About Praia da Luz

Village facilities                                                         

The Quinta is centrally placed and within walking distance to all village amenities which include post office, banks, cash dispensing machines, several supermarkets, pharmacy, English-speaking doctors surgery and dentist.  There is a well-equipped private hospital in nearby Lagos, and we advise all visitors to ensure they have adequate travel and medical insurance, as emergencies can be expensive. There is also the state hospital in Lagos  where treatment is available at a nominal charge to those carrying an EHIC card  

Local agencies are able to advise and arrange tickets, with or without coach transport, to various attractions such as Zoomarine dolphin park and Slide and Splash water park.  Anglican church services are held on Sunday in the local church. 

Tennis court hire is available in the village.  If water sports are your preference, there are two centres on the beach providing everything from banana boat rides, to sailing lessons, to fishing excursions.  From Lagos you can try parasailing, deep-sea fishing, take a day trip with lunch provided on dolphin safari, or visit the grottos by fishing boat.  There are several surf centres offering day trips to wherever the waves are best on the day, wetsuits, equipment and instruction as required.

If you are taking time out from the kitchen, Luz can offer a wide choice of cafes and restaurants to suit all tastes, from family friendly, to something special, and from local Portuguese cuisine to Chinese, Indian, Italian, African and pub Sunday roast.  If you want to stay in but don't want to cook, there is plenty to take away.  The local Portuguese takeaway does great grilled chicken (if you like food with a kick, try it with piri piri), pork steak, or spare ribs, with chips, and there is good pizza just around the corner from the Quinta - ideal for hungry children straight off the beach .nice salads too - try the chicken caesar!) 

For a change of scene we recommend an evening out in Lagos.   A stroll around the street cafes and late night shopping add to the dining experience but beware, parking is at a premium and random breath testing is common in high season.  The 8 minute taxi ride is inexpensive - let us book for you and just sit back and enjoy the local wines.  Lagos by day is great for shopping and for landmarks of historical interest.  Have lunch at the marina or at one of the many beach bars on Meia Praia, the famous long crescent beach which defines the bay at Lagos.

For after dinner entertainment, the bars in Luz are open until 2.00am (several run weekly quiz nights) and for those still standing there is the local nightclub (Luz has just the one) where you can dance until dawn.  For dedicated party animals, the wider variety of nightlife in Lagos is the best bet, but if you are looking for serious clubbing and large venues you won't find it at this end of the Algarve.

                                     

Golf

There are 4 golf courses within 5 - 20 minutes of Luz, the nearest and most recently completed being Quinta da Boavista.  There is also the challenging, hilly course at Parque da Floresta to the west, and Palmares and Penina,  both east of Lagos.

For parties of all day golfers in low season and winter we can arrange in villa catering for full breakfast and evening meals as required.  Notice in advance of your stay is required.

 

Travel tips

Expedia is useful for searching for flights.  The site is very easy to use.  The price shown is what you pay, inclusive of taxes and charges, so no nasty surprises when you click on the 'proceed to booking' button. If Expedia can't find something for you, try the links below.

Check our prices and availability page before you search for a flight.

Check taxi transfer prices.  Some of our clients have been using www.express-transfers.com and have found them well priced and efficient.

Our local car hire company is www.lagorent.com

The following airlines operate services between the UK and Faro:

Useful links

 

History

There is archeological evidence of a Roman slipway on the rocks at the Western end of the beach, near the Fortaleza, used when Luz served as a dockyard to the important town of Lacobriga, now Lagos.  For those ships setting sail for the ports of Western Iberia, Luz would have been the last dockyard before rounding Cape St Vincent.  Take a drive out to the fort at Sagres where Prince Henry had his school of navigation, then on to the lighthouse at the Cape which is open to visitors.

The Algarve was an important source of salted fish to the Romans.  In Luz, the remains of fish salting vats and an aqueduct have been preserved and are open to visitors.  Dine out in any Portuguese restaurant and you will see that Bacalhau, or salt cod, remains a key ingredient of local cooking.

Fishing and agriculture were the principal means of income along the coast until the advent of Tourism.  At Luz, tuna was caught using nets strung out from the rocks, landed on the beach and brought up to the Quinta for processing and canning.  By the 1960s the migratory routes of the Tuna had changed, the factory had closed, and the Quinta had become a residential property.  The main catch was octopus pulled up in pots by beach-launched rowing boats at night, and sold by the crate off the beach slipway every morning.

At this time the ideal climate and the unspoilt coastline of the Algarve had already come to the attention of the holiday industry.  Looking further west,  Praia da Luz, arguably one of the most picturesque locations on offer and only a few miles from the historic town of Lagos, was an obvious choice.

Although little is left of the quaint fishing village, development has brought a return to prosperity to the local area, and important landmarks such as the church and the 17th century fort are intact and maintained.  The beauty of the rock formations, golden sands, and clear, clean waters remain for all to enjoy.