Recommended places in Algarve

King D. Sebastião elevated Lagos to the category of city in 1573, making it the seat of a bishopric and capital of the Algarve. Some historians believe that Lagos was elevated to city status in 1540, during the reign of D. João III.

Lagos

Lagos

Lagos

Lagos is located in the Barlavento Algarvio in the western part of the Algarve.

It played a leading role in the Portuguese Discoveries, becoming the main city in the Algarve, a position it lost to Faro after the devastating 1755 earthquake.

Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians passed through here. Romans, Moors and Portuguese fought for it. Lacóbriga is the Roman name for the village. Later, the Arabs called it Zawiya (Zawaia). In 1249 it was definitively integrated into Portuguese territory by D. Afonso III.

However, it is the Arab civilization that most influenced the lives of future peoples. The legacy linguistic, cultural and architectural features are still visible today.

Lagos is one of the most sought after cities in the Algarve for its golden sand beaches and crystal clear waters, the scenic beauty of its bay and its architectural legacy.