Praia da Luz’s major highlight of course is it’s wonderful beach. The gentle sloping sand and its shallow waters are ideal for children, and it is safe with lifeguards on duty throughout the summer months ( Blue Flag Standard since 2005 ). Be careful though as those warm sea breezes are masking the fact that you are being subtly being incinerated by what can be a ferocious sun.

You will find there are good water sports facilities in Praia da Luz, such as scuba diving, snorkelling, waterskiing, windsurfing, a sailing school, paddleboats and boat trips. Luz views, Algarve, Portugal

Also there is excellent, if challenging fishing to be had from the extensive rock formations to the west of the beach. You might be surprised at the numerous varieties of fish that inhabit this coastline. The local restaurants, or the daily fish market in nearby Lagos testify to that.

As well as the beach and the water sports you will find there are plenty of other things to do close to Praia da Luz such as tennis, walking tours, horse riding to the more extreme sports such as quad biking, rock climbing and micro lighting. There are also a couple health spas and fitness centres located in the resort complexes.

Sightseeing, especially if you have your own transport, is recommended especially if you head westward toward Sagres ( ‘the end of the world’ ) and the west coast generally provides some spectacular scenery. There are also plenty of day coach excursions to be had from the numerous travel agents.

Algarve golfing is legendary and there are several well known championship standard golf courses close by which makes Praia da Luz an ideal base for golfers ‘on tour’. Both Boavista and Palmares courses are within a ten minute drive and are perfect examples of the high standards to be found at all of the courses.

The already substantial number of restaurants and bars continues to grow each year so there will be no problem finding somewhere different to visit every night if you choose to, without ever having to leave Praia da Luz. There is an excellent mixture of restaurants from tourist and international to traditional Portuguese, whether you are eating in or using one of the take away services. It is worth remembering that if you are dining out, wherever you choose, booking a table is always recommended during the summer months ( especially if you are a family and /or want to dine early evening ).

For those of you who are self catering there are several good supermarkets in Luz and several hypermarkets in nearby Lagos. Praia da Luz also has a good mixture of shops and boutiques as well as a medical centre and pharmacy.

Accommodation is well catered for with plenty of private and commercial villas and apartments for rent as well as several large holiday complexes which have been skilfully integrated into the town itself. Also there is no shortage of Estate Agents and Property Management services if you’re totally smitten by the town of Luz.

A Freguesia da Luz, situa-se no extremo sudoeste do Concelho de Lagos, Distrito de Faro. Com uma extensão de 2205 hectares, confronta a Sul com o Oceano Atlântico, a Norte com a Freguesia de Barão de São João, a Este com a Freguesia de Santa Maria e a Oeste com a Freguesia de Budens (Concelho de Vila do Bispo).

A Freguesia da Luz, teve origem no desenvolvimento do Povo de Nossa Senhora da Luz ou Senhora da Luz, depois por Praia da Luz .
Desanexada da Freguesia de Santa Maria no princípio do século XVIII, tornou-se independente e hoje constitui um dos pólos mais importantes no desenvolvimento do Concelho de Lagos.
Freguesia rural, com características urbanas e tendo no turismo a sua maior indústria, é composta pela Luz, sede da Freguesia, elevada à categoria de Vila em 18 de Abril de 2001, Espiche e Almádena e diversos lugares menores, sendo no entanto salientar os Montinhos da Luz e o Ferrel.

Designada por Praia da Luz e Nossa Senhora da Luz, devemos fixar o topónimo em Freguesia da Luz.
Se a segunda denominação tem relação directa com a hagiografia medieval, a primeira corrente toponímica deve-se integrar como estando associada (em parte) à grande afluência de banhistas iniciada em 1928, isto é, durante o primeiro quartel do séc. XX. Deste modo, o surto turístico endógeno (incluindo os próprios lacobrigenses) fez sentir desde as primeiras décadas do séc. XX na Freguesia da Luz. Eis o motivo, porque a localidade também seja denominada por Praia da Luz.
A sua origem está associada à forte presença de pescadores no litoral barlaventino, sobretudo quando o surto piscatório se fez após a montagem de arraiais de armações de pesca, nomeadamente nos séc. XV e XVI.
Será, sobretudo com a Fase Henriquina dos Descobrimentos Portugueses, que a Freguesia se desenvolveu em toda a sua plenitude.

Área: 22,783 km2
Habitantes: 3068 (em 2001)
Alojamentos: 3462 (em 2001)
Freguesia mediamente urbana

Location