Our last complete day in Lagos so we decided to complete our tour of this charming town. Starting by the marina we strolled along the seafront to the municipal market hall which was bustling with locals buying fresh produce for the weekend. Unlike other markets we’ve come across in the Algarve, this one has a modern interior with meat and fish on the ground floor whilst upstairs we found fruit and vegetable stalls and a small cafe.
Not far from the market can be seen remnants of the old Moorish walls that once surrounded the town. It’s not possible to climb up and walk along them but we admired their sandstone features from the nearby gardens. The walls were constructed in the 16th century when the town was the residence of the governors of the Algarve.
Facing here, overlooking the harbour entrance stands part of the 17th century fort ‘Forte da Ponta da Bandeira’ this fortification being added to protect the town and the river mouth from attack.
Continuing a short distance, located on the far side of the fort is Lagos town beach ‘Praia da Batata’. It’s sheltered by large cliffs and separated into smaller coves accessible through holes in the weathered sandstone rock.
The cliff path continues around the headland with some fine views looking back into the centre of town. After a steep uphill climb we arrived at Dona Ana Beach which we had viewed from our boat trip on our second day in the resort. From the clifftop viewpoint there are splendid views of the beautiful rock formations out in the bay. We walked down to the beach via a long, winding wooden staircase, this being the only access making it unsuitable for the disabled and parents with prams and pushchairs.
Despite it being mid October it felt scorching hot on this sheltered beach nestled between the large rocks. Walking on the beach was easy as a boardwalk had been laid across sections of it providing access to the beach bar and sun beds. From here we headed back to the centre of town along the cliff top path.
After some lunch we spent the afternoon lazing by the side of the hotel pool in the warm sunshine. It was so warm that it was hard to believe it was mid October but tomorrow when we return home it will certainly feel like it. Later, we popped down to the spa to enjoy a final sauna before heading into town for dinner, it still being warm enough to go out without coats.
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