Fishermen’s Trail Stage – Lagos » Luz

In the cliffs between Praia da Luz and Ponta da Piedade there is particularly rich information about the period of Earth’s history known as the Middle Cretaceous, when the mass extinction of the dinosaurs was approaching. The eyes sometimes stray to the immensity of the sea or to the aromatic green of the Mediterranean vegetation, but the stones end up reclaiming the pilgrim’s attention once more, through the contrast between the white of the limestone and the blackness of the volcanic rocks, or between the organised geometry of the strata and the unexpected forms sculpted by erosion or by tectonic deformations.

West of Praia da Luz, at Ponta da Calheta, sandstone layers contain fossils of a small sea snail – Nerinea algarbiensis. The pattern of intersecting lines in this layer indicates the sea currents and the position of the coastline more than 100 million years ago. Further down, the rocks subject to the tide show an interesting network of fractures and cavities carved into the rock: these are the giant’s kettles. To the east of Praia da Luz, plant fossils can be seen in layers of strongly coloured sandstones. In the limestone layers, the fossils are of shells (bivalves and gastropods). Even further east, at Ponta das Ferrarias, the dark rock between white cliffs corresponds to an ancient volcanic chimney. The volcanism here occurred 75 million years ago, when the Iberian Peninsula collided with Africa, in a rotation related to plate movement. At Ponta da Piedade, the karst relief is impressive, forming arches, sea stacks and caves and, on a smaller scale, a fine lacework that runoff water draws by dissolving the limestone. On this rocky outcrop there has already been a Roman temple, a Moorish temple, a Christian chapel, a fortification to defend the Torrinha fishing station and finally a lighthouse. The construction of the Ponta da Piedade Lighthouse was completed in 1913, after many mishaps that held up the project, which had been demanded since 1883. In fact, to build the lighthouse, it was necessary to demolish what remained of the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Piedade, which did not please many people.

On arriving in Lagos, we are greeted by the impressive view of the meia praia. The Ponta da Bandeira fort watches over the entrance to this important port, where the adventure of the Portuguese Discoveries began 6 centuries ago. You can greet the figure of its great driving force, Prince Henry the Navigator, in the square that took his name. Between his hands, the navigation instrument, the sextant, reflected the mastery the Portuguese had in maritime navigation, long before the invention of GPS! Lagos marks the beginning of an Algarve known worldwide as a destination of excellence for sun-and-beach tourism, with exceptional cultural and religious heritage, as well as a vibrant nightlife.