Sagres

Twenty-one miles west of Lagos, the whitewashed village of Sagres is popular with families looking for a laidback holiday spot near the Algarve’s famous beaches. Backpackers, surfers, and divers also come to Sagres to holiday. Most of the action takes place around the town square, where there are plenty of lively restaurants and cafes. And on August 15 of every year, a big party is held to celebrate the local saint’s day with fireworks.
Sagres is on a headland overlooking the southwesternmost harbor in Europe, and from the village you can see the boat builders and lobster fishermen dragging their haul in each day. This area is also marked by two geomorphological structures: Cape St. Vincent and Sagres Point. Cape St. Vincent (São Vicente Cape) was once known as the “End of the World,” because, being at the extreme west of continental Europe, no one knew what lay beyond the horizon. Historically connected to the Portuguese Age of Discovery, in the 15th century Henry the Navigator established a school of navigation here where some of the world’s most important explorers, including Magellan and Diaz, apprenticed. One of the best views of Cape St. Vincent and Sagres point is from Torre de Aspa—a viewpoint on the western side of Vila do Bispo.

Practical Info

A taxi to Sagres from Lagos will cost around 19 EUR and take half an hour one-way, or you can take the AlgarveBus which runs every 3 hours and which costs 4 EUR each way.