Nova Terraces is a small, new-build development in the centre of Lagos, walking distance to the marina, the historic centre and the beaches. It is built as one block of three apartments, each on its own floor, so you choose your home by how high up you want to live and how much space you need. The look is contemporary, the materials are built to last, and the design leans into Lagos itself rather than fighting it. One block, three homes, three quite different lives on offer inside it.

The Ground Floor: Navigator's Haven, from 730,000 euros. The ground-floor apartment is the entry point into Nova Terraces, and it earns its place on more than price. Two bedrooms open onto a private terrace with your own pool, a green, walled retreat that stays yours alone in the middle of a busy town. It is the easy-living option: step straight out from the living space to the water, no lift, no stairs, ideal for anyone who wants the pool a few bare-foot steps from the kitchen. Around 100 m2 in total, with the terrace and pool built in.

The First Floor: Mariner's Quarters, 780,000 euros. Lift yourself up one level and the view changes. The first-floor apartment trades the ground-floor pool for height and light: an open-plan living room and kitchen that run together into one generous entertaining space, a balcony, and elevated views out over the rooftops of Lagos towards the marina and the water beyond. Also two bedrooms, slightly larger overall at around 110 m2. This is the one for people who live by their windows, who want the morning light and the sense of being above the town rather than in it.

The Penthouse: Voyager's View, price on request. At the top is the penthouse, and it is a different proposition entirely. Three bedrooms set across a duplex layout of roughly 215 m2, with the bedrooms on the lower level and the whole upper floor given over to living: an open lounge and dining room, a full kitchen, and the part that sells itself, an expansive private terrace with a jacuzzi and the widest views in the building, sweeping across Lagos and down to the marina. There is also a dedicated space upstairs that works as a home office or a quiet room away from the rest of the house. If the ground floor is about ease and the first floor is about light, the penthouse is about the view and the entertaining. It is offered at price on request.

Whichever floor you choose, the location does a lot of the work. Lagos is one of the few Western Algarve towns that stays properly lived-in through the winter, not just busy for eight weeks of summer. The historic centre, with its cobbled streets and old city walls, is on the doorstep. Dona Ana and the cliffs of Porto de Mos are a short drive or a long walk south. Meia Praia, the long sweep of sand east of town, is close enough for a morning swim. The marina, the restaurants and the cafes are all reachable on foot, and Faro airport is around an hour away for the flights home.

Happy to walk you through the floor plans and the differences between the three apartments, or to talk through central Lagos first if you are still deciding whether town living or the coast is the right fit for you.