☰Alentejo
Best Things to Do in Ferragudo
Showing 1 - 15 of 19
Forte de Santa Catarina Francisco Santos | BY-SAThe fort of Santa Catarina was built in 17th century on the site of a 15th century defensive structure and chapel dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria. It was one of the various forts built around this time to protect the area from raids by pirates and privateers.
Today it is possible to climb up a steep set of steps to walk around the battlements. There is no museum here, but an old canon provides a quick photo opportunity and the views of the marina and the cliffs of Praia da Rocha make the hike worthwhile.
Museu de Portimao urflPortimao’s award-winning museum opened in 2008 and is a good place to come to learn more of what life would have been like for those who lived in the locality throughout the ages. The site was once a fish canning factory, and the main focus is on the industrial processes once carried out here. The 1000 square metre main exhibition is divided into three distinct areas:
Origin and Destiny of a Community
This section follows the lives of those living in the Portimao and Alvor regions from Neolithic times right up until the present day. There are...
Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição Olga KositskayaThe Roman Catholic church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição (Our Lady of Conception) is Portimão's main parish church and still plays an active role in the heart of the local community.
The original building was completed in 1476 in Gothic style. Not much remains of the original structure apart from the main portal and an accompanying gargoyle. Most of the original building was destroyed in the 1755 earthquake, and later rebuilding incorporated a number of Manueline influences.
Inside the...
Slide and Splash waterpark Slide & SplashSlide & Splash is one of the Algarve's biggest and best water parks featuring a selection of water flumes, chutes, pools and aquatic fun that should appeal to all ages. Established in 1986 the park has grown to fill its sizeable site with fun-packed activities and new rides.
The main attractions here are the big water slides and you can probably guess a little about some of them from their names; Corkscrew, Banzai, Black Hole, Plunge, Tornado, Kamikaze and the new Big Wave. Most of these involve zooming down chutes of various steepness and twisty-ness at great speed before...
Silves' red sandstone castle, which dominates the town, was built by the Moors who held the Al-Gharb (Algarve) region from the 8th to 13th centuries. During this time, Silves (known at the time as Xelb) became an important centre of trading and culture and was the capital of the Al-Gharb. In the late 12th and early 13th centuries the town witnessed sieges, battles and much bloodshed as the Moors and Christians from the north fought over this strategically important site. The Muslims were finally expelled in 1249 and from this time onwards, as the river silted up, closing off trading...
Church of the Divino Salvador de Alvor iStockPhotoIgreja do Divino Salvador, Matriz de Alvor (Church of the Divine Saviour) dates back to the 16th century, as does its best feature, the Manueline style doorway.
This whitewashed Algarvian church was largely rebuilt in the 18th century in the Rococo style. The interior is fairly impressive consisting of three naves and fine vaulting, some of which dates back to the original church. A lavish high altar and holy water font also date back to the 16th century.
Silves Archaeological Museum C.M. SilvesSilves's small Archaeological Museum contains an astonishingly well-preserved Moorish well, together with archaeological findings dating right back to prehistoric times.
Opened in 1990, the Municipal Museum of Archeology of Silves is built around the Poço-Cisterna Almóada - a 12th century well which was discovered after archaeological excavations in the 18th century. The well is now classified as a National Monument and forms the centerpiece of the museum. The museum also incorporates the city walls of the same period, thus creating not only as a museum, but a showcase of the...
Silves Cathedral Lacobrigo | BY-SASilves' Cathedral (Sé Catedral de Silves) was built in the 13th century on the site of the Moorish Grand Mosque, just beneath the castle. Although much of the building was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake, it was rebuilt and is thought by many to provide one of The Algarve’s best examples of Gothic architecture.
Inside there are tombs of local bishops and dignitaries, as well as tombs of some of the Crusaders who fought here against the Moors all those years ago.
Parque da Mina Zbigniew Rutkowski | BY-SAThe Parque da Mina is a theme park with a genuine theme. Centered on an old iron ore mine the park provides an an entertaining view of the workings of the mine along with a range of fun activities in the surrounding park.
On the heritage side of things you can learn about the workings of the mine, visit the medronho (moonshine) distillery and tour the 18th century manor house. There is also a nature trail through the landscaped surrounds of the Sierra de Monchique with plenty of picnic spots amongst the trees.
The park is home to a small petting zoo with a range of animals to...
Lagos Fortress The small fort of Ponta da Bandeira, also known as the Fort of Our Lady of Penha de Franca (or just Lagos fortress) stands on Lagos's waterfront, where the Bensafrim River enters the sea and overlooking Praia da Batata beach. Lagos had been the administrative capital of The Algarve from 1577 and this fortress, built around 1690, would have been part of the important defensive structures guarding the strategically important harbour from raids by Corsairs, pirates and the Spanish.
The fort, used until the 20th...
11. Aqualand Algarve
Aqualand - Algarve Aqualand is one of Europe's largest outdoor water parks and features a range of chutes and slides suitable for all ages.
The park is home to several notable rides suitable for adrenaline junkies and thrill seekers. The "Kamikaze" is the biggest slide in Portugal measuring over 100ft (36m) high it takes a mere 4 seconds to plummet to the bottom! Slightly less intimidating is the "Hydra" a more traditional water chute with a long, long corkscrew section.
A less usual ride is the "Banzai" which sees riders hurtle down a 23m slide sitting on skim board before shooting across the...
12. Lagos Town Walls
Porta de São Gonçalo - Lagos city walls António SacchettiToday most visitors to Lagos come for the stunning beaches and vibrant nightlife. But this place has seen a small amount of bloodshed over the centuries. The Phoenicians, Romans, Visigoths and Moors all made their mark here. In 1577 Lagos became the administrative capital of The Algarve. It is not surprising that a city of such strategic importance would have been surrounded by some pretty heavy fortifications.
It was the Romans who built the first town walls around Lagos and these were reinforced during the Arab and later Christian occupations of...
Igreja de Santa Maria Kolforn (Wikimedia)The Igreja Matriz de Santa Maria (Saint Mary's Church) in Lagos has been a place of worship since 1498, and continues to be a vibrant local parish church. The original building is thought to have once had a hospital attached but almost all of what you see today was rebuilt in the 19th century.
The church was extended at various times over the centuries, and suffered significant damage in the Great Earthquake of 1755, after which it needed rebuilding. The whitewashed exterior has two bell towers, Doric columns and a sculptured,...
Lagos Slave Market Lacobrigo | BY-SAThis unassuming building in Praca do Infante Dom Henrique has a tragic history. This building, (Mercado de Escravos) is widely believed to have been the first slave market in Europe.
In 1444 Prince Henry the Navigator set up a trading post in Arguin Bay, an island off the coast of Mauritania in West Africa. From here, that same year, slaves were shipped over to be sold in Lagos. The original building that stood here was built in that same year. Contemporary accounts tell of the abject misery and...
15. Lagos Museum
Lagos Museum Notafly | BY-SAFounded in 1932 and named after its founder, the Museu Dr. Jose Formosinho, to give it its full name, is Lagos's main museum. This is without doubt the best museum in the Algarve and whatever it is you're interested in, you'll probably find it here.
As you wander through the museum's many rooms you'll see displays connected to the local history, Portuguese coinage, military hardware from the Age of Discoveries, artworks and more. The archaeological finds here include a collection of Moorish pottery and an eclectic mix of findings going back to Neolithic times. A town...
Pages
Albufeira
Cascais
Ferragudo travel guide »
The attractive fishing village of Ferragudo has done a good job of avoiding the wholesale development that has affected much of this part of the Algarve. This is even more impressive considering its location at the mouth of the Rio Arade estuary,...