The Portuguese town of Sagres is on the western tip of the Algarve and close to the most south westerly point in Europe. All that you will find beyond here is ocean, and lots of it. Sailing due west from here there is nothing until you reach the coast of America almost 6000Km away. The coastline here is rugged and a bit wilder than the rest of the Algarve with big waves that not surprisingly attract a large number of surfers.
Sagres is only a short 33Km drive from the busy town of Lagos so makes for an ideal day trip. We drove fro Tavira in the eastern Algarve which is a ninety minute drive but most of that to as far as Lagos is on fast motorway. There is also a bus regular service from Laagos which takes around 45 minutes, Buses depart from the bus station in Lagos and stop outside the tourist office in Sagres. Some of these buses also go further to Cabo São Vicente but as not all do it is worth checking in Lagos if you wish to visit the lighthouse. Without transport it is a long 5Km walk from the town of Sagres.
Fortaleza de Sagres.
The main parking for the town is at the Fortaleza, there are plenty of spaces and it is free. From here it is just a short walk to the cliff top view over the Praia do Mareta and the many surfers riding the waves. It is here that Henry the Navigator is believed to have founded his school of navigation and prepared all those intrepid explorers for their journeys to come. Entrance is just three Euros and for that you can climb the walls for some spectacular views and walk the path around the headland which is fabulous and well worth the effort. Here you will also find local fisherman with rods and lines patiently waiting for a bite.
The walls of the fortress give a very good ariel view of the Rosa dos Ventos, a 50m diameter stone circle which is believed to be a representation of a compass used by sailors.
Cabo de São Vicente
This is the south westerly tip of Europe and its a wild and thrilling place. The lighthouse here dates from 1846 and is still in operation today. You will also find a small museum here along with a very good cafe, souvenir shops and toilets.
The views from the cliffs are spectacular with huge waves crashing onto the rocks and great views of the surrounding beaches. I can only image what it must be like on a stormy day. You really can see why it was once thought to be the “end of the world”.