museu Marítimo, exhibiting a curious collection of models of boats; and the Etnographic Museum, showing the Algarve´s traditional customs.

FARO CIDADE VELHA

The Old City, or, "Cidade Velha" is a well-preserved section of town off the harbor with cobblestone streets and 18th century Portuguese and Moorish-influenced architecture. It is great place for a peaceful and almost private walk back in time in an area that has been virtually untouched and uncorrupted by modernity.
The Old Town or Cidade Velha, is entered through an 18th century gate and enclosed by the remnants of medieval walls.

SAGRES FORTALEZA

The fortress of Sagres was once one of the most important places.

Built in the 15th century, it was at least as important during the Age of Discovery as the US Cape Canaveral was during the early years of space exploration.

Pounded by huge Atlantic breakers, with wind-swept cliffs facing the sea on three sides, Cape St Vincent at the western tip of the Algarve seems like the very edge of Europe.

Indeed, it was known as "O Fim Do Mundo", the end of the world by the ancient explorers who passed this way on their voyages of discovery.

Fantastic is the only word to describe this barren, throne-like headland, which was the last sight of home for the nervous Portuguese sailors as they headed out into the unknown sea.

The location of Cape St Vincent, the most south-westerly point in Europe, surely figured in Prince Henry the Navigator's choice for a new, fortified town which was established close by at the Ponta de Sagres promontory.

Sagres became the headquarters for Henry's semi-monastic School of Navigation, which specialised in cartography, astronomy and ship design.

The school was like a magnet to the best brains in Europe concerned with the nautical sciences. Under Henry's patronage, a community of brilliant scholars came here to teach, study, accumulate and correlate nautical knowledge as it was brought back by captains of successive voyages who had journeyed to previously unknown territories.

Many other famous mariners and explorers have also passed this way, including Christopher Columbus, Lord Nelson and Sir Francis Drake, who in the course of harassing supply lines to the Spanish Armada, captured and wrecked the fortifications around Sagres.

Today, the village has grown from a single street to a cliff top sprawl of houses and shops, as well as several good restaurants. It is a busy fishing port and a popular venue for Algarve anglers.

ALMANCIL VALE DO GARRAO

Vale do Garrão is set between Vale do Lobo and Quinta do Lago.

A stroll away from the Algarve's most renowned beaches, it is also in an enviable location for golfers, as several of the Algarve's famous golf courses are to be found within a 3km radius.
Several other sports and activities are on offer nearby such as deep-sea fishing, water skiing, windsurfing, scuba-diving, horse-riding etc. Whether you are interested in a sporting holiday or lazing on the beach, Vale do Garrao has something for everyone.

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