lgscrest.gif (2356 bytes)Day Trips around Lagos lgscrest.gif (2356 bytes)

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Where else to go.

Monchique.

The two mountains to the north of Portimão are known as the Serra de Monchique. The higher of the two is Foia, and the other Picota. They are the remnants of Jurassic volcanoes.
The Rocha Negra - Black Rock - of Praia da Luz is an
intrusion of the lava from those volcanos.
Foia.JPG (10472 bytes)


The village of Monchique lies on the slopes of Foia, and around here there are several restaurants offering Chicken Piri-piri, a grilled or barbecued chicken marinated in a hot pepper sauce.
Below the village are the Caldas de Monchique, the mineral water springs utilised since Roman times. A Bishop built a Hospital here, for the benefit of those wishing to take the waters. King João II came here, in 1495, in the hope that the treatment could alleviate his illness. Nowadays Monchique water is bottled and sold.
On the top of Foia are the radio and television masts which serve the Algarve, and from here it is said that you can see Lisbon, if the weather is fine. Like all mountains, however, these attract clouds, mist and haze and it would be an exceptional day to see that far. If it is, in anyway, fine, magnificent views stretch away to the south and the sea.

 

Silves.

Silves, to the east of Monchique, lies on the River Arade, which flows down to the sea at Portimão. In earlier times the river was navigable up to this point by fairly large vessels. Today there are trips there in the traditional Portuguese 'canoes' which depart from Portimão.
Crowning the hill overlooking the river is the Castle of Silves, which was the Alhambra of the Al-Gharb. The knights of the re-conquest, under King Sancho I, attacked and took the castle in 1189. The Moors shortly regained possession of their capital and despite numerous assaults the city held out until 1266, when Dom Paio Peres Correia conquered this last outpost of Arab rule in the Algarve.
Just inside the city walls is an archaeological museum, set up around the Moorish Town well.
The Cathedral of Silves is on the road from here, back down to the river.

 

Aljezur.

The town of Aljezur lies on the Lagos to Lisbon road. From here a road may be taken cross-country to Marmelete and the Serra de Monchique.

Aljezur walled town.JPG (9277 bytes) Aljezur view to coast.JPG (12846 bytes)
Aljezur 'Castle' View towards the coast


The most striking feature is the castle set on top of the hill overlooking the town. This is, in fact, not a castle with keep and bailey and quarters for soldiers, but the original fortified town. Recent archaeological excavations have found that the Moors first constructed it in the late 8th Century. When the Christians conquered the Algarve, Aljezur nearly held out until the fall of Silves.
In the 14th Century, new houses were constructed in the castle on top of the Moorish foundations, keeping to the basic layout, but now butting directly onto the walls covering the Arabic walkway which had previously lain around the inner circumference.

Old Aljezur.JPG (34425 bytes) Aljezur 14thC house wall.JPG (27261 bytes)

Aljezur from the castle gate

A 13th century house wall


Gradually the town spread out of its bounding walls and down the hill. The second part of the town, constructed on the other side of the river, owes its location to a Bishop, who considered that the West bank was unhealthy.

Aljezur new town.JPG (22873 bytes) Aljezur church.JPG (14703 bytes)
The 'new' town Aljezur Church

 

Waterslide Parks

Aquaparc.jpg (33479 bytes) A good day out, especially for the young and active, is a visit to a Waterslide Park, of which there are three west of Faro in the Algarve. This is the nearest.

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Last modified: June 04, 2007