Lagoa still has a rural feel about it, even though it is a popular centre for cultural events, shopping and festivals.
Whether you are planning to live and work in the Algarve, retire or invest, the region has something for all.
Lagoa is well placed in central Algarve, being close to an International School, Faro airport, public and private hospitals, and also a motorway network connecting the Algarve to the rest of Portugal and Spain. There are various supermarkets catering to all tastes and diets plus local markets offering fresh local products.
Whilst infrastructure is important, so too is lifestyle and in the Algarve, you can enjoy whatever pace of life you prefer. The region offers year-round cultural events, an international racetrack, major golfing tournaments and much more for visitors and residents alike. With many of the Algarve’s beaches winning the Blue Flag the coast is an important asset for residents and a major tourist attraction.
Lagoa has a year-round international community living in the town and in its environs. For those enjoying sports there are two tennis clubs and various golf courses just a short drive away, cycling routes, two diving centres nearby, dance groups, various gyms and centres to enjoy yoga, tai chi etc plus great local areas for bird watching and the opportunity to enjoy walking trails. The municipal pool and gym are both close to the centre as is the library and auditorium. For those who prefer less energetic activities there are local choirs, amateur dramatic groups, bands and much more to keep you busy.
Most faiths are represented in the region offering the opportunity to worship locally.
Restaurants and bars
Lagoa has many places to eat and drink. There is a wide selection of bars, restaurants and cafés.
To download a guide to the Algarve’s wine, click here
For a Cataplana recipe book click here
For traditional Portuguese recipes download here
Shopping
There are plenty of shops in the town for your everyday needs and various supermarkets close by. With shopping malls in Portimão to the west and Algarve Shopping in Guia (near Albufeira) to the east, shoppers will find all their favourite stores close by. With plenty of seats in the sun, restaurants and cafés and a multi-screen cinema located in Algarve Shopping, the late-night shopping means you can work or relax throughout the day.
Events
Throughout the year there are many fairs, festivals and shows, too many to list however, for up-to-date information on current events click here
History
It has been suggested that the town’s name, Lagoa, was due to the earliest settlement in the area being on the edge of a lagoon/marshes which were later drained for agricultural purposes.
The area has vestiges of earlier settlements including menhirs (one stands at the entrance to the convent, Convento de São José) and funerary necropolis are some examples. With the Algarve being under Arab rule until the mid-12th century the visitor can still find the odd Muslim influence within the town.
The Convento de São José was founded sometime between 1710 and 1713 by members of the Carmelite order of nuns, who fostered and educated unwanted children. A foundling wheel can still be seen at the convent which now hosts exhibitions, seminars and shows.
The parish church, Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Luz, was built in the 16th century however, it was destroyed by the 1755 earthquake with only the Manueline doorway to the bell tower surviving.
The principal wealth of the area was agriculture (mainly fruit and wine production), fishing (with the canning industry responsible for an economic boom) and later tourism. The latter is now the mainstay of the area. Lagoa was the centre of wine production in the area, having a cooperative winery, which now houses an art gallery.
If you are feeling in need of an active history lesson, an interesting trail to follow in the Algarve is the Umayyad Route, the path which the Arabs travelled throughout the Iberian Peninsula and Europe starting in the 8th century through to the 13th.
For more information on the area click here