ituated towards the west in the Algarve, Lagos has its roots in the ancient Roman settlement of Lacóbriga. Prior to the Romans, the Phoenicians are thought to have had a settlement in the vicinity.. During the 7th Century AD, the Algarve, along with much of the Iberian peninsula, was conquered by the Moors from North Africa and the Middle East.  Their ranks contained Syrians, Persians and Jews, and their languages had influence seen today in many Algarve place names as well as many words in the Portuguese language. They expanded the fortifications of the town of Lagos. By the end of first half of the 12th Century, the re-established Kingdom of Portugal managed to re-conquer the Algarve . The regional military government was then transferred from Silves to Lagos. 

he city, along with Sagres at the south-west tip of Portugal, was subsequently a principal port of departure for the great voyages of discovery in the fifteenth century that broadened European interests to Africa, the Far East, and the New World, exploiting the leading edge in chartwork established by Prince Henry the Navigator, son of the Portuguese King and his English Queen.  Lagos became an important commercial and naval port. Lagos caravels brought back gold, ivory and slaves, which greatly contributed to the wealth of city and nation. The Slave Market building still stands in central Lagos. Famous captains from Lagos are commemorated in the names of some of the principal streets of Lagos. When Henry the Navigator died in 1460, his body was first buried in the old Church of Santa Maria. Subsequently, it was transferred to the Chapel of the Monastery of Batalha, north of Lisbon. In 1578, King, D. Sebastião, raised Lagos to the status of a city, and from its harbour left on a fatal expedition against the Moors in North Africa from which he never returned. Construction of the outer town walls was started in 1520 during the reign of King Manuel to afford increased protection from piracy and raiders. With its convenient location as a safe port, Lagos boomed during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. 

everal important naval engagements were fought in Lagos bay, including an occasion when the ships of Sir Francis Drake were reported to have fired infamously on vessels in the bay. Lagos remained the capital of Algarve until  the earthquake of 1755.  The following year, Faro was made the regional capital. Today, the town is peaceful and largely unspoilt by the excessive holiday development that threatens much of the Algarve to the east of Alvor. Its port facilities, with their narrow entrance, these days support a small fishing fleet and a new and very civilised marina of modest proportions.  The town itself retains the atmosphere of its heritage, and remains a pleasant place to stroll, with a good seasoning of historical sites.