Sagres, Portugal — The wind picked up after we left the trees behind. The narrow road stretched out over the misty, scrub-covered plateau toward the end of Europe.

At Sagres, the road stops at the walls of Henry the Navigator's fortress. Beyond, the land runs out and the old continent drops 150 feet into the roaring Atlantic.

Paul Ames / AP (ENLARGE)

Sunbathers stroll on a small beach near Lagos, Portugal.

Paul Ames / AP (ENLARGE)

The mist-shrouded lighthouse is seen at Cape St. Vincent on the southwestern tip of Portugal.

Paul Ames / AP (ENLARGE)

Sunbathers enjoy the sun on Praia do Camilo beach near Lagos in Portugal's southern Algarve region.

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Europe's southwestern tip is a place of stark beauty, prone to sudden fogs and blustery sea breezes. Jutting into the sea, the twin headlands of Sagres and Cape St. Vincent were places of mystery and awe to ancient Romans and early Christians.

For Prince Henry the Navigator, this finger of land pointing to uncharted waters was the obvious place to site the school for explorers that kicked off Europe's Age of Discoveries 500 years ago. History buffs can visit the cliff-top chapel where Henry once prayed, walk the walls of a fortress sacked by Sir Francis Drake or look out over waters where Horatio Nelson battled the Spanish fleet. Birdwatchers flock here to watch migrators on their way between Europe and Africa.

But most visitors come for the beaches.

The 60-mile coastline running along the far west of Portugal's Algarve region offers an amazing variety of beaches from the translucent shallows of the Ria de Alvor lagoon to the thunderous surf of west coast strands like Bordeira and Arrifana.

Europeans have been flocking to the Algarve since the 1970s, and mass tourism has turned much of the region's central strip into a jumble of towering hotels, pizzerias and Irish pubs. Thankfully, the gentle, warm-water eastern coast near the Spanish border and the more rugged west so far have escaped the worst excesses of over development and are attractive to Americans seeking to stretch their exchange-weak dollars.

The Ria de Alvor is a mild start to the Algarve's wild west. This blue lagoon is edged on the east by the town of Alvor, once a fishing village, now a tourist center that has some great restaurants along the waterfront where bream, bass and cuttlefish sizzle on vast quayside barbecues.

The open sea is a short walk over the dunes to Meia Praia, a 4-mile crescent of white sand curving toward the city of Lagos.

Lagos, the port where the Portuguese explorers set out for their first voyages down the coast of Africa, has something of a swashbuckling air with its river-mouth fortress and medieval walls holding a warren of narrow streets that fill in summer nights with a youthful, bar-hopping crowd who use the city as base camp for surfing trips.

There's also culture to be found in Lagos' art galleries or open air concerts. The church of Santo Antonio is lined with intricate wood carvings coated in gold leaf plundered from Brazil. On a grimmer note, a 15th-century building near the river is believed to be the site of Europe's first African slave market.

Running south from Lagos is the Costa d'Oiro (the golden coast), a string of sandy coves tucked among crumbling sandstone cliffs leading to saltwater caves and weird rock formations at the Ponta da Piedade headland, an ideal place for sunsets.

Farther west, the coast gets wilder. The beach at Martinhal just before Sagres rises to a mountainous sand dune, but is exposed to powerful southwesterlies that make it a favorite for windsurfers. For those willing to climb down the steps cut into the cliffs, Praia do Beliche is a wide triangle of pale sand sheltered from the wind.

North of Sagres, the coast has some of Europe's best surfing. The rugged landscape here seems a world away from the gentle waters and groves of almond and citrus of the central Algarve. The beaches are great for those hoping to ride the waves, or simply to get away from the crowds.

IF YOU GO

Getting there

Lagos is 55 miles from Faro airport along the Via do Infante highway. The capital Lisbon is 190 miles from Lagos by highway. The train journey from Faro airport to Lagos is slow but picturesque, and Portuguese railways have recently upgraded the rail link from Lisbon to the Algarve, which takes about four hours.

Where to stay

Accommodations in Lagos range from rented rooms to luxury hotels. Rates vary greatly from the winter to the high summer season.

• In Lagos, the MarinaClub is a cool "aparthotel" in the modern marina complex, studio for two $122-$263, www.marinaclub.pt.

• The Tivoli is a solid bet with its own beach club on Meia Praia. Doubles $98-$245, www.tivolihotels.com.

• The Casa da Moura is an old-town boutique hotel recalling the area's Moorish past. Rooms from $100, www.casadamoura.com.

• For a rural retreat near the wild west coast beaches, try the Monte Velho Nature Resort. From $146, www.wonderfulland.com/montevelho. Or the Muxima, from $110, www.muxima-montesferreiros.com.

Information

Portugal tourism agency, www.visitportugal.com