Portugal has recently shown up on most travelers’ radar as an affordable European destination. While the capitol city of Lisbon and the second-largest city of Porto are certainly both worth a look, the country is full of smaller towns that are also intriguing places to visit. Lagos is one of these spots, as was so aptly pointed out by a Trip Advisor article that labeled it as one of the 15 up and coming destinations for 2012. While that was several years ago, this town’s appeal remains the same.

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Located in the Algarve region on the southern coast of Portugal, Lagos is located a little over an hour away from Faro which also happens to be where the nearest airport is located. It can easily be reached by public transport as well as by private car. The town itself is manageable on foot. However, Lagos contains both a bus and train station so that getting to and from the town doesn’t require the use of a car if you don’t wish to drive while you’re on vacation.

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The sandy beaches are the city’s main attraction, with typical water-related activities such as boating, scuba diving, surfing, and swimming being popular pastimes. Quite a few of these spots are fairly scenic since they are located beside dramatically tall cliffs. However, the local fish market is worth a stop as is the Bone Chapel which offers a spectacular view from the bell tower. The former attraction is free if you’re not buying any of the wares and the latter cost 2 euros per person. The town walls and the area near the old slave market are good spots to stroll around. Other places of interest include the Cultural Center, the Zoological Park, the Churches of Saint Anthony and Saint Maria, the Science Center, and the Ponta da Piedade Lighthouse.

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Meanwhile, good souvenir items that shoppers might want to consider purchasing are the cork products or the ceramics for which Portugal is famous. As far as traditional meals in the area, travelers should try the salt cod or the chicken piri piri with either morgados or Dom rodrigos cookies for dessert in order to embrace the city’s true local flavor. While genuine port wine is another Portuguese specialty that travelers shouldn’t miss out on, in Lagos the traditional flavors run more towards liquor made with fruit from the strawberry tree and moscatel wine. Visitors should nonetheless be aware that this spot does cater mostly to budget-minded travelers, particularly in the summer, and make their plans accordingly.

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Sources: WikiTravel.org; Trip Advisor; Wikipedia; My Funky Travels; Nomadic Matt