Tag: Lagos

The Tip of Europe

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”.

Travelling the Algarve by Train

For our recent trip to the Algarve we decided to forego hiring a car and see how much we could do just moving around using the local regional railway. We didn’t miss having a car but you do need to plan carefully how you will manage a visit and exactly what you want to see and do. I don’t suggest this option is for everyone but it does give a cheap option for those on a budget.

  • The Algarve Regional Railway runs from Vila Real De Santo António in the east to Lagos in the western Algarve. It is often necessary to change trains in Faro. The station at Faro can be somewhat confusing when catching a train as there are no departure boards. Even the locals can be unsure at times as to which platform to use. We found the staff to be most helpful in this regard. Most trains also have the destination on display at the front.
  • Trains to and from Lisbon connect with the regional railway at Faro, Loulé, Albufeira and Tunes. These trains have a different pricing structure and tickets can not be bought on the train.
  • Journey times are; Vila Real De Santo António to Faro is roughly an hour, from Faro to Lagos it takes 90 minutes. Trains are roughly hourly in each direction but not all trains run at weekends.
  • Tickets are relatively cheap compared to the UK. There are only two types of ticket, single and return. The cost of a return is double that of a single.
  • Tickets are not available in advance and must be purchased on the day. Not all stations on the line have a ticket office, in this case you simply purchase a ticket from the conductor on the train who come round after every stop. It’s worth noting that the conductor only deals in cash, he does not take card payments.
  • A tourist ticket is available. Called the Tourist Travelcard it can be bought as a two day or three day card. This allows you to use the Algarve line as often as you like but the days of use must be consecutive. A two day card costs 20.90 Euros and the tree day 31.90 Euros. It can only be purchased from a station with a ticket office, they are not available on the train. You may well want to check if it is actually a saving for you. Faro to Tavira is 6.40 Euros return and Faro to Lagos is 14.80 Euros for a return. We didn’t use a Travelcard for our visit.
  • It is worth checking in advance if the station of your chosen destination is actually close to where you want to go. The station at Albufeira is actually 3 miles from the old town, Lagos is much closer but it is still a reasonable walk to the old town though it is a very pleasant walk past the marina and along the river.

Porta de Piedade Lagos.

The town of Lagos in the western Algarve is 60Km from Faro with a drive of a little over an hour. It is also possible to reach Lagos by train from Faro with a journey time of 90 minutes. Lagos is a pleasant town with an active, modern marina. The highlight of any visit to Lagos has got to be the Porta de Piedade, a headland of limestone cliffs just to the west of the town.

It is possible to access the headland on foot and there are several sets of steps to reach the beaches of Praia de Camilo and Praia Dona Ana. However by far the best way to view the cliffs and rock formations is by boat. There are plenty of tour options from Lagos marina costing around 20 Euros for a 75 minute cruise. Generally the boats used are small, carrying around 8 passengers, enabling them to get close up, through arches and into some of the caves.

The colours of the limestone are incredible, yellow to gold to red to browns. The layers erode at different rates creating shadows and crazy shapes, some of which have been given names by the local guides.

The constant battering of the ocean has created pillars, arches and caves. it is a coastline in constant change. It can be stunning and dramatic especially on a clear, sunny day which can make the colours almost glow. It can also be bleak, especially on a cloudy and windy day and as you round the headland conditions can change as you move from shelter into the breeze.

You can get so close you can almost reach out and touch the rocks such is the skill of the guide and the manoeuvrability of the boat. It is well worth doing as part of visit to Lagos and out of the main holiday season its relatively quiet and you can almost have the boat to yourselves.