Lagos and Ponta da Piedade

Walled Algarve Port Town And Base For The Grottoes, Arches And Sea Stacks Of Ponta Da Piedade · Lagos, Faro

Lagos is a walled port town on the western Algarve, and the headland of Ponta da Piedade, about 2 km south of it, is one of the most dramatic pieces of coast in Portugal: golden limestone carved into sea stacks, arches, tunnels and grottoes, with green-blue water between them. The town itself has more history than most Algarve resorts - it was a base for the 15th-century voyages along the African coast, and in 1444 captive Africans were landed and sold here, which a small museum now confronts directly. People come for the grotto boat and kayak trips, the clifftop boardwalk to the lighthouse, a string of small cove beaches such as Dona Ana and Camilo, the long flat sands of Meia Praia, and a lively old town of bars and restaurants. The honest caveat: Lagos is a party and backpacker town as much as a pretty one, and in July and August the coves are packed towel to towel, the boat trips run in convoys and rooms cost double. The cliffs are also crumbling - do not sit under them.

Lagos old town and marina on the western Algarve, with the Ponta da Piedade headland about 2 km south, Lagos, Faro, Portugal

The old town, the beaches, the clifftop paths and the Ponta da Piedade viewpoints are open all year and free. Boat and guided kayak trips to the grottoes run roughly March to October, most often from about 09:00 to late afternoon, and only when the sea allows. Town museums, including the slave-market museum and the Church of Santo Antonio, keep daytime hours and often close on Mondays and public holidays - confirm. Lagos is the western end of the Algarve railway: regional trains from Faro take roughly 1.5-2 hours, and Faro airport is about an hour by car. Book grotto kayak tours and rooms ahead for July and August.

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