Lagos

An ancient town now a popular tourist destination

City Overview

Lagos is an ancient maritime town with more than 2000 years of history. The name Lagos comes from a Celtic settlement, derived from the Latin Lacobriga, the name of the settlement.

Lagos' economy, like many coastal towns in Portugal, was always closely linked to the sea, and fishing as an important activity since ancient times. Since the 1960´s, the city has embraced tourism, which has now become its most important economic activity. It has beautiful beaches, good climate, the sea, and a scenic coastline.

Lagos is now a popular tourist destination with a variety of tourist-friendly beaches, rock formations (Ponta da Piedade), bars, restaurants and hotels, renowned for its vibrant summer nightlife and parties.

Airport Transfer

A taxi from Faro airport to Lagos can cost over €100 so if travelling as a group it is cheaper to book a private transfer or use public transport.

Transportes do Algarve operates a bus from Faro Airport to Lagos Terminal Rodoviário twice daily with a journey time of approximately 2 hours. FlixBus also services this route twice daily. Comboios De Portugal operates a train from Estação de comboios de Faro to Lagos every 3 hours.

Taking a bus from Faro Airport to Lagos is one of the cheapest options so it’s ideal for travellers on a budget. There is a shuttle bus service available at the airport which will take you directly to Lagos from the airport. There are 2 bus companies that run a bus service directly from the airport: Eva and Alsa.

The Alsa bus from Faro Airport to Lagos has 2 departures each day. Eva Bus goes from Faro Airport to Lagos with usually 5 departures each day.

Getting Around

Lagos is small enough so that you can pretty much walk anywhere.

Places to stay

Lagos has a large choice of nice upscale villas, hotels and guest houses. Choose your accommodation based on the type of holiday you are looking for.

Many of the upscale hotels and villas are adult only where you can relax around the pool without the need to go to the beach to top up you tan and dine at the hotel or restaurants close to your accommodation

Sightseeing

The Avenida dos Descobrimentos, the Laogs pretty riverside promenade along with the mouth of the Ribeira de Bensafrim. Along this avenue, you’ll stalls with handicrafts, beach items, and regional products seeking to attract shoppers.

Along the promenade you will see a pedestrian bridge which gives you access to Lagos Marina. Lagos Marina has lots of terraces to stop for a snack or drink while you enjoy the sun.

Close to Ribeira de Bensafrim, is the Lagos Municipal Market, active since 1924 and it’s the perfect place to find fresh fish and seafood from this region! The second floor is magnificent, looks like a rainbow due to the variety of fruit and vegetables available.

Gil Eanes square in the centre has a statue of Dom Sebastiao (the king who elevated Lagos to a city and capital of Algarve). This square is also one of the gateways to the historic centre of Lagos. Around the square you will streets populated with cafes and restaurants along with street stalls and street artists.

Beaches

Meia Praia (Half Beach) is the most popular tourist beach, consisting of soft, white sand, and is one of the largest open bays in Europe, resulting in calm seas, with cliffs provide sheltered coves from strong windy conditions;

Praia da Batata (Potato Beach) is a small beach tucked between two small cliffs (where the river meets the Atlantic Ocean). It is known for the small music festivals that take place there during summer;

Praia da Luz (Beach of Light) is located in the parish of Luz. This beach is bounded in the east by Rocha Negra providing vacationers with a popular escape.

Cafes & Restaurants

Many local specialties are available in Faro. Dom rodrigos and morgados are cookies based on local products, such as almonds, figs and eggs. Lagos is also a wine-producing region and is famous for its Moscatel wine, and also the  strong alcoholic spirit, the aguardente de medronho, made of berries of strawberry tree.

Other

Currency - Euro (EUR)

Language - Portuguese

Visas - Not needed for travellers from the US, Canada and Europe

Best Time To Visit - March – October

Timezone - Western European Standard Time (GMT)

Homosexual Activity - Legal