Getting to Know the

Lagos Area

No. of inhabitants in 2001= 25 398 Area 213,0 (Km2)

Odiáxere
A picturesque village of white-walled houses. Nearby there are panoramic views over Lagos bay..

Main Church
Rebuilt in the 18th century, it has a fine doorway of red Silves sandstone, exuberantly decorated in the Manueline style (16th century). Plain interior. The altars have 18th century icons, including a Christ in Indo-Portuguese ivory, notable for its dramatic expression. There is a border of 17th century tiles. There are good views over Lagos bay from nearby.

Bravura Dam
A man-made lake stretching out beneath broad mountainous horizons. A place to relax and enjoy nature. Excellent viewpoint.

Bensafrim
A typical small town, surrounded by hills looking down on the sea. It has a church with some valuable works of art. The Fonte Velha necropolis is situated nearby. Dating back to the Iron Age, it was later used in the Roman era and also includes a press At Corte de Bispo there are some remains of Roman ruins.

Luz
A fishing port nestling between cliffs. which in spite of being an important tourist centre, it maintains its traditional and typical character.

Main Church
The church is medieval in origin Its main chapel has a gothic triumphal arch and vaults. The retable of the main altar is decorated with gilded carving in the baroque Style(18th century). Also to be found are the ruins of an important Roman “villa”. with mosaics and pools. There is a small aqueduct to channel water from Quinta da Luz. Next to the beach are tanks, for salting fish. probably built by the Cartthaginians and then used by the Romans. Rising above the beach is the old fort of Nossa Senhora da Luz (Our Lady of Light) (17th century), which has now been turned into a restaurant.

Nearby, at Cerro de Lorvão, there is a Roman burial ground. 'The Miradouro da Atalaia. 108 m (360 feet) offers sweeping views along the coast.

Ponta da Piedade
A huge rock formation hollowed out by the sea. The bold colours of the strangely-shaped rock-yellow, ochre, red - contrast with the crystal blue of the sea. There is access by boat to innumerable beautiful sea caves and hollows. The lighthouse stands near to the site of an old coastal defence fortification.

Barão de São João
A village on the edge of the forest that boasts a variety- of tree species. Lots of shade and a peaceful atmosphere.

The Pleasures of Sun and Sea
You look for long beaches where the sand and the ocean get lost, in the horizon? You prefer cosy beaches hidden among colourful rocks, far from the world? Make up your mind and choose one of the wonderful beaches of Lagos coastline

Meia Praia (or São Roque)
This broad expanse of sand stretches for 4 km (2,5 miles) and offers all kinds of facilities for those who enjoy water sports.

On the isthmus of the Alvor bar stands Meia Praia fort, which defended Lagos bay in the 17th and 18th centuries. Historians say that it was off these beaches that the galleons carrying the treasure of Moctezuma- an Aztec emperor captured by the soldiers of Herman Cortez, were shipwrecked in 1522.

Batata, Estudantes, Homens, Pinhão, Dona Ana and Camilo
Sandy coves tucked between brightly coloured cliffs, these beaches include some interesting rock formations. Many believe these to be the most delightful beaches in the Algarve.

Canavial and Porto de Mós
Long beaches between cliffs Tourist facilities.

Luz
A tourist centre with a cosmopolitan flavour. Large beach.

Dona Maria
A calm and isolated beach. Golf and Water Sports There is a course situated in a scenic location looking out across the sea and the Ria de Alvor which attracts golfing enthusiasts. Sailing, windsurfing, water-skiing and parasailing are among the water sports enjoyed in Lagos.

The coast from Lagos to Luz pocked with innumerable fissures and caves, is an extremely interesting place to snorkel and scuba dive.

The Taste of Good Cooking
In Lagos, culinary pleasures have a maritime accent. Because it is above all sea food that goes into delicious razor-shell clam and fish soups, tasty “açorda” (like bread sauce) with mussels, clams and cockles, and main courses, a delight for those who enjoy fish and shell fish, which include horse mackerel in time, angler-fish or conger stew, tuna steak clams in a cataplana (cooked with cream and sausage in a special copper dish), the fishermen’s favourite of whelks with beans, and squid stuffed with a spicy mixture of ham and sausage.

A good meal is incomplete without a good wine to accompany it. Lagos produces fragrant medium dry white wines and a full-bodied ruby red bursting with fruit and sunshine.

Where cakes and puddings are concerned.
Lagos has a tradition that goes back to the days when the sweet-loving nuns of the Convento de Nossa Senhora do Carmo (Convent of Our Lady of Carmel) created the recipe for “Dom Rodrigos” a cinnamon-flavoured delicacy. “Morgados” made with figs and almonds, stuffed figs and honey cakes are all tempting ways to round off a meal, along with a glass of the sweet fortified wine made locally with Moscatel grapes.

Popular Crafts
Traditional crafts are kept alive in pottery, some of which combines old forms with new- style of decoration, some of which is modern in design, inspired by contemporary life. A link with the past is also preserved in the beaten copperware, made using a technique that is possibly Arab in origin, and in the many useful tinware items still produced by hand. Modern crafts are also to be found in Lagos, in the form of printed textiles, leather objects, articles in cane and pressed flower compositions.

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