Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Getting There & Around
BUS
A regular shuttle heads to Portimão (€1.50, every 15 to 30 minutes). Eva runs to/from Lis-
bon (€20, five daily). The bus terminus in Praia da Rocha is by Club Praia de Rocha.
CAR
Auto Rent
(
282 417 171;
www.autorent.pt
;
Av Tomás Cabreira)
offers good car-rental deals.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Lagos
POP 22,000
As far as touristy towns go, Lagos (
lah-goosh
) has got the lot. It lies along the bank of
the Rio Bensafrim, with 16th-century walls enclosing the old town's pretty, cobbled
streets and picturesque plazas and churches. Beyond these lies a modern, but not overly
unattractive, modern sprawl. The town's good restaurants and range of fabulous beaches
nearby add to the allure. With every activity under the sun (literally) on offer, plus a
pumping nightlife, it's not surprising that people of all ages are drawn here. In season,
with all the crowds and action, the town can feel hectic and claustrophobic.
Aside from its hedonistic appeal, Lagos has historical clout, having launched many
naval excursions during Portugal's extraordinary Age of Discoveries.
History
Phoenicians and Greeks set up shop at this port (which later became Roman Lacobriga) at
the mouth of the muddy Rio Bensafrim. Afonso III recaptured it from the Moors in 1241.
In 1415 a giant fleet set sail from Lagos under the command of the 21-year-old Prince
Henry the Navigator to seize Ceuta in Morocco, thereby setting the stage for the Age of
Discoveries.
The shipyards of Lagos built and launched Prince Henry's caravels, and Henry split his
time between his trading company here and his navigation school at Sagres. Local boy Gil
Eanes left Lagos in 1434 as commander of the first ship to round West Africa's Cape Bo-
jador. Others continued to bring back information about the African coast, along with
ivory, gold and slaves. Lagos has the dubious distinction of having hosted (in 1444) the
