The annual festival is in its third year and takes place in the town of Sagres, in the Western Algarve and it acts as one more incentive to visit the Algarve coast, which already sports plenty of attractive features for tourists, from the year-round warm temperatures, the great beaches and beautiful scenery.

The Festival takes place here because thanks to the geographical position of the Sagres peninsula, it becomes part of the main migratory corridor in Portugal starting with mid-August till November, period in which it’s possible to see thousands of birds crossing the sky, over 190 different species.

This region is ideal for bird watching however there are a number of other fantastic bird watching locations beyond Sagres, as follows:

The Castro Marim Natural Reserve

Located on the western coast is a wetland of international importance, hence why it is protected by law. The landscape is dominated by salt marches and there are several species of aquatic birds that can be seen here including the Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber, Little Stint Calidris minuta and the Spotted Redshank Tringa Erythropus.

The Ria Formosa Natural Park

This place consists of a long stretch of coastal dunes, barrier islands, peninsulas, canals, mudflats, and all manner of all sorts of quasy-aquatic and not so aquatic features – the latter category being woods and pine forests.

The very diverse geography means that the bird fauna will be equally varied so you can expect to see Eurasian Wigeon Anas Penelope, Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola and Red Knot Calidris canutus.

These are just two of the places where bird watching can also be done in, rest assured that there are many more, and you can visit as many of them as you wish with the help of some Algarve car hire services.

The city of Lagos, Portugal has had a very long and chequered history. Thanks to its large natural harbour the area has been settled and inhabited for many thousands of years, starting with the Phoenicians, then the Carthaginians, then of course the Romans and following them the Moors. Due to its important geographical location and harbour it acted as the capital of the Algarve region for about two hundred years between the 16th and the 18th century until it was severely damaged during the 1755 earthquake which caused the government to move its seat to nearby Faro.

Present day Lagos

With the many and wonderful things that it has to offer

Lagos

Nowadays, Lagos is one of the Algarve’s most popular holiday destinations for travelers, attracting the younger crowd especially, whether they’re students, professionals and backpackers. They all come here for the stunning beaches, the picturesque coves and the great all-around weather.

In fact the spectacular weather is one of Lagos’ main features, the region sees low precipitation and warm temperatures all throughout the year, with hot and sunny summers, but not too hot thanks to the influence of the Atlantic Ocean, and with mild winters with very moderate rainfall.

Regardless of the time of year that you choose to visit Lagos in, and the fact that it is a rather small city, you will find quite a few things to see and do while on your stay there.

Starting with probably the city’s main attraction, its beaches, you can find plenty of beaches which vary in size and shape, from long and sandy beaches to small beaches hidden behind cliffs. The Praia da Batata for instance is an great beach and it is located right across the main road in Lagos. This beach is overlooked by a great cliff which features a cove which is accessible only by boat and a very narrow and hidden mud slope which is marked with a rope pegged at its top. Now keep in mind that while this is truly beautiful scenery, it can be rather dangerous so pay close attention to your footing. Lagos is also home to one of the best known beaches in the entire region, the Meia Praia which is a huge beach that you can find on the other side of the Marina, featuring a plethora of bars and other like-minded establishments.

As far as the city itself is concerned, walking around it will offer the visitor a particular type of experience as most of the city center is populated with traditional architecture and painted using regional colors. The harbour is very animated in the morning so if you happen to wake up early yhou shouldn’t miss it or the fish market either, truly interesting spot.

Lagos - Bone Chapel

Lagos is also home to a Bone Chapel, an interesting particularity of the region, a couple more of these being present in Faro and Alcantarilha. The Lagos Capela dos Ossos is part of the Igreja do Sao Sebastiano and while rather small, compared to the others in the region, when you visit it you can also visit the bell tower of the church and the view from there is definitely worth the admission price.

This has been just a quick look travel guide at what Lagos, Portugal has to offer, rest assured that there are many other things that you can do while on your trip there, you’ll surely not get bored.

Lagos Related Link List

Car Hire In Lagos

Quality and low cost car hire services in Lagos, Portugal.

Car Hire In the Algarve

Quality, low cost car hire services in Algarve.

Algarve Transfer from Faro Airport

Low rates for Faro Airport Transfers to anywhere in the Algarve, Portugal and Andalucia, Spain.

Lagos Portugal Algarve HD

The Algarve region of Portugal has been for years one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world. Algarve, Portugal is the destination of choice for good reasons: good weather year-round, very little rain and warm temperatures during the winter season, making the Algarve the best place to be.

Read the rest of article : Why Algarve, Portugal