Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
With a beach-party old town and a jet-ski marina, Lagos (LAH-goosh) is as enjoyable as
a big-city resort can be. This major town on the west end of the Algarve was the region's
capital in the 13th and 14th centuries. The first great Portuguese maritime expeditions
embarked from here, and the first African slave market in Europe was held here. Today
this site operates as a small museum on the Praça do Infante.
The old town, defined by its medieval walls, stretches between Praça Gil Eanes and the
fort. It's a whitewashed jumble of pedestrian streets, bars, funky craft shops, outdoor
restaurants, mod fountains and sculptures, and sunburned tourists. Search out the sea-
creature designs laid in the pavement—some of them will probably be on your plate at
dinner. The beaches with the exotic rock formations—of postcard fame—begin just past
the fort, with easy access via hiking trails.
Tourist Information
The Câmara Municipal TI is downtown on Praça Gil Eanes and covers Lagos and the
entire Algarve. Stop in for a town map and transportation schedules (June-Sept Mon-Sat
9:30-19:00, Oct-May Mon-Sat 9:30-17:30, closed Sun year-round, tel. 282-763-031).
