Sagres

This tiny fishing port is perched on dramatic, windswept cliffs at the south-western extremity of Portugal. Legend has it that Henry the Navigator established a nautical think-tank here, priming the explorers who later founded the vast Portuguese empire. Nearby are several pleasant beaches and the barren, throne-like Cabo de São Vicente, Europe's south-westernmost point. Sagres is around 30km (20mi) west of Lagos and frequent buses connect the two.