Henry the Navigator Statue, Lagos

Henry the Navigator Statue, Lagos

Starting with the nickname "The Navigator", much of the story of Infante Dom Henrique was myth and legend. Henry did have a strong interest on cosmography and he supported and launched maritime explorations of Africa but he stayed in Portugal.

Henrique is still in Portugal. He is celebrated with statues in several places in Portugal and in other countries. In Lagos, he sits in the main square of the town. He shares the square with the Old Slave Market (there is no new one) and with the Church of Santa Maria. The pedestal is inscribed "Infante D. Enrique", not "Navigator."

The statue was made by Leopoldo de Alemeida, a famous national artist, in 1960. Henrique is sitting. He stares rather vacantly into space. Perhaps, like Antonio in "The Merchant of Venice", he is worried about his rich argosies, dodging pirates on the high seas and crashing on a lee shore. Or perhaps he's planning his next venture abroad.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Lagos. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Henry the Navigator Statue on Map

Sight Name: Henry the Navigator Statue
Sight Location: Lagos, Portugal (See walking tours in Lagos)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Lagos, Portugal

Create Your Own Walk in Lagos

Create Your Own Walk in Lagos

Creating your own self-guided walk in Lagos is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Lagos Coastline Walk

Lagos Coastline Walk

Characterful and charming as it is, the historic city of Lagos on the Algarve coast of Southern Portugal has not succumbed to mass tourism, fortunately, retaining much of its distinctive centuries-old heritage. Lagos’s extensive history is reflected in the varied attractions found throughout the city, such as the ancient Moorish city walls, 17th-century Forte da Ponta da Bandeira and cobbled...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 3.6 Km or 2.2 Miles
Lagos Introduction Walking Tour

Lagos Introduction Walking Tour

Lagos, from captive to captivating.

The story of Lagos is over 2,000 years old. It was a Celtic settlement before the Punic Wars of Rome and Carthage. During the Second Punic War the people of Lagos sided with Hannibal and the Carthaginians. That didn't work out so well. The Romans came, then the Visigoths from Toledo, followed by the Byzantines. In the 8th century the Moors arrived.

...  view more

Tour Duration: 2 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.6 Km or 1.6 Miles