Lagos

Enclosed within 15th century walls, with its Manueline window, are the magnificent churches of São Sebastião (Renaissance portals and 17th and 18th century tiles), Santa Maria or Misericórdia (16th-19th centuries), Santo António (Baroque) and the very old São João Chapel (8th-9th centuries). Other points of interest: Regional Museum, Governors’ Palace, Pau da Bandeira Fortress and the old slave market. Charming marina.

Monchique

Amongst the beautiful buildings on the slope stand the church (Manueline), the Misericórdia Church (with a Baroque elements) and the Senhor do Pé da Cruz Chapel (17th century). Nearby, look for the famous thermal spa of Monchique and Fóia, both of which overlook the hills and the ocean.

Olhão

The square-shaped flat-roofed houses, with their Moorish-style terraces, are this fishing town’s trademark. Behind the main church (17th century) you will find the Nossa Senhora dos Aflitos Chapel.

Portimão

In this fishermen’s town, visit the central-church (14th century, rebuilt in the 18th century), the Colégio Church (17th century), and the Town Hall. In the suburbs, the renowned Praia da Rocha (with its Santa Catarina de Ribamar Fortress), and the Roman ruins of Abicada.

Sagres

It was here that five centuries ago Prince Henry set up a school of navigation, which played a crucial role in Portuguese maritime history. Apart from the Nossa Senhora da Graça Chapel, you can visit the magnificent fortress (originally built in the 14th century, and later altered) and the 15th century rosa-dos-ventos (a 43 m-diameter compass card). Nearby, on the extreme southwestern tip of the European continent, is Cabo de São Vicente (Romans’ Promontorium Sacrum), opening on to a vast horizon of sea and sky.

Silves

An interesting mix of different times and cultures overlap in this town: the castle and walls are of Arab origin; the Gothic Cathedral (having undergone several restorations) was built on the site of an ancient mosque; the 12th century bridge was built upon the site of an ancient Roman bridge. The Cross of Portugal also deserves special mention (16th century religious sculpture), as well as the following examples of Manueline motifs: the Nossa Senhora dos Mártires Chapel and the Misericórdia Church. The Archeology Museum is built around an almost unique Arab water cistern, dating from the Almohad period.

Tavira

With its inviting long beaches, typical roofs and chimneys, this picturesque town offers a beautiful view over the Gilão river and its Roman bridge. Churches to visit: Santa Maria do Castelo (13th-18th centuries), Misericórdia (Renaissance), Nossa Senhora das Ondas (17th century), São José (with Gothic and Manueline elements), São Paulo and Carmo (17th-18th-centuries). If you are wandering along the Travessa de Dona Brites, you will see beautiful medieval houses, with Gothic windows and portals. In the suburbs, in the village of Luz there is a Renaissance church, which has been a pilgrimage place for many centuries.