My favorite spot in the entire Algarve is Lagos, a fishing port of about 27,000 between Portimão and the western end of the province. It has a long history, with occupations by the Carthaginians, Romans and (until 1241) the Moors. Today it has a bit of everything – a sheltered marina, natural beauty, a leisurely lifestyle, historical artifacts, good shopping, a fort, water sports, ultralite flights, and some two dozen golf courses in the surrounding area. Fortunately, it is far enough west to have escaped the worst of the frantic over-building that has marred much of the Iberian coastline.

Lagos has both military and maritime importance. In 1415 young Prince Henry (“the Navigator”) and 50,000 troops sailed from Lagos and captured Ceuta, a Moorish stronghold on the Moroccan coast, which today is an enclave belonging to Spain. After Henry established his famous navigation school at nearby Sagres, and his architects designed the revolutionary (for the time) caravel, the Age of Discovery was launched, and Lagos became the main ship-building centre and commercial port. Lagos became a wealthy and beautiful town. This is where the ships set sail on their voyages of discovery, and where they returned laden with gold, ivory, jewels and – sadly --African slaves. It is estimated that more than 4 million were captured, and sold in Europe and the newly-discovered Americas until the mid 19th century. For more information, go to www.antislavery.org/breakingthesilence/slave_routes/slave_routes-portugal.shtml .

In 1578 (then) King Sebastião set out with hundreds of ships in a vain attempt to conquer the rest of Morocco. He and thousands of his men were killed or captured, thus decimating Portugal’s youth and setting the stage for its gradual decline and temporary annexation by Spain. Since England was at war with Spain, that brought attacks by Sir Francis Drake and others. During these attacks, Lagos was protected to some extent by the Ponta da Bandeira fort, and the high stone walls which the Moors had built around the town. Drake’s raids did cause considerable damage, but the fort is still standing, and has recently been restored. The town’s walls were largely destroyed, though, by the terrible earthquake and tsunami of 1755, and the parts that remain today are an impressive testimony to the size and scope of the original construction.

The highway comes right to the entrance to Lagos, and what you see first is the long park-like harbour-side promenade which runs right from the highway, past the remains of the old stone wall, as far as the fort. Neat, uncluttered and pedestrian-friendly, it reminded me of similar promenades on the French Riviera. Access to the old town is easy through entrances in the wall. The main shopping and tourist area is closed to vehicles, so you can browse and take in the sights at leisure. Once inside, you’ll find a market and neat, well-supplied shops specializing in silver filigree, copper, leather, good wines, great breads, and delicious pastries; plus a wide variety of restaurants for all tastes.

The great earthquake destroyed or damaged many of the historic buildings, but left unscathed one of Portugal’s national treasures, the early 1700s military chapel of Santo Antonio (St Anthony of Padua, born in Lisbon). From the street it appears quite ordinary. Once inside, though, you can only gape in awe! The bottom few feet of the walls are covered in simple azulejos, the ceiling is painted with religious scenes, and there are paintings of the Saint’s life on the walls. None of that is unusual for a Catholic country, but as for the rest – wow! Everything else is sheathed in magnificent wood carvings, completely covered with gold leaf. It took years to complete, and couldn’t possibly be replicated today. The massive gilded altar is topped by a statue of St Anthony dressed as a Major General, and it is rumoured that some of the money for the gilding was obtained by putting him on the Army’s “payroll” for years.

Continuing along the waterfront promenade, you reach the newer section of town, and it’s only a short drive or hike south to one of the prettiest spots on the entire coast, Ponta da Piedade. This is a fantastic region of multi-coloured rocks, sculpted by the pounding seas, and surrounded by picturesque grottoes and arches. Boatmen at nearby Dona Ana beach will be happy to take you for a pleasant tour. For good photos of the arches, go to www.archmillennium.net/ponta_da_piedade.htm . You can also descend a sturdy concrete stairway right down to the water’s edge, with platforms at various places where you can stop to take photos if the sea is rough.

If you go to the Algarve, by all means get to know Lagos. You’ll soon see why it’s my favorite destination there. Here’s a good web site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagos,_Portugal .