TRAVEL Go for Lagos
The Portuguese town boasts beaches of every kind and
ode-worthy standstone cliffs
It’s a wonder why no one has
written an ode to the sandstone cliffs of Lagos in Portugal. It’s also a wonder
why no one mentions the 14th century town when you think of visiting the
country. Less than an hour’s drive from the Faro airport, the town of Lagos —
Portuguese for “lakes” — was the starting point of maritime excursions during
the Age of Discovery. It has some of Portugal’s prettiest beaches and some of
its finest and oldest churches.
Little white houses with coloured
doors and terraced roofs — lined on two sides of cobbled mosaic streets — slope
towards the sea, . If you stay in the Old Town, you can see the sea from
practically every corner.
Since the Old Town houses most of
the historical sites and is close to many beaches, stay in a serviced apartment
instead of splurging on a seafront hotel. Once you have checked in, just start
walking. And don’t forget to look down at the cobbled streets. Closer to the
town centre, the streets are laid with small tiles in various designs
stretching for kilometres. It’s a dying craft in Portugal and the stones are
laid by hand. The Old Town is surrounded by solid stone walls built in the 16th
century. You can walk on parts of the stone wall, much like in Galle, Sri
Lanka.
One of the defining features of
Lagos and the Algarve coast are the Ponta da Piedade or the sandstone cliffs
wrapped around each beach. There’s a beach for every kind of beach bum. There’s
the massive Meia Praia, which is the main beach, and Batata beach, which is
more commercial with its restaurants and proximity to high street. There’s the
very pretty Praia da Dona Ana, which has recliners and beach umbrellas and is
near a large number of hotels, making it highly popular by mid-morning. The
Praia de Porto de Mós is popular for surfing. But if you are looking for some
quiet time, head to Praia do Pinhão, hidden at the bottom of a steep flight of
stone steps. You can place your towel in a grotto in the cliffs and walk barely
10 feet to reach the waters. All the beaches are interconnected and you can
burn up some calories walking through the arches and caves and doorways that
have been naturally formed in the cliffs. For the adventure enthusiasts, there
are water cruises through the grottos, dolphin-watching and snorkelling.
Start early and head to the
beaches by 9 am, before other tourists descend. By 11 am you can have your fill
of the sea and head to various historical sites. The museum of Mercado dos
Escravos, Europe’s first slave market, chillingly documents the history of
slavery from when the first African slaves were brought to Lagos from the
western coast of Africa in 1444. The 17th century Ponta de Bandeira fort museum
is dismally curated but is a vantage point to look out at the sea.
When you are done exercising your
cultural sensibilities, walk into the jumble of streets lined with innumerable
restaurants serving seafood and bustling with tourists, buskers and jugglers.
The Cataplana, a seafood rice stew that is cooked and served in a large copper
dish, is a must-try. The local piri piri chillis provide the hot quotient to
the dishes. Wash them down with jugs of sangria flavoured with freshly squeezed
Portuguese orange juice. The locally produced wines are delicious, as is the
Porto Branco — a white port available only in Portugal. Not as sweet as red
port, this is the perfect aperitif. The temperature drops considerably, almost
turning nippy in the evenings, and it’s a pleasure to walk through the streets,
stopping for a drink here and a meal there. It’s safe, nobody bothers you and
there are no drunks despite the flowing alcohol.
If you fancy a slightly posh meal,
head to Casa do Prego where the staff are friendly and the food truly divine.
The prices are the same as at less fancy restaurants, but you will need to make
a reservation. A meal for three would be around €45. There are very few options
for vegetarians. They might have to make do with the Portuguese version of
fries and pizzas and pastas.
Oddly, almost no restaurant or
bakery serves the pastel de nata or the Portuguese egg tart. It’s like sandesh
not being served at any sweet shop in Bengal. But you must have it, the
combination of the custard — although a little too sweet — encased in a shell
made of multiple layers of filo pastry, is almost like taking a bite of Lagos
where every street corner turns up a new mosaic design, a glimpse of the sea
and a centuries-old building.
Rajyasree Sen
ETM14OCT18
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