Lagos is not only known for its historic town paths, and old building; it is also known for the lush beaches that stretch on the shore of its tiny peninsula at the southern tip of Portugal. I knew about them before I can out here, but I didn’t know what type of beach to expect. I was thinking that I would have to walk over a small knoll and see it spread out before me, but the beach in Lagos are much more dramatic than that. There are a bunch of different ones dotted along the shore, and you have to hike along a cliff until you find the right one for you.
They weren’t as crowded as I thought they might be either, probably because there are enough of them out there, and everyone wants to find there own little spot on the sand, so if one beach looks too crowded, they will just move on to the next one. I only ventured past two beaches before I found the one that I liked best, Dona Ana Beach. It was the perfect beach day too. The sun was shining in the clear blue sky. The sand was not too hot because a cool breeze blew in from off the Atlantic, and if things got too warm, I could just hop into the cool water. And yes, the water was cool, but once I got my under, I was okay with it. The best part were all of the rocky structure that nature had provided to look at. It made the beach unique and even though it reminded me of beaches in Australia, they were unique enough that I knew I was some place different.
The part that caught my interest the most though, was a small cliff off to the west side of the beach. There was always a group of swimmers congregating over there, and working their way over the outcropping. I wondered what could be so exciting over there, that I needed to investigate further. When I looked over the little cliff, I found a new small sandy beach that was carved into the cliffs through a cave that the ocean had slowly made. I knew I was on to something great because even though I saw many people climb over this tiny cliff to get here, none of them could be seen. There had to be more beyond that cave, so I had to investigate.
It was worth the little adventure, because I found a secluded beach with even more impressive rock structures. The people that made their way over here would take a picture or two and then head back to the more populated part of the coast, so the beach was not populated much at all, only visited from time to time. I became one of these few that hung here for a bit before going back because I had been on the beach for a long while before investigating this tiny spot, but I wish I had taken the time to go a little further because that would have been the relaxing spot that I was looking for. It just shows me that sometime we feel like we have found the perfect spot on the beach, and settle for it, but if we had just pushed ourselves a little further, the perfect spot is just over the ridge, and through the cave. We should be willing to look for that perfect spot a little more.
I really shouldn’t complain though because the place I found have plenty of interesting things to see, and I enjoyed my time in the sun. I don’t think there is ever a time when you can’t enjoy the beach, and that is the main thing to do while out in Lagos. It just means that there are more beaches to explore, and I need to go over the ridge tomorrow to find a new one to enjoy.
John Collings 