Striking holiday gold in the Algarve

No. Didn’t think so. Lagos is such a small city it has a population of only 18,000 most of whom don’t even live in the town itself. It's pretty tourist orientated but that doesn’t really matter; it’s so quaint and charming you can’t help but forgive it.

Located a stone’s throw away from the southwesternmost point in Europe Lagos is steeped in history, and you can really tell by the way it looks. Carthaginian style architecture lurks round every corner. By day sunshine stalks the streets and by night the cool breath of wind blowing up from the north African coast soothes even the sweatiest of professional perspirers.

Walking round Lagos really is a pleasure and it's so small you can get round it in the same time it takes to play a round of golf. That may not sound too enthralling but minimal movement becomes paramount in that kind of heat.

If however you have a penchant for historical knowledge then this place really is interesting. It used to be used as a launching pad for the aptly named Henry the Navigator to do some of his African exploration. From here he would direct expeditions to Morrocco and the north African coast. Go and see the Boa Esperancas (one of the boat’s used in 15th century exploration) to get an idea of the maritime history. Then go checkout the Polychrome statue of St Anthony in the church of St Anthony of Lisbon, one of the few buildings to survive the ‘Great Earthquake’ of 1755.

Food wise, follow the tour pamphlet mostly but if you want a real treat then head to a restaurant called A Floresta. Without a doubt the best beef stroganoff I’ve ever eaten, cooked to perfection and the fish ain’t bad either. Lagos, small but highly addictive.