The fort in Sagres was built in the 15th century to protect Sagres and the Algarve coast in general against Moorish pirates. The fort, which is strategically located on a cape, surrounded by approximately 30-40m high, vertical cliffs, feels impregnable from the water and one broadside after the other would be burned down by incoming hostile ships before they could land at Praia da Mareta. In addition to being a purely defensive structure, it also served as a navigation school and if it was from Lagos that many of the conquistadors started, it was here that they were trained and taught how to conquer the world. A dark time in the history of perhaps especially South America, but it still feels much better to visit a former navigation school than the old slave market that is now a tourist magnet in Lagos.
The surroundings of the fort are still impressive today, but nowadays it is not soldiers hanging along the cliff side, no, today it is Portuguese fishermen who, without any protective equipment whatsoever, balance on the cliff edge with their fishing rods. One fish after another is pulled up and I cannot help but be impressed by their fishing luck but also their courage, a fall down here would first mean a free fall of about 30-40m into the cold Atlantic waters and then being tumbled around by waves that have built up all the way from South America, doubtful if you would survive that but what do you do for fresh fish.
