Ponta da Piedade

Coordinates (research)

• Used: OSM way 94834690 Farol de Ponta da Piedade (the lighthouse building, OSM address Estrada da Ponta da Piedade) 37.0806085, -8.6694165 [Nominatim, 2 Oct 2026] — chosen as the practical reference for the headland; the car park and the top of the stairway are not separately mapped here.
• OSM cape node 14023832377 (tip of the headland) 37.0791946, -8.6677837 (≈214 m SE of the lighthouse); pt-Wikipedia 37.0801444, -8.669194 (≈55 m from the lighthouse, ≈164 m from the cape node) [rev 26 Sep 2026]. Cape vs Wiki > 100 m → conflict slot below; all three points lie on the same headland.

What the sources say (research)

• Near the lighthouse, a long stairway (“longa escadaria”) leads down to the sea. [CM Lagos page, read 2 Oct 2026, text undated]
• At the foot of the stairs local boatmen take passengers to the grottoes and the sea-carved Miocene rock formations named “a balança”, “a cozinha”, “o gigante”, “o sapato”. [CM Lagos page]
• CM Lagos calls the lighthouse “quase centenário” (page undated, site copyright 2017); pt-Wikipedia dates its construction to 1912–1913, on the site of a demolished 16th-century chapel. [CM Lagos page; pt-Wikipedia, rev 26 Sep 2026]
• Cape surrounded by cliff-type rock formations up to about 20 m high. [pt-Wikipedia, rev 26 Sep 2026]
• Access by land: from the lighthouse, then on foot via stairs carved into the slopes. Access by sea: sailing or small fishing boats from the Marina de Lagos. [pt-Wikipedia, rev 26 Sep 2026]
• A military battery was installed in 1663, rebuilt in the second half of the 18th century and closed in 1821. [pt-Wikipedia, rev 26 Sep 2026]
• Requalification: a 2012 programme stalled for financial reasons; resumed in the second half of the 2010s in two phases. [pt-Wikipedia, rev 26 Sep 2026]
• Phase 1: the ~2 km stretch Canavial ↔ Ponta da Piedade — pine planting, defined paths, rest areas, viewpoints, information panels; the ground-level gravel/concrete paths between lighthouse and Canavial were contested by the opposition (erosion, no barrier to dangerous spots). [pt-Wikipedia, rev 26 Sep 2026]
• Phase 2 (component 2) started April 2023: 360-day contract, €2 404 895 + VAT, EU FEDER/CRESC Algarve 2020. [CM Lagos news, 12 Apr 2023]
• Road plan (April 2023): new profile with two lanes, adjacent cycle lane and footpath; the end of the Estrada da Ponta da Piedade restricted to lighthouse/service/emergency vehicles; existing parking pockets removed. [CM Lagos news, 12 Apr 2023]
• Parking plan (April 2023): two new car parks — 56 cars at the Praia do Camilo junction (new roundabout) and 150 cars + 10 coaches serving the Ponta da Piedade. [CM Lagos news, 12 Apr 2023]
• Boardwalk plan (April 2023): link between phase 1 and phase 2 around the lighthouse and extension to Praia do Pinhão with a wooden stairway down to that beach. [CM Lagos news, 12 Apr 2023]
• More than 1.8 million people counted on the boardwalks by the counter installed in phase 1 (as of April 2023); during the works coaches were to drop passengers at Praia D. Ana. [CM Lagos news, 12 Apr 2023]
• Council minutes 22/2023 extended the works deadline to 03/06/2024 (search-result snippet; PDF not read). This does not establish completion of the 2023 road and parking plans. [CM Lagos ata 22/2023]
• The municipality’s visitor page describes boardwalks from Canavial past the lighthouse and Praia D. Ana towards Praia do Pinhão. The current status of the parking and road arrangements announced in 2023 is not confirmed here. [CM Lagos: Rotas e Percursos, 14 Oct 2026]
• Dec 2019: paths Burgau–Lagos via Ponta da Piedade integrated into Rota Vicentina’s Fishermen’s Trail (226.5 km). [pt-Wikipedia]
• Year-round surveillance outside the bathing season by the municipal PPAL mobile team (3 lifeguards + vehicle) covering all bathing waters: 10:00–19:00 in the bathing season, 09:00–18:00 spring/autumn, 09:00–17:00 winter; tel. 927 389 316; programme started 4 Jul 2025 — continuation in 2026 not verified. [CM Lagos news, 4 Jul 2025]

Open questions