| LAGOS |
Capital of the Algarve from 1576 to 1765, Lagos has a long and
chequered history. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans and
Moors all settled here, due to the advantages of its large natural
harbour. In the 15th century, King João I sailed from
Lagos to conquer Ceuta in North Africa, and local men then built
the frail boats which Prince Henry the Navigator sent out to
probe even further down the uncharted East African coast. The
1755 earthquake devastated the city and the seat of local government
was subsequently moved to Faro.
What to see. The city's walls are the largest and best-preserved
in the Algarve. The slave market located in Rossio da Trindade
was the first of its kind in Portugal. At the Chapel of Santo
António, King Sebastian attended his last mass on the
eve of his ill-fated expedition to Morocco in 1578. After the
battle of Alcácer-Quibir, he and 8,000 of his troops
lay dead, spelling the end of the House of Avis dynasty. The
chapel also houses a regional museum with artefacts from the
Bronze and Iron Ages and sacred art dating back to the 16th
and 17th centuries.
Nearby. Eroded into natural tunnels, arches and grottoes,
the cliffs at Ponte da Piedade 3 km from Lagos offer a marine
fantasy world for people visiting the region. A long drive west
of Lagos is Sagres, a town best known for its associations with
Prince Henry the Navigator, whose single purpose was to spur
men to discover Africa, India and the Far East |
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| © 2007 Maisturismo |
