Lagos: A Life and Times

The Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost region, is known for its Atlantic beaches and golf resorts. Whitewashed fishing villages on low cliffs overlooking sandy coves were transformed in the 1960s, and now its central coast between Lagos and Faro is lined with villas, hotels, bars and restaurants.

The only thing Wikipedia is forgetting is the insanely high ratio of British golfers to actual Portuguese citizens. Jokes aside, Lagos (not to be confused with the largest city of Nigeria) is a beautiful city, with its picturesque sandy beaches below rugged cliffs, with sparkling blue water stretching all the way south to the African continent. The beaches are better appreciated from the water itself, where the effects of battering waves on the shoreline are seen in full force. Yet, as one returns quietly to quayside, one is taking the same treacherous path that African slaves took as they were shuttled through Europe’s first slave market, and shipped off to the Americas to work in the fields of Portugal’s gigantic colonial empire. The beaches act as a façade for this darker side of Lagos’ history, one that must be considered.

The True History

Just like so many places, the origins of what seems an innocuous tourist destination are actually much darker. The town of Lagos itself is over 2000 years old, with the Celtics, Carthaginians, Romans, Moors, and Portuguese controlling it in that order. But, it is what happened under the Portuguese in the 1400’s that helped Lagos grow as a city. Lagos seaman were eager slave-catchers, and Henry the Navigator, celebrated by the Portuguese as one of their founders, encouraging the trade, knowing he would keep a portion of all sales for himself as benevolent leader of the area. Thousands upon thousands of lives were ruined in the same square I sat in, which is now marked by a fountain in which small children run through laughing, not realizing the significance of their play-place. One would think that such a monumental location of history would have at least a decent sized museum portraying the atrocities committed against slaves, and memorializing the lives that were ended by colonial greed. Alas, Lagos holds true to what a tour guide I had in the first week in Portugal said proudly: “We are good at hiding our history.” A tiny building hidden in a corner is the Museo de Escravos, with interactive exhibits illustrating the caravels that carried the slaves, and the goods that “necessitated” the slave trade. I’ll admit I did not go in. I felt that my four euro contribution would not go to good causes. Instead, I reflected on the horror and pain that families experienced as they were torn apart forever and sent halfway across the world to back-breaking work in the fields of America, building up empires with their forced labor.

The Cliffs of Lagos

While Lagos has its dark side, the natural beauty of Lagos is still untouchable. The coastline of the Algarve on a map looks like a 5-year old kid drew it with their non-writing hand. It is full of an abundance of little hidden coves begging to be explored. The beautiful limestone cliffs stand in stark contrast to the endless sea of azure below. Thus, it is of no surprise that one cannot walk the streets of Lagos without passing by many businesses offering boat tours and kayak tours of Ponta de Piedade, the nearby headland that has some of the most prominent rock formations in all of the Algarve. API purchased a kayak tour for all of us with Lagos Adventure. The tour took us along about 3 kilometers of coast filled with sea arches and crevasses sneakily hidden amongst the cliffs. Our kayak guide Ricardo fearlessly had us venture into every nook and cranny we could fit through, with the swell of the tide providing many moments of brief acceleration. After an hour of tandem paddling along the beautiful coastline, we returned to the boat to relax and enjoy the water and the sun. After jumping into the picture of beauty, I can say my appreciation for what has been created has grown tenfold. Quite frankly, one going to Lagos cannot miss out on the natural wonder of Ponta de Piedade. They would be a fool to do so.

The City Itself

I’ve talked about the history of the city, and the natural beauty outside of the city. But what of the city itself? The city is small; only about 22,000 inhabitants live within the city limits, not including the many stray dogs that intermingled seamlessly in the streets, begging for treats and attention. That number does include the many street performers (such as a saxophonist playing Careless Whisper) heralding Lagos as a true tourist destination. The population swells during the summer months, with oodles of British and German natives flocking to the award winning golf courses and beautiful sandy beaches to tan (sometimes sans clothes, as we discovered on our kayak trip). Once in the city, one immediately feels island vibes, vibes which I assume are identical to Mediterranean vibes (having never been there). People leisurely walk up and down the streets, stopping at cafes to grab a cup of coffee, or getting an ice cream cone at the numerous sweet shops. Maybe one will step inside the local art stores to buy from local artists, or that same person might rather buy a tacky souvenir at the shop right next door. Natives were far and few in between, with most any interaction I had with natives involving tourism in some capacity. Even the natives are often expatriates, or originally from other Portuguese cities, such as our baggage handler at our hotel, originally from Lisbon, or one of our waitresses, originally from Portland, Oregon. The beauty of the area not only draws tourists, but draws eager investors and workers, looking to make money on ecotourism, souvenirs, real estate, or dining services, taking advantage of selling the natural beauty of the area. Overall, the city felt laid back. I had heard that the night life was the exact opposite. However, I did not go to any clubs to know whether this is true or not, but that is how I understand it to be. I didn’t really want to party anyway, as to me, this city was best enjoyed at a slower pace, as to enjoy the cool breeze whipping in from the ocean while eating some delicious ice cream. It is a city built for tourism.

Well, that’s all folks. Lagos is a beautiful city, but it is still important to remember the atrocities committed there. If you would like to see more photos of our kayaking adventure, click this link. Subscribe if you are new and want e-mail updates of when I’m posting. Please comment and leave feedback. I read it all! Coming soon are some more lifestyle posts, and maybe a few surprise adventures 😉 Until next time…

Jeremy Caldeira