The Lagos of the Algarve is ideal for the leisurely holidaymaker. Located in the Portuguese Algarve, Lagos is a charming little town where holidaymakers can enjoy both the beaches and the comprehensive range of services.
Lagos smells of fresh sea
The sea is the dominant factor on the Algarve coast. In Lagos, too, you will notice it: even in the hot air, there is the scent of the sea and fresh fish and seafood dominating the culinary world.
Lagos is ideal for the traveler looking for a peaceful holiday destination who doesn’t miss the hustle and bustle around, but still wants to be close to the beaches and amenities. Shopping opportunities in this small town of 27,000 inhabitants are great.
Lagos ’range of activities includes excellent water sports and varied beaches, where families can also enjoy casual water games. To complement the marine activities, there are up to thirty gof fields nearby.
In the history of explorers and the slave trade
Lagos ’location right near the westernmost corner of continental Europe made it a major port city for a long time, from where Portugal’s famous explorers also embarked on their adventures towards Africa and America.
There is also a darker side to the same history, the slave trade. Thanks to its role as a hub, Lagos has long served as an important center for the slave trade, through which thousands and thousands of slaves imported from conquered countries traveled to their destinations across Europe. There is still a hall used by traffickers along Lagos ’seafront boulevard.
The climate is hot in summer
The climate of the Algarve is hot and sunny. Summer already begins when there is still snow in Finland and continues well into the northern autumn. The best time to travel to Lagos is between April and July, when the area is pleasantly warm but not yet scorching hot.
In August and September, the weather may be a nuisance for Finns despite the cooling sea winds.
FLIGHTS, ACCOMMODATION AND MOVEMENT IN LAGOS
By plane to Faro or Lisbon
Package travelers can easily reach Lagos by flying directly to Faro in the Algarve, which is about 80 kilometers from Lagos. Leisure flights to Faro typically cost around € 400, but there are variations in prices due to both the time of booking and the timing of the trip.
The cheapest option for self-employed travelers is a flight from Helsinki to Lisbon and continuing the journey from there by rental car or public transport.
Stay in a hotel or rent your own villa
The price level in Portugal is clearly cheaper than in Finland. Accommodation in Lagos includes hotels as well as smaller inns. It is especially popular with golfers to rent their own villa or apartment directly in the vicinity of the course, and the range of such resort accommodation in particular is wide in the Algarve.
For those traveling with a family or group of friends, renting a villa is clearly a cheaper option than a hotel.
Move on foot or rent a car
Getting around Lagos is easy and hassle-free if you stay in or near the city center. The distances are short and fold even on foot. Guests staying further afield should inquire about the hotel’s shuttle services or rent their own car for the duration of your stay.
Renting your own car in the Algarve is not a bad idea anyway: there is plenty of interesting things to see outside the major tourist centers.
ATTRACTIONS OF LAGOS
Turn around in the old center
In the center of Lagos, the most interesting to see are its old streets with cafes and boutiques. There is no need to look for large shopping malls here, but in small shops you can find souvenirs easily and perhaps even more pleasantly than mass markets. For example, the price level of basic clothing is comfortably cheaper than in Finland.
During midday, it is worth exploring both the seafront promenade and the streets in the inner center. The market hall near the beach smells all the way out of fish and other delicacies of the region.
Along the seafront promenade you will also find a monument to the history of the slave trade in Lagos.
You can enjoy the beaches of Lagos all week long
The clear asset of Lagos is the unhurried nature of the city. You will not come here to host from one place to another, but the holidaymaker can spend at least a whole week at the beach if he feels like it.
Located closest to the center, Meia Praia Beach is a traditional sunny beach with all its delicacies: beach bars, pedal boats and other water activities are the most important pastime for the holidaymaker.
Dona Ana beach, about 15 minutes ’walk away, is smaller and quieter and also the beaches of Batata and Canavial, for example, are only a short distance from the center. The lush cliffs can be admired from the cliffs of Ponta da Piedade.
Embark on a boat trip
The ruggedness of the rocky shores of the Algarve is also worth exploring from the sea. Lagos offers a wide variety of boat trips for the enjoyment of tourists: cave tours, dolphin bonga, catamaran sailing and much more. You cannot avoid the offer of these when moving on the beaches and you can also inquire about the current offer from the hotel.
Visit the edge of Europe
Just a short drive west of Lagos, Sagres is the westernmost corner of all of continental Europe. The lighthouse on the Cabo de Sao Vicente peninsula is well-suited for a day trip. The rocky cliffs of the Algarve get their best rights here. The historic lighthouse continues to direct shipping traffic from and to the Atlantic to its right route on the edge of Europe.
THE BEST OF LAGOS
Experience at least these in Lagos
- The intoxicating scents of the market hall
- The cliffs of Ponta da Piedade
- Taste grilled sardines!
Disadvantages of Lagos
- Hot late summer months
- Some hotels on the sidelines
- Getting outside the city requires a rental car