Lagos is the walled port town at the western end of the Algarve where the south coast turns from long beaches into sandstone cliffs, stacks and coves. In the 15th century it was a base for the Portuguese voyages down the African coast, and the start of the Atlantic slave trade; today it is a lively small town with an old centre inside its walls, a marina and some of the most photographed coastline in Portugal.
The Portugal page covers kayaking into the grottoes of Ponta da Piedade, and the Fishermen's Trail that ends here. This page covers the rest: the cliff-top walks and coves, the two museums that tell the town's history, the long beach to the east and the day out to Sagres and Cape St Vincent.
Lagos is small enough to walk, and most of what follows is within half an hour on foot of the old town.
Look down from cliff-top boardwalks on sandstone stacks and arches with green water between them.
What it is
Before or after the kayak, see the headland from above. Lagos council has laid the wooden boardwalks with viewpoints along the cliffs of Ponta da Piedade, from Praia do Pinhão past Praia Dona Ana and the lighthouse to the view over Praia do Canavial. Near the lighthouse a long stone stairway of around 200 steps drops to a small landing where local boats take people into the grottoes.
How to do it
The walk out from the old town is about 2.5 km, and the boardwalks are free. In summer the crowds peak from about 9:00 to 16:00, so in must30's view go at sunrise or in the last hour before sunset, when the rock turns orange.
Good to know
Stay on the boardwalks and back from the edges, which are crumbly and mostly unfenced.
Climb down a wooden staircase fixed to the rock to a narrow strip of sand between ochre cliffs and rock stacks.
What it is
Praia do Camilo, on the coast between the old town and Ponta da Piedade, is one of the most photographed coves in the Algarve, and the stairs, about 200 steps, are the only way in. Going down is easy; coming back up in the heat is the price.
How to do it
The cove is small and fills quickly in July and August, so arrive early in the morning or come in the late afternoon, when the cliffs glow and the day crowd leaves. The cliff path continues south from the top of the stairs to the Ponta da Piedade boardwalks, so it fits the same walk.
Good to know
There are no facilities on the sand itself, only at the top, so bring water, shade and anything else you need.
See the gilded church of Santo António and the town museum
Lagos old town
1 hourNo booking needed
Step from the street into what looks like a plain white chapel and find walls and altars covered in carved gilded wood.
What it is
The Igreja de Santo António also has tiles, a painted vault and paintings of the saint's miracles, a set the town museum calls a jewel of Portuguese Baroque gilt carving. Built for the military brotherhood of the Lagos infantry regiment, it was rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake. The Dr. José Formosinho museum next door, founded in 1930, mixes archaeology, sacred art, Algarve crafts and a cabinet of curiosities.
How to do it
You enter the church through the museum. It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00, last admission half an hour before closing, and closes on some holidays. Tickets cost €3, or €1.50 for ages 12 to 18, over-65s and students, and a €5 joint ticket adds the slave trade museum.
Face the town's past at the Slave Trade Route museum
Praça do Infante, Lagos
45 minutesNo booking needed
Face the part of Lagos history the postcards leave out: its role in the slave trade it helped begin.
What it is
On the Praça do Infante, the arcaded building known as the Mercado de Escravos, the slave market, now holds a small museum on that history, which began in the 15th century, when ships returning from the African coast landed captives here. In 2009, digging for an underground car park outside the walls uncovered a rubbish dump holding the remains of more than 150 people, Africans brought to Lagos as merchandise and thrown away there when they were sick or dying. The museum starts from that discovery.
How to do it
It opens Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 13:00 and 14:00 to 18:00, last admission half an hour before closing. Tickets cost €3, €1.50 reduced, or €5 with the Santo António church and museum.
Walk the sea walls from the Bandeira fort to São Gonçalo gate
Lagos old town
About 1 hourFree
Follow the old town walls from a small square fort with a moat and drawbridge to the São Gonçalo gate.
What it is
Lagos kept much of the wall that enclosed it, a national monument, and a short loop along the waterfront and back through the old town shows the main pieces. The Forte da Ponta da Bandeira was built between 1680 and 1690 to guard the quay; the moat, drawbridge and corner watchtowers were added in restorations around 1960.
How to do it
Start at the fort, then walk west to the Praça do Infante, named after Henry the Navigator, and follow the walls past the Castelo dos Governadores, the old governors' castle, to the Porta de São Gonçalo. From there, wander back through the lanes of the old town. The loop is free and mostly flat, and late afternoon light is kindest to the stone.
Good to know
The fort is temporarily closed, so look at it from the quay or from Praia da Batata beside it.
Find room in August on more than 4 km of open sand, when the cliff coves around Ponta da Piedade are packed.
