A turquoise sea bounded by ochre cliffs and soft, sandy beaches. Bunches of grapes ripening beneath the hot summer sun. The shapes, colours and designs of ceramics that belong to a tradition centuries old. Such are the attractions of Lagoa and its surroundings, along with the colourful fishing port of Ferragudo, the romantic chapel of Nossa Senhora da Rocha perched high above the sea, and the fascinating rock formations of Algar Seco.

Inland from the sea, the landscape consists above all of undulating fields planted with never-ending vineyards and dryland orchards of almond-trees, fig-trees or carob-trees. Now to be found growing in the gullies and fields that are no longer used for agricultural purposes is the lush green scrubland that is typical of the Algarve’s “barrocal” region. The municipality’s towns and villages have preserved their narrow cobbled streets, their rustic and dazzling white houses, their intricately designed, lace-patterned chimney-pots and their great wealth of traditional crafts, embodied in particular by the ceramics and pottery of Porches.

The coastal strip of the municipality of Lagoa is essentially a rocky one and is characterised by the jagged cliffs that mark out its coastline, resulting in unexpected and truly breathtaking landscapes, their appearance permanently changing because of the erosive effects of time and the elements. The cliffs, carved out of ochre-coloured carbonate rocks, are vulnerable to the action of water: the saltwater from the sea that wears them away and undercuts them at their base; and the rain that slowly erodes them from inside, giving rise to some curiously shaped crevices and furrows. The persistent action of water upon the rock has resulted in unusual eroded limestone landscapes, where different features have been formed, such as isolated groups of rocks, potholes, arches and caves. But it is not only humankind that has allowed itself to be seduced by this landscape, for countless species of birds and bats have chosen these rock formations as their place of shelter and their breeding grounds.

A hill rises above flat lands where in days gone by, as tradition has it, there was a lagoon. At the top, the tower of a church is visible, above a labyrinth of whitewashed houses. This is Lagoa, where Manueline doorways, windows edged in blue and the imposing turret of the monastery create a feeling that time has stopped and suggest ways of life now long-forgotten.

 

Main Church
All that remains of the place of worship built in the 16th century is a Manueline doorway to the bell tower. The current building dates from the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th, and has an attractive baroque facade with neo-classical elements. Beneath its three naves, the chief point of interest inside the church is the retable on the main altar, with a perfect 18th century representation of Nossa Senhora da Luz (Our Lady of Light), the church's patroness, attributed to the sculptor Machado de Castro, and a São Sebastião (St. Sebastian). On the other altars, in the upper choir and in the registry office are to be found a large number of icons and reliquaries from the 17th and 18th centuries, including an interesting Baby Jesus lying on a wooden bed in the "rocaille" style (end of the 18th century). The sacristy houses a magnificent chest in Brazil wood, valuable religious objects (an 18th century silver incense boat and other items) and stones from the original Manueline building found in the church.

Misericórdia (Mercy) Church
Plain-fronted and small in size, this church has a carved main altar dating from the 18th century, with a statue of the crucifixion (17th century) and two other art works from the 18th century. The walls are covered in patterned tiles dating from the end of the 17th century.

Monastery of São José (St. Joseph)
Built at the beginning of the 18th century in a sober, rural style, it has been rebuilt and repaired on many occasions since. It boasts a chapel with carved altars from the former Chapel of the Compromisso Maritimo (Maritime Agreement), in Lagos, and an 18th century depiction of Sao Jose (St. Joseph) with the Infant Jesus. There is an interesting belvedere with an arch over the street. At the entrance to the monastery there is an "outcasts' hatch", which was once used for receiving abandoned children. The cloister is plain, with four arcades and a cistern in the centre. in the garden there is a menhir from Porches (5,000 to 4,000 B.C.).

Historical Centre
The town grew up around its main church. There is still a feeling of the past in the streets of white houses where, here and there, it is possible to spy a chimney trimmed with the delicate decorative filigree typical of the Algarve. The winding streets are dotted with altars marking the stations of the cross used in the old Holy Week ceremonies, and more than a dozen Manueline doorways and windows (16th century).
It is not known when Lagoa was founded, and it was only after 1773, when it was elevated to the status of a town, that its history was first documented, but it is known that Estômbar and Porches were important centres in the Islamic and medieval periods and that Ferragudo had defensive ramparts.