Fort da Ponta da Bandeira

Fort da Ponta da Bandeira lies in the city of Lagos in the Algarve province in Portugal. It is locally known as Forte da Ponta da Bandeira.

In the end of the 17th century the Algarvian coast suffered from attacks of Moorish and European pirates. Also the town of Lagos was targeted. The medieval city walls however, lay some distance from the beach, which left the beach unprotected. So under the rule of the Count of Sarzedos, Governor of the Algarve, Fort da Ponta da Bandeira was built on the beach next to the harbor. The building of this fort started somewhere between 1679 and 1683. It was completed in 1690.

It is a square fort with circular guard towers at its four corners. In front of the castle is a small moat with a reconstructed drawbridge. Inside there is a small courtyard which leads to an 18th century chapel, covered with azulejos (Portuguese tiles), and a small museum. A ramp leads up to the cannon platform on top of the fort from which also the guard towers could be entered.

The courtyard and cannon platform of the fort are freely accessible during the daytime. This is a very stylish military building. Lagos itself is a fairly busy, touristic town. The city gate pictured in the gallery below lies directly across from the fort.

Gallery