Salema     Sagres

 Praia da Luz

Praia da Luz beach

Luz was once a very busy fishing village (dating back to Roman times) where you would see the nets of the fisherman, stretched across the rocks in front of the fort to catch tuna. When the fish changed their migratory routes by swimming further south, the industry changed and Luz now largely relies on the tourist industry for it's income.

The lovely long curved and safe sandy beach of Luz is surrounded by golden orange cliffs, apart from the rocks at the eastern end where you will notice the famous "Black Rock". This was formed over 150 million years ago from the volcanic lava of the two volcanoes in the Monchique Mountains.

The Fortaleza da Luz, which dates back to the 17th century, is now a delightful restaurant with exotic gardens overhanging the beach, an ideal location to enjoy an evening drink, or why not dine in the elegant baronial hall?

Luz has a large selection of restaurants, cafes and bars to cater for all tastes, plus an array of shops including clothing, art galleries, a supermarket, medical centre and cinema.

Salema

Salema beach

This is the ideal place to spend the day if you wish to while away the hours relaxing on the sandy beach or taking a gentle stroll. Generally un-discovered by tourists, Salema is like a "step-back-in-time" with a mix of both modern and traditional Portugal. Each winter, the beach is washed away by the tide, only to return again the following summer. Restaurateurs may build temporary beach side restaurants on the understanding that they provide a life guard and display the beach safety flag system - check out The Atlantico Restaurant for good fresh seafood.  

Sagres

Continuing along the coastline from Salema is Sagres, a small town that is closest to the most south westerly point in Europe - "Cape St. Vincent".  Sagres has several fresh fish restaurants and it is not uncommon to see local fishermen perched precariously on cliff edges, the sea lashing at the rocks below them. Many of them have and still do, unfortunately lose their lives to the sea. It is said that "Henry the Navigator" had a school of navigation in Sagres betwwen 1420 and 1460 and that he chose selectively, the most intelligent international brains in the fields of science connected with seamanship. It is not known exactly where this school was located but most probably was within the mighty ramparts of the fortress on the main headland, the walls of which still remain.

At nearby Cape St Vincent is an impressive lighthouse which is usually open to visitors. The lighthouse provides the guiding beam that safely directs the hundreds of ships that pass the Cape every year, from the inevitable destruction that would otherwise occur should they run aground. It is generally quite windy here being so exposed, facing squarely out towards the ocean, with only the Azores islands between the cape and the east coast of the United States of America. Walking towards the lighthouse, you will pass a few local traders selling their wares - look out for the impressive "fisherman's jumper", a heavy weight pure woollen and very well priced.