Salsalito - info page

Salsalito is ideally located to explore the surrounding villages and towns,
click on the links below to find out more about Burgau, Praia da Luz
and the historical town of Lagos.

Burgau	Praia da Luz	Lagos

Burgau

Although a modern holiday resort Burgau still retains its original Portuguese fishing village ambience. For those of you who prefer things a little quieter, this is the ideal spot for you.
Having said this, there is still plenty to do. Burgau has a lovely sandy beach, with rocky outcrops on either side. It's ideal for swimming or just sunbathing, it never really gets over crowded, even in the height of summer.
Located on the beach itself is the excellent Burgau beach bar, recently beautifully renovated and owned by the same family for over 20 years, its a much apart of Burgau as the local fisherman! Although a certain amount of new apartment complexes have been built in Burgau, they are of a high quality and do not detract to greatly from the character of this little fishing village. It is worth noting that much of Burgau has steep cobbled roads which could prove unsuitable for the elderly or infirm.

Luz

Praia da Luz has a safe, gently shelving beach, with soft golden sands. The remnants of volcanic activity from long ago can been seen at the far end of the beach, know locally as the Rocha Negra or 'Black Rock'.
Multicoloured sandstone cliffs provide a very impressive backdrop for the beach, with green, pink, red and oranges sands. The beach has it's own Blue Flag as well as full time professional life guards on duty all the time. It is great for all kinds of water sports made available by 'Algarve Watersports' & 'The Beach Hut', the two centers on the beach.
Take a stroll around Luz, one point of interest is the Church.The original Church was severely damaged in the Great 1755 earthquake, the current one was then rebuilt. Although fairly simple in design on the outside, it's worth a look inside if the doors are open.
Romans first came to the Algarve in 210 BC and the remnants of their occupation can been seen at various sites around Luz in the form of an Aqueduct, stone walls and even some mosaic tiled floors.
The whole of the Beach front is pedestrian walkway, with plenty of benches on which to just sit and enjoy the vista.Traditional calçada (cobbles) have been used to create some wonderful designs of fish, waves and even an octopus. Luz has many Bars and restaurants, catering for all tastes and to a high standard.

Lagos

History Lagos is a town with a past, from here the great Portuguese explorers set of to discover the New World with all its riches, and they bought back with them, amongst many things slaves to set up the first slave market in Europe, in 1444.
Because Lagos was the capital of the Algarve for some 200 years there still remain many testaments to its greatness. If you take time out to walk up into the back streets of the town, up the old cobbled roads you'll be amazed at the architecture, old buildings and structures that you will see.
The most obvious being the town wall, of which a great deal is still standing, the wall dates from the 16th Century. The role of Lagos as the capital of the Algarve came to end in a dramatic way when the devastating earthquake of 1755 all but destroyed it. Lagos still has big ties with the sea, everyday the local fisherman go out in their brightly coloured boats and return with an incredible selection of fish, squid and shellfish.
Lagos has so many beaches, there is sure to be one that suits you. Meia Praia bay is the longest beach in the area, stretching for many kilometres, with soft sand and dunes. It has everything watersports, bars, restaurants and hotels and even in peak season it's never over crowded. If you prefer something a little more secluded there is Donna Anna or Porto de Mós.
Lagos has no shortage of Bars, Restaurants & Shops. If you enjoy eating, drinking and shopping you will think you're in heaven. There are no big shopping centres located in the old town, just little boutiques and small shops selling everything from perfume, shoes, Moroccan goods, to the usual souvenir items.