SAGRES TRAVEL GUIDE
The Algarve, PortugalIf you are looking for a holiday hotel, apartment or villa in Sagres, the following information may help by giving you an overview on the resort.
Sagres is Europe’s most southwesterly community. Just 6km east of Cabo de Sao Vicente, it sits atop a rocky plateau, scoured by the same winds that send the sea crashing against the rocks of the nearby beaches. Even more bleak is the promontory south of the town, the site of the Fortaleza [Fortress] de Sagres, where Prince Henry the Navigator established his school of seamanship in 1443.
The sailors who came to study here lived an almost monastic life as they prepared to sail to new worlds, having mastered astronomy, navigation and cartography. The walls of the small town that Henry had built on the cliff-tops still survive, offering superb views across the rocky promontory, as does the simple chapel, with its altarpiece depicting St. Vincent holding a ship. Nearby is a 15th century Rosa dos Ventos [wind rose] inscribed into the rock, 43m in diameter, which may once have been fitted with a weather vane to indicate the wind direction. The Vila do Infante, where Prince Henry lived, along with many other original buildings, was destroyed by Sir Francis Drake in 1587, when Portugal was under Spanish rule.
Although the modern town has little to hold the attention, there are compensations to living in Sagres, including pristine coves to explore. Local fishermen keep the restaurants well supplied with fresh fish and seafood, and also offer boat trips to view the magnificent Costa Vicentina from the sea. There are many cliff-top walks, and in spring and autumn you can watch migrating birds flying over the headlands or wheeling past the cliffs.
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Disclaimer:
By its very nature much of the information in our travel guides is subject to change at short notice and travellers are urged to verify information on which they are relying with the relevant authorities. Corona Holidays [UK] Limited cannot accept any responsibility for any loss or inconvenience to any person as a result of information contained above.
