Built by the Moors, Lagos' castle was conquered by Christian forces in the 13th century. It's said that the ill-fated, evangelical Dom Sebastião attended an open-air Mass here and spoke to the assembled nobility from a small Manueline window in the castle before leading them to a crushing defeat at Alcácer-Quibir (Morocco). What little remains today is well preserved; after admiring the window, check out the nearby bastion and gateway.
Castelo dos Governadores
Lagos
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
13.63 MILES
One of the Algarve's – and Portugal's – most emblematic sights, this huge natural seaside cave has a hole in its ceiling through which streaming sunlit…
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14.24 MILES
This russet-coloured, Lego-like castle – originally occupied in the Visigothic period – has great views over the town and surrounding countryside. What…
1.34 MILES
Protruding 2.5km south of Lagos, Ponta da Piedade is a dramatic wedge of headland with contorted, polychrome sandstone cliffs and towers, complete with a…
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14.19 MILES
Just below the castle is the sé, built in 1189 on the site of an earlier mosque, then rebuilt after the 1249 Reconquista and subsequently restored several…
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7.78 MILES
Housed in a 19th-century fish cannery, the ultramodern, award-winning Museu de Portimão is the city's number-one draw. The museum focuses on three areas:…
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18.82 MILES
Fiesa is the world's biggest sand-sculpture contest. Artists are given 45,000 tonnes of sand to sculpt, and their truly amazing creations (up to 12m high…
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28.24 MILES
One of the Algarve's most impressive beaches is this 6km-long strip of sand backed by stunning cliffs in several shades of ochre. Starting 8.5km east of…
18.75 MILES
Europe’s southwesternmost point is a barren headland 6km northwest of Sagres' town centre that was the last piece of home that Portuguese sailors once saw…
Nearby Lagos attractions
0.05 MILES
The symmetrical Igreja de Santa Maria was built during the 15th and 16th centuries and retains a 16th-century entrance; the rest of the remaining…
2. Statue of Prince Henry the Navigator
0.08 MILES
This statue commemorates the prince of Portugal who used Lagos as a launch pad for many of the expeditions he commissioned. It was inaugurated in 1960 on…
0.08 MILES
The town museum holds a bit of everything: swords and pistols, landscapes and portraits, minerals and crystals, coins, Moorish pottery, miniature…
0.09 MILES
A baroque extravaganza, this little church bursts with gilded, carved wood and beaming cherubs. The dome and azulejo panels were installed during repairs…
0.09 MILES
Set in the building believed to be Europe's first slave market, when slaves from the west coast of Africa were brought here in 1444, this small museum…
6. Fortaleza da Ponta da Bandeira
0.09 MILES
Entered via a drawbridge, this petite fortress was built in the 17th century to protect the port. Now restored, it houses an exhibition on the Portuguese…
0.13 MILES
Arcing in a 4km-long crescent, this vast expanse of golden sand has water sports outlets, and laid-back restaurants and beach bars.
0.23 MILES
Part of the medieval walls, this archway provides southern access to the old town.