Forte da Ponta da Bandeira

The Forte da Ponta da Bandeira is the small fortress that guards the mouth of the harbour in Lagos, and with its stone walls, corner sentry turrets and drawbridge it is one of the most recognisable buildings in the town. It stands on the waterfront at the southern end of the riverside avenue, just outside the old town walls and beside the little beach of Praia da Batata, where the Bensafrim river meets the Bay of Lagos.

The fort was built in the late seventeenth century, in the decades after Portugal regained its independence from Spain in 1640, when the kingdom was strengthening its coastal defences against enemy fleets and pirates. Its job was to protect the entrance to the port and the town behind it, working together with the city walls and other batteries along the coast. It is a compact, square fortification surrounded by a moat, entered across a drawbridge, and its parade ground is ringed by rooms that once housed the garrison and stores. Inside is a small chapel decorated with azulejo tiles. The fort is classified as a national monument.

Today the fort is used for exhibitions, and a visit is a short one, but it is worth going in for the views from its walls: across the river mouth to the marina and the long sands of Meia Praia, out over the bay, and back along the waterfront to the old town. The sea-facing ramparts are a good place to watch boats heading out to the grottoes of Ponta da Piedade.

The fort is an easy walk from the centre of Lagos along the waterfront. Combine it with a stroll along the old walls, a swim at Praia da Batata or Praia dos Estudantes, and the clifftop path south towards Praia Dona Ana and Ponta da Piedade. Opening times and the small admission charge can change, so check locally before visiting.