Travel tips for Praia da Luz in the western Algarve, Portugal   by Martin Thompson

The seaside village of Praia da Luz (pronounced loozh) lies in the western Algarve, Portugal only 6km west of the city of Lagos. Traditionally it has been a fishing village that specialised in octopus potting and Luz once had a Tuna canning factory by the beach. There was an early settlement hear and the Romans left their mark in the form of a bath house and aqueduct.

Today Luz is a small yet thriving beach resort with numerous waterside apartments & villas. The main attraction is Luz's beach with its arced bay and stunning black igneous rock headland, left behind by the volcanoes at Monchique. It is a small place with several local bars and restaurants and 3 resort complexes with outdoor swimming pools and tennis courts. Two water sports centers at the eastern end of Luz beach rent out sailing boats, canoes and Luz also has a deep-sea diving centre and camping site.

Luz is an ideal place to head out for walks in the hills and countryside in the morning or late afternoon. It is also a great place to relax and listen to the birds and watch people go by sipping coffee by the beach. Time slips by slowly with the calm waves licking the golden sands and towards sunset the beach is virtually deserted making it one of the best times to swim in the clean Atlantic waters.

There are plenty of places to visit in the vicinity of Praia da Luz such as the city of Lagos or historic Sagres to the west or to the cooler micro climate in the mountains of Monchique. There is a Market by the bus station in Lagos on Saturday mornings where one can buy locally produced organic fruit and vegetables. Also stock up on fresh fish for the barbecue at the daily fish market in Lagos. An ideal spot to eat out, have coffee or ice cream in the evenings Lagos has a pedestrianised centre and a lively night life. Buses from Praia da Luz cost aproximately 1.70 Euros and run from the village church untill around 7PM. Returning by taxi from the taxi rank in the centre of Lagos is economical costing only around 7 Euros for the trip.

Monchique is a mountain range about an hours drive from Praia da Luz and makes an ideal place to visit in the afternoon and evening. The Caldes de Monchique are therapeutic thermal baths and the mountains cooler climate and woods are a beautiful place to take long walks. Roadside restaurants offer great value meals and the local brandy, cakes and wild boar are local specialties.

Praia da Luz is ideally located in close proximity to several stunning stretches of sand. Praia de Porto de Mós is a stretch of sand sheltered by low cliffs and is only an hour's walk along the cliff road to the east. It is a beautiful beach and due to its location is often quiet and secluded. A few kilometers further east you will find another spectacular beach. The Praia do Carnavial is another little known beach where you can swim and bask in the brilliant sun.

Praia Donna Anna is a picture postcard beach that is situated beyond the Ponta da Piedade (Mercy Point). It is the perfect beach to visit when the wind picks up as the high cliffs provide shelter. This and the neighboring picture postcard beaches and coves are surrounded by headlands, caves and rocks out in the sea. To the east of Lagos there is a huge beach stretching half way around the bay of Lagos. Meia Praia has plenty of sand dunes and at low tide the water is shallow enough to stand a considerable distance from the shoreline.

To the west of Praia da Luz are many more beautiful and unspoiled beaches lying within the protected natural reserve of Costa Vicentina. Each has its own unique ambiance and characteristics. Beyond Sagres on the west coast of the Algarve the landscape is rugged and the beaches amoung the most spectacular in Europe. Large Atlantic rollers meet the land and many of the beaches can only be accessed on rough dirt roads. Great care is needed when swimming in this area especially with children and when the tide is high as there are extremely strong currents that can be very dangerous. This is a different Algarve where the beauty and serenity of the landscape and the sound of the wild ocean lashing at the rocks transport us far away from the troubles of modern life. When the tide is low it is usually safe to bathe as the waves collapse on themselves over and over pushing you back to the land with the distant breaker unreachable for anyone but professional surfers.

About the Author

Martin Thompson is a long term visitor to the western Algarve where he spent many sunny days as a child. A professional travel writer and web developer Martin is concentrating on his online photo rich travel guides. Find out more about Praia da Luz at traveluzion.com and sign up for your free ezine and ebooks. http://www.traveluzion.com/local/PraiaDaLuz