Algarve Villa Holidays: Spotlight on Lagos Part Two

Here on this blog we produce monthly articles to help you plan your Algarve Villa Holiday or just enjoy a few moments day-dreaming on a dreary winter day! Last month we reviewed holidays in Lagos Algarve - looking at Lagos town, the accommodation, the beaches, the marina, the coastline and the dolphins. This month we continue our exploration - and look at what there is to do here in terms of sports, shopping, restaurants and nightlife.

Algarve Villas - click here to browse our Algarve villa accommodation or click here to view our Villas in Lagos

The Sports

There are all sorts of sporting opportunities in Lagos from golf at the excellent courses of Parque de Floresta, Belavista and Palmares, to surfing including mountain biking, off-roading in buggies, boat and jet ski hire, water skiing, scuba diving, sailing, fishing and snorkelling, There is tennis and bowling, squash, swimming and of course, there’s always the gym. Horse riding is also available nearby at the Quinta do Paraiso, so whatever sport you’re into, you’re bound to find something to get the adrenalin pumping.

The Shops

Lagos’ fish market, in the centre of the town is second to none. A wonderful selection of fresh sea food is available and you simply wont buy fresher. Upstairs there’s a fruit and veg market and up another level is a terrace restaurant, so you can effectively make your food choices as you climb the stairs, to be seated and served when you reach the top. The top floor also gives you a great photo opportunity, as the view is lovely.

There are two supermarkets in town. The Mondelo and the Intermarche, both with a good selection of all your favourite foods but if you want English imported foods, these will be more expensive. There’s a photographic store so you can have your snaps developed or buy another memory stick (because you are going to need it). There’s a post office or “Correios” where you can buy stamps to send postcards home and there’s an Aladdin’s Cave called “O Coixote” which stocks local arts crafts, antiques, gifts, jewellery and lots more besides.

Other stores include accessory and jewellery stores, women's clothing boutiques,
unisex fashion boutiques, shoe shops, leather goods stores, gift shops, wineshops, a bakers, a Pastelaria e Gelataria' featuring yummy cakes, tarts, ice creams and regional specialities, a ceramics, pottery and household furnishings store, arts and crafts stores, furniture shops, antiques shops, fabrics and soft furnishings, in fact, everything you’d imagine from a fully functioning, self sufficient, sizable, holiday town

The Restaurants

As you might expect, there are good quality restaurants a plenty in Lagos, so if you decide to go out for a meal a few times, rather than cook for yourselves, you’ll have plenty of choice. Arguably the best Italian in town is Borsalino, reasonably priced a child friendly, the food is excellent. If your preference is for something a little more Portuguese and romantic then try Restaurante dos Artistas, priced in the mid range, this is ideal for those lovely romantic holiday meals. It has been said that they serve the best food in Lagos, by far.

If you’re feeling a little homesick and fancy a good old English breakfast or brunch, pop along to Oasis where they serve up a cracking full English. The staff are very friendly and the food is excellent. Lagos is very family oriented with many excellent restaurants happy to welcome younger children and cater for all tastes and budgets.
Many of the restaurants have tables spilling out into the streets for that typically Continental/Mediterranean dining experience.

The Nightlife

The nightlife in Lagos is a mixed bag, but in a good way. Whatever your musical tastes, there is something to suit. The Duna Beach is a popular nightspot and arguably the best nightclub in the Algarve. Up to the minute tunes combine with a stunning beach location to make a great night out. The Wolfs Lair is another top spot with interesting decor that takes you to medieval times. It's open till 4am so you could stay there all night if you wished. Close by is the Bon Vivant rooftop terrace which is a great spot for a "sundowner" (a last drink as the sun goes down or, the first drink of the evening). A lot of the bars in Lagos are British owned so you wont have a problem with the language, even the German bar keep at Bar Terapia speaks perfect English. There are sports bars and karaoke bars, Irish bar, reggae bars and techno music bars, so there’s something to suit everyone.

You don’t even have to go in. For some, just wandering about and soaking up the atmosphere is an experience in itself. Check out the main square in Lagos, this regularly stages events, which are fun and exciting and lots of them are free.

Algarve Villas - click here to browse our Algarve villa accommodation or click here to view our Villas in Lagos