Lagos - Portugal

The third largest town in the Algarve, Lagos was the region's capital from 1576 until 1756 and many ancient buildings still stand, testifying to its historic glory

With its maze of winding, cobbled streets full of pavement restaurants, café bars, antique and art shops, this is a place of culture and history. The town walls, still largely intact, date back to Roman times.

It was from here in 1415 that a giant fleet set sail under the command of the 21-year-old Prince Henry the Navigator to seize Ceuta in Morocco and set the stage for Portugal's ambitious Age of Discovery.

The shipyards at Lagos built and launched Henry's caravels and he divided his time between his own trading company here and his school of navigation at Sagres.

Another local explorer, Gil Eanes, left Lagos in command of the first ship to round West Africa's Cape Bojador in 1434

It was also from this very harbour that Vasco da Gama sailed in 1499 on his epic voyage to India.

Lagos has the dubious distinction of having hosted the first sale of black Africans as slaves to Europeans in 1444 and it subsequently grew into a centre of the slave trade. The former Customs House, on a corner of Praça da Republica, reputedly stands on the site of the first slave market.

Today, the vibrant town presents a very different picture, especially in summer when it bursts with restaurants, boutiques, bars and clubs. Simply wandering along and soaking up the atmosphere can be entertaining enough!

Places to Visit