Just five minutes past Cabo de São Vicente sits Sagres, a small fishing town that has become one of Europe's most respected surf destinations. The reason is geography: Sagres sits on a headland exposed to both the Atlantic swell from the west and more sheltered breaks to the south, so on almost any day of the year, somewhere nearby has rideable waves.
Beginners tend to head to Praia do Tonel or Praia da Mareta, both sheltered and close to town, with several surf schools offering lessons. More experienced surfers look for the reef breaks along the headland, where conditions can turn serious quickly.
Beyond the water, Sagres is anchored by its 15th-century fortress, built on the same wind-scoured promontory where, according to tradition, Henry the Navigator once gathered the cartographers, astronomers, and shipbuilders who prepared Portugal's Age of Discovery voyages. Whether or not the "School of Navigation" ever existed in the organized form later legend describes, walking the fortress walls at sunset, with the Atlantic on three sides, makes it easy to understand why this place felt like the edge of the known world.
Pair a morning surf lesson with an afternoon at the fortress, and finish with fresh grilled fish at one of the small restaurants overlooking the harbour — Sagres does simple very well.
