Lagos

Lagos is a walled harbour town about 85 km west of Faro on the western Algarve coast of Portugal. The CP regional train from Faro takes roughly 1 hour 30 to 2 hours and costs about EUR 7 to 9 one way, with a few direct trains daily, while the Rede Expressos coach takes about 1 hour 45 minutes. A hire car on the A22 takes about 1 hour. Because of the distance, an early start is useful, and the journey time leaves around six to seven hours in town. Trains arrive at Lagos station beside the marina, a short walk from the old centre. The old town is enclosed by 16th-century walls and includes the Praca Infante Dom Henrique with its statue of Henry the Navigator, the Igreja de Santo Antonio with a richly gilded baroque interior, and the Forte da Ponta da Bandeira at the harbour entrance. The Mercado de Escravos, a small building on Praca Infante Dom Henrique, is often described as Europe's first slave market and is now a museum space on the history of the Portuguese slave trade. The headline natural sight is Ponta da Piedade, a headland south of town with golden limestone cliffs, sea stacks and grottoes, reached on foot in around 30 to 40 minutes from the centre or by local boat trips that enter the caves in calm weather. Sheltered beaches such as Praia Dona Ana and Praia do Camilo lie close to the headland. A suggested day starts with the old town in the morning, moves to Ponta da Piedade by lunchtime, and keeps the afternoon for a beach swim or a boat trip, with the return train in the early evening. Lunch options include grilled fish at restaurants around the marina and Rua 25 de Abril. The best months are April to October, when sea conditions allow boat trips and the beaches are usable; summer is busy and hot. Winter days can be pleasant but boat trips depend on weather. Information is at cm-lagos.pt. The walk to Ponta da Piedade includes steps and slopes.