I left the West of Algarve for the later intentionally. Some people like to present the Ahh! information in the beginning. I like to leave it to the end. The best is yet to come works better for me. The western part of Algarve was a place of my initial intention. All that I read about Portugal coast, all that tempted me to go and see it with my own eyes happened to be in Lagos – a little town in western part of it. It happened that we didn’t managed to stay there and frankly, I do not regret that we didn’t. Because if I’d have to stay in Lagos, I most likely wouldn’t want to go anywhere else and would miss out on other places Algarve has to offer to the curious mind. But Lagos is absolutely striking. It takes your imagination, possesses you, pulls you in and keeps your heart forever within the enchanting maze of cliffs and waves. Lagos is that place you can come and spend eternity and never get tired from the sight.
Lagos
(Pronounced as "Lagosh"). Mind you, there are of course other places with no less amazing nature’s masterpieces. And we’ve seen few of them in our travels. I’ve just chose Lagos as a point of reference when I talk about Portuguese Coastline.
To me this is The True Image of it.
The town itself has 2000 years of history and remembers times of Roman and Moorish occupation. But became really important in 15th century related to the Age of Discoveries – the King, Henry the Navigator used to live in Lagos and direct expeditions to explore the World from there. It was also through Lagos that the first African slaves entered post-medieval Europe. There is still a 17th century building standing on the exact site where the first slave markets were held in the 15th century. The old town centre separated from the rest by the ancient wall, is bright and cheerful and complicated to navigate through its intricate maze of winding bending narrow streets. The church in Lagos has to be mentioned for the internal wooden carvings of unimaginable beauty that fill every inch of the walls of the nave. Unfortunately it was forbidden to photograph interiors, but you have to believe me –it is one of the most amazing sighs I’ve seen (and I’ve seen a lot of truly amazing sights and am rather difficult to impress). There is also a fortress in Lagos - Forte da Ponta da Bandeira, which protected the town from the regular attack of pirates and corsairs. The fortress has a small chapel, few rooms where there are various exhibitions now and a terrace overpopulated by the series of modern windmills, very artistic and to my eyes rather useless, except from being a “feature”. But the views of the town from the terrace worth a visit.
Algarve cities are not big, it was easy to see few of them on the same day. And since we headed West this day, we went straight to the…End of The World.
Cape St Vincent
Cape St Vincent marked the end of the known world about 6 centuries ago. Before then only the bravest of Mediterranean sailors dared to venture beyond the Gibraltar, and none was foolhardy enough to sail past the rugged cliffs of St Vincent. When I saw them, I understood why. Here, the land looks like a piece of pie cut with the sharp knife. The cliffs rise nearly vertically from the Atlantic to a height of 75 meters. Even now it does create an impression of the very edge of the Land and beginning of the Ocean. It is a wild and windswept place, with the powerful but solitary lighthouse.This cape is the southwestern end of the Coastal Path of European Continent. And honestly, is a sight to be seen. To stand on the very edge of the World and be in awe of the amazing sensation of being in the Beginning and the End at once.
Sagres.
Only about 2-3 kilometers away from the cape there is another place of historical significance. The Sagres Point. It was here that Henry the king of Portugal somewhere in 15 century, established a navigation school, probably the world’s first research and training institute, and it earned him a place in history as “Henry the Navigator”. It looks like a fortress really, not an institution. Scarcely- fortified on top of a high granite cliff. The fortress looks very much in need of restoration work and boasts with the giant compass rose (Rosa dos Ventos) of 43 m diameter. There is also a small church within its territory and a replica stone standard (padrão), used by the explorers to claim a newly discovered territories.
Lagos
(Pronounced as "Lagosh"). Mind you, there are of course other places with no less amazing nature’s masterpieces. And we’ve seen few of them in our travels. I’ve just chose Lagos as a point of reference when I talk about Portuguese Coastline.
To me this is The True Image of it.
The town itself has 2000 years of history and remembers times of Roman and Moorish occupation. But became really important in 15th century related to the Age of Discoveries – the King, Henry the Navigator used to live in Lagos and direct expeditions to explore the World from there. It was also through Lagos that the first African slaves entered post-medieval Europe. There is still a 17th century building standing on the exact site where the first slave markets were held in the 15th century. The old town centre separated from the rest by the ancient wall, is bright and cheerful and complicated to navigate through its intricate maze of winding bending narrow streets. The church in Lagos has to be mentioned for the internal wooden carvings of unimaginable beauty that fill every inch of the walls of the nave. Unfortunately it was forbidden to photograph interiors, but you have to believe me –it is one of the most amazing sighs I’ve seen (and I’ve seen a lot of truly amazing sights and am rather difficult to impress). There is also a fortress in Lagos - Forte da Ponta da Bandeira, which protected the town from the regular attack of pirates and corsairs. The fortress has a small chapel, few rooms where there are various exhibitions now and a terrace overpopulated by the series of modern windmills, very artistic and to my eyes rather useless, except from being a “feature”. But the views of the town from the terrace worth a visit.
Algarve cities are not big, it was easy to see few of them on the same day. And since we headed West this day, we went straight to the…End of The World.
Cape St Vincent
Cape St Vincent marked the end of the known world about 6 centuries ago. Before then only the bravest of Mediterranean sailors dared to venture beyond the Gibraltar, and none was foolhardy enough to sail past the rugged cliffs of St Vincent. When I saw them, I understood why. Here, the land looks like a piece of pie cut with the sharp knife. The cliffs rise nearly vertically from the Atlantic to a height of 75 meters. Even now it does create an impression of the very edge of the Land and beginning of the Ocean. It is a wild and windswept place, with the powerful but solitary lighthouse.This cape is the southwestern end of the Coastal Path of European Continent. And honestly, is a sight to be seen. To stand on the very edge of the World and be in awe of the amazing sensation of being in the Beginning and the End at once.
Sagres.
Only about 2-3 kilometers away from the cape there is another place of historical significance. The Sagres Point. It was here that Henry the king of Portugal somewhere in 15 century, established a navigation school, probably the world’s first research and training institute, and it earned him a place in history as “Henry the Navigator”. It looks like a fortress really, not an institution. Scarcely- fortified on top of a high granite cliff. The fortress looks very much in need of restoration work and boasts with the giant compass rose (Rosa dos Ventos) of 43 m diameter. There is also a small church within its territory and a replica stone standard (padrão), used by the explorers to claim a newly discovered territories.
