Algarve West Tourism Guide - Sagres

Sagres Surfing Holiday Beaches Algarve

Sagres in the Far West Algarve is a hotspot for surfing - renowned amongst the international surfing scene too. There's a few surfing schools down here including Sagres Natura (see weblink right for details). See Also Sagres International Surf School & Camp, Praia do Beliche - Apt 32, 8650-998 Sagres, West Algarve. Tel: 351 282624244. (weblink also right).

Sagres offers a choice of four stunning quiet beaches. Right near the town is Praia da Mareta, a stunning Sagres beach popular for gentler surfing with a restaurant bar right on the beach. East of Sagres is Praia do Martinhall, and past Ponta de Sagres sits Praia do Tonel. Pushing the other way towards Cabo de Sao Vincent is Praia de Beliche, and Praia da Baleeira is next to the harbour (not really suitable for either swimming or surfing/it get a little pollution). The most popular surfing beach around Sagres is Praia do Tonel, with many of the surfing trips heading up to Carrapateira.

Sagres Natura Sports & Adventure, Rua Mestre Antonio Galhardo; 8650-384 Sagres, Algarve, Portugal. Tel: 351 282 624072. Freeride Surfing Lessons & Surfcamp, Casa Azul, Praca Da Republica, 8650 Sagres, Algarve. Tel: 282 624 245. (weblink right)

Surf Planet Surf Shop 1, Estrada Nacional no.268, 8650-355 Sagres, Algarve, Portugal. Tel: 351 282 624815. Surf Planet 2, Central Sagres, Praca da Republica, 8650 Sagres, Portugal. Tel: 351 282 624727. Visit als Surf Planet 3 at Carrapateira, Praca do Comercio, 8670 Carrapateira, Portugal. Tel: 351 282973316.

Algarve Portugal History - Sagres Fort, Portuguese Explorers & the Age of Discovery

Remote and quiet Sagres Fortress, quiet that is apart from the constant stream of tourist visitors who come here, was once of huge importance within Portugal. Here sailors were trained and made ready for dangerous expeditions at the School set up here by Henry the Navigator. Henry had a house nearby too, thought to have been more towards Cape St Vincent further west - not there now though as it was sacked by Sir Francis Drake. As well as the navigation school, Henry set up an observatory, and he died down here in 1460. His death signalled the move of this onetime maritime centre upto Lisbon.

Sagres Fortress was completely destroyed by the 1755 earthquake, but rebuilt afterwards. The flat fort complex is almost a blank canvass now, apart from the rosa dos venos stone thought to date from Henry's time and the little 16th century Igreja da Nossa Senhora da Graca. The views up here though along the rocky wild Algarve coast stretching to Cabo De Sao Vincent and the remote monestry and lighthouse there are not to be missed. You'll spot some daring fisherman here on the cliff's edge!

The fort at Sagres and the navigation school set up by Dom Henrique - the Navigator sit within the context of Portuguese maritime expansion. A century of discoveries from the early fifteenth century saw Portuguese explorers land in India, East Africa, China, Japan and South America. Many of these expeditions left from this far west stretch of the Algarve coast or from the east and Tavira.

Fortaleza de Sagres, Ponta de Sagres, Algarve Portugal. Open in the Summer daily from 10am to 8.30pm, and in the Winter daily from 10am to 6.30pm. It's about 5 euros to get in.

Portuguese Explorers, Henry the Navigator & the Age of Discovery

Many might wax and wane about Portugal being influenced by its vast expanse of coast - the sea beconing and wot not, but in reality the reason why the Portuguese became such avid explorers as comparied to other European countries is because the whole explorer project was instigated, planned and funded by the State.

This State funded plan for exploration is also the reason why expeditions were so far-reaching. Exploration and expansion were the chosen next steps (by the State) for the Portuguese once they had driven the Moors out of what became modern Portugal. It was no accident that the Templars headquarters was transferred from central Portugal and Tomar to Castro Marim on the eastern Algarve edge. After skimishes in off-shore Algarve seawaters with the Arabs fizzled out, the emphasis then shifted under the likes of Henry the Navigator and others to one of Maritime acquisition, enterprise and in the long term a mission to spread Christianity - the dreaded 'civilising' mission.

It was Gill Eanes, a local West Algarve man trained under Prince Henry's company who first led an expedition to the west African coast in 1434. (well worth a look for a concise history of Portugal, including a chapter on the Age of Discover is 'Portugal. A Companion History' by Jose Herman Saraiva, Published by Carcanet Press Limited, 1997). See also the history section on the Sagres weblink right.

Golf Holidays West Algarve - Vila do Bispo Golf

The Vigia Group have a number of Algarve luxury leisure & golf resorts. This one here at Vila do Bispo near Sagres has an 18 hole golf course/par71, plus numerous other luxury spa leisure facilities and luxury villa rental on-site. Check their weblink right for details.

Parque da Floresta, Golfe Santo Antonio SA, Vale do Poco, 8650-060 Budens, Vila do Bispo, West Algarve. Tel: 351 282 690 054.

Scuba Diving around Sagres West Algarve

The rocky Sagres coastline offers some of the best diving and scuba diving opportunities in Portugal. With warm water temperatures ranging from 13 to 22 degrees in the summer, and a choice of cave and wreck dive sites, you're away here in Sagres.

Scuba do Sagres, Padi Dive School, Tel: 351 965 559 073. (weblink right)

Contact also Oceanox Diving, Tel: 964 854 021, based at Hotel Baleeira.