Places to Visit - Sagres and Cape St Vincent
Monday, 16th November 2009
Sagres is at the western end of The Algarve, a little under 70 miles from Faro. Praia da Luz is about 18 miles to the east, with Lagos about 20 miles .The town is very small, but with an interesting history. The town was sacked by Sir Francis Drake in 1597, and several sea battles have been fought nearby. The most famous encounter was in 1797. The Spanish and French had declared war on the British and Portuguese the year before. The British imposed a blockade, with the result that British and Spanish ships met off Cape St Vincent. Although outnumbered 2 to 1, the British easily defeated the Spanish. HMS Victory and Horatio Nelson were involved in the fighting, under the command of Admiral Jervis.
Cape St Vincent is at the very westerly tip, a short distance from the Sagres. Seas here can be very heavy, with big waves crashing against the Cliffs, most definitely not a place for boating or swimming. The views are tremendous, and you can look out over the Atlantic Ocean with nothing between the cliffs and America. The lighthouse can be visited, and essential in guiding ships away from the deadly cliffs. Near the lighthouse is an interesting little Fossil market, which sells all kinds of fossils, stones and small rocks.
