#algarve #algarveportugal
This walking tour takes place in Lagos, a sophisticated city, with several beautiful beaches, 16th century walls, a castle, beautiful churches, marina, many shops, bars, restaurants and a lively nightlife.
Date: August 28, 2023.
Location: Lagos, Algarve, Portugal.
GPS coordinates: 37°05'57.9"N 8°40'09.3"W


--------------- Video chapters:
0:00 Introduction to Lagos
1:24 Marina
3:37 Old Town
14:45 Meia Praia Beach
17:05 Batata Beach
18:43 Estudantes Beach
22:06 Pinhão Beach
23:01 Dona Ana Beach
25:26 Camilo Beach
27:09 Ponta da Piedade Promontory

-------------- Places visited on this tour:

Lagos has a great relationship with the sea, which reached its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries, because it was here that Infante Dom Henrique, the Navigator, equipped the caravels that would leave for the coast of Africa, beginning the Age of Portuguese Discoveries, and it was from here that the navigator Gil Eanes set out to demonstrate that the world did not end at Cape Bojador and that the sea was not filled with monsters.
His name was given to the square where a statue of João Cutileiro evokes King Dom Sebastião, who made Lagos the capital of the Algarve, a privilege maintained until 1755.
It was also from here that this king left for the battle of Ksar el-Kebir, from which he never returned. This caused Portugal to lose its independence to Spain, which was only restored in 1640. The people expected him to return on a foggy morning, a feeling of hope in a savior that was engraved in the Portuguese soul and to which the name “Sebastianismo " was given.
Although built on the site of previous buildings, some of the main monuments date from that time, such as the Castelo dos Governadores, the Walls and the Fort of Ponta da Bandeira, which protected the town from invaders, mainly privateers, and which today offer beautiful views over the city and the sea.
It was also in Lagos, under the arcades of Infante Dom Henrique square, that the first slave market in Europe was held, in a space now transformed into a cultural center for exhibitions and sales of handicrafts.

Lagos is also known for its cliffs and gorgeous Atlantic beaches:

PONTA DA PIEDADE PROMONTORY
Near the almost century-old Lighthouse, a long staircase leads to the sea, where some seafarers welcome passengers on their boats who wish to see the caves and sculptures carved by the sea in the Miocene rock mass: “the scale”, “the kitchen”, “ the giant” or “the shoe”, are examples of the incessant work of the sea interpreted by the imagination of the local people.

CAMILO BEACH
It is a small beach between cliffs, with interesting rock formations and whose shape resembles a shell. Its waters are clear and calm, it is a guarded beach with good bathing conditions. Arriving at the viewpoint, via the Ponta da Piedade road, access to the beach is via a long, renovated staircase.

DONA ANA BEACH
Set between rocky cliffs, this beach with clean sand and blue and green water, has a beautiful landscape. Access to the beach is via a staircase.

ESTUDANTES BEACH
Each of the beaches in Lagos has a slightly different vibe but Estudantes beach with its archway and caves is arguably one of the best and worth seeing.

MEIA PRAIA BEACH
This beach, which runs along the curvature of the bay, for a length of more than four kilometers, to the Rio de Alvor, is separated from the gently sloping terrain that surrounds it like an amphitheater, by a dune range of outstanding beauty.
The quality of the fine golden sand is only matched by the transparent waters that bathe this magnificent stretch of coast. There you can catch condelipas (shellfish in the rest of the country) at low tide while children play in the temporary basins shaped by the sea next to the waterline. From there you can admire the large and small sailboats sailing back and forth, livening up the bay with their white sails set against the blue sky and sea. It has beach support and surveillance.

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