Photos: Alexis Lours, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Alexander Novikov, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Basile Morin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo credits
Photos: Alexis Lours, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 Alexander Novikov, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Basile Morin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lagos old town and the Age of Discovery
Your local guide
Sofia Martins
View profile
Highlights
- Praça do Infante and the old slave market building
- A plain account of Lagos in the Atlantic slave trade
- Gilded woodwork inside the Church of Santo António
- The sixteenth-century walls and Ponta da Bandeira fort
- The harbour the caravels sailed from
About this tour
This session walks Lagos's old town through the Age of Discovery, from Praça do Infante and the building tied to one of Europe's earliest slave markets to the Church of Santo António, the town walls and the harbour the caravels sailed from. The guide gives a plain, direct account of both the exploration and the slave trade that ran alongside it. It does not separate the two stories from each other.
The call opens with a sound check, then follows the four stops through the old town at a steady pace, with time for questions about a difficult period of history. A short list of names and dates follows once the call ends.
This suits anyone who wants Portugal's Age of Discovery explained honestly, including its costs, whether visiting Lagos or not. It also suits anyone studying this period of history.
Included
- Live video walk with a local guide
- Questions to your guide all the way
- A short list of places to visit later
Not included
- Internet connection
- Travel to the city
Itinerary
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Welcome and sound check 10 min
The guide joins the video call, checks the picture and sound with you, and gives you a quick sense of Lagos before heading out.
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Praça do Infante 21 min
The camera stops in Praça do Infante, in front of the building that once housed one of Europe's earliest slave markets, and the guide gives a plain, direct account of what happened here.
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Church of Santo António 21 min
Outside the small baroque Church of Santo António, the guide describes an interior covered almost entirely in gilded woodwork, since the closest look at the carving itself comes from stepping just inside the door.
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Town walls and Ponta da Bandeira 21 min
Along the sixteenth-century town walls, the guide walks to the small fort of Ponta da Bandeira at the harbour mouth, explaining how Lagos defended the bay that early voyages sailed out from.
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The marina and Gil Eanes 21 min
From the marina, the guide points out the waters where Gil Eanes and other captains once set out in caravels during the Age of Discovery, and explains what those voyages actually achieved and cost.
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Your questions 18 min
Time to ask anything about Lagos: prices, safety, food, or whatever you are curious about.
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A short list to keep 8 min
Before you go, the guide sums up with a few things worth remembering: a dish to try: Grilled sardines and Old Town, worth a slower look.
Good to know
- A stable wifi or mobile connection makes the picture smoother than a shaky one.
- Any phone, tablet or laptop with a camera works. You watch, the guide does the walking.
- Times are shown in Lisbon time, so check the time where you are before you book.
- The session is not recorded, and recording it yourself is not allowed. Feel free to take your own notes.
- Ask questions any time, out loud or in the chat. The guide will pause to answer.
- Sessions run in small groups, up to 12 people, so there is room for everyone to ask something.
Questions about this tour
What will the session cover?
The guide walks through Lagos, showing you Lagos Old Town walls and Ponta da Piedade live on camera, plus whatever else you would like to see.
What happens if my connection drops?
Rejoin with the same link within a few minutes and the guide will catch you up on anything you missed.
Can I ask the guide questions during the session, or is it a fixed script?
Anything, any time. Sessions leave room for your own questions throughout, not just at the end.
Do I need to know the history already?
No background needed. The guide explains everything as it comes up.
How it works
- You get one join link after booking.
- Join from any device: phone, tablet or laptop.
- We meet on Google Meet; the link comes with your booking. I walk Lagos live with my phone and you ask anything as we go.
Times shown in Lisbon time (WET)
Cancellation
Flexible
- Cancel up to 24 hours before the start: full refund.
- Cancel less than 24 hours before the start, or no-show: no refund.
- If the guide cancels or the date does not reach its minimum group: full refund.
- Cancel in My Account → Bookings; the refund is calculated from the start time in the tour's local time.
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Next: Wed 28 Oct · 12 seats left From 19,00 €
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