What it is
Meia Praia, east of the river mouth, is the long beach of Lagos, from the breakwater by the marina to the mouth of the Alvor estuary. Raised boardwalks cross the dunes, which protects their plants and your feet from the hot sand. The first stretch, nearest the town, has the most beach restaurants and people; walk east and they thin out.
How to do it
The easy way there without a car is the train: Meia Praia halt, the first stop on the Algarve line out of Lagos, is a few steps from the beach, and the walk from the old town across the river by the marina also works.
Good to know
In must30's view the far end, towards Alvor, is the best part, and a fine walk at sunset.
Head out to the open sea off Lagos, a good place to see dolphins, in a fast inflatable or a catamaran.
What it is
Several operators run trips from Lagos Marina. The usual format is about an hour and a half in a rigid inflatable, a RIB, or a longer trip on the catamaran, and some carry marine biologists as guides on every trip, who explain what you are seeing. Combined trips add the Benagil caves in about two and a half hours. Operators list common and bottlenose dolphins as the species most often met, and the better companies say plainly that they do not chase the animals.
How to do it
Book a day or two ahead in summer, and pick a morning departure, when the sea is usually calmer.
Good to know
Sightings are never guaranteed. Bring a layer and something against spray: on a RIB you will get wet.
Day trip to the Sagres fortress and Cape St Vincent
Sagres
Half a day with the capeNo booking needed
Go to the end of the land: a cliff-top fortress near the south-west corner of Europe, then sunset at Cape St Vincent.
What it is
Sagres is about 35 km west of Lagos. Its fortress stands on a flat promontory where, in 1443, Henry the Navigator obtained from his brother Pedro, then ruling as regent, the right to found a town; he lived here until his death. Little of that town survives beyond stretches of wall, a cistern tower and the great stone circle called the wind rose, found by accident in 1921, whose purpose is still argued over; an exhibition centre covers the age of discovery.
How to do it
The fortress opens daily 9:30 to 17:30, last entry 17:00, closing on 1 and 22 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December, and costs €10. Then drive about 6 km on to the lighthouse.
Paddle between sandstone stacks, arches and sea caves, into gaps the tour boats cannot reach.
What it is
Ponta da Piedade is the headland just south of Lagos where the cliffs break into sandstone stacks, arches and sea caves.
How to do it
There are two common formats: a catamaran from Lagos Marina tows you to the cliffs and you paddle from there (about two hours, with time for a swim), or you launch from Praia da Batata beside the old fort and paddle the whole way (about two and a half hours, often with a tow back). Book the first departure: the sea is usually calmer in the morning and boat traffic builds from about 10:00.
Good to know
Kayak tours mainly run from April to October and fill a few days ahead in summer. The water stays cold even in August.
Time needed
2 to 2.5 hours
Best time
Before 10:00, when the sea is calmer and boats are fewer
Lagos is the western end of the Algarve railway line, with regional trains from Faro, Portimão and Tunes, where trains from Lisbon connect. Express coaches also run from Lisbon. Faro airport is the nearest; transfer by train via Faro station, by bus or by car.
Getting around
The old town, the marina, the Ponta da Piedade boardwalks and the coves are all walkable, and Meia Praia is one train stop away. You only need a car, or a tour, for Sagres, the west coast beaches and the villages inland.
How many days
In must30's view, three days are the right minimum: one for the town and its museums, one for the coast with a boat or kayak and the cliff-top walk, and one for Sagres and Cape St Vincent. With more time, add the west coast or a day at Benagil.
When to go
May, June and September are the best balance of warm sea, long days and space on the beaches. July and August are hot and busy, and the coves fill by late morning. From November to March many boat trips run less often and the town is quiet, but the cliff walks are at their best.
Where to stay
Stay inside or just outside the old walls to walk everywhere, including to the train and bus stations. The area towards Ponta da Piedade is quieter and close to the coves; Meia Praia suits families who want a long beach on the doorstep.
Questions travellers ask
Is Lagos worth visiting without a car?
Yes. The old town, the marina, the coves and the Ponta da Piedade boardwalks are within walking distance, Meia Praia has its own train halt, and boat trips leave from the marina. A car or a tour only becomes useful for Sagres, the west coast and the inland villages.
How do you see Ponta da Piedade?
Three ways, and they combine well: from the water by kayak or boat, which the Portugal page covers; from the cliff-top boardwalks, which are free; and from the small boats at the foot of the stairway near the lighthouse. In must30's view, do the walk at sunset and the water in the morning.
Which is the best beach in Lagos?
It depends on what you want. Praia do Camilo and Praia Dona Ana are the classic cliff coves, small and busy in summer. Meia Praia, east of the river, is long, open and the easiest place to find space in August.
Can you visit Sagres as a day trip from Lagos?
Yes. Sagres is about 35 km west, under an hour by car, and many tours from Lagos go there. Combine the fortress with Cape St Vincent and stay for the sunset at the lighthouse, about 6 km further on.
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