Capo da Roca

Cabo da Roca is the westernmost point of mainland Europe, a bare headland of granite high above the Atlantic where the land ends and the ocean begins. Its lighthouse, the westernmost in Europe, has guided sailors since the eighteenth century, and the cape has been a place of arrival, departure and wonder for centuries.

The cape

The cape rises some 140 metres above the sea, at the edge of the Serra de Sintra, within the Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais. Winds and salt shape the vegetation of the headland, and on clear days the view stretches along the coast to Cascais and the beaches of the west. The poet Luís de Camões placed here the point where “the land ends and the sea begins”, and the words are carved on the monument by the lighthouse.

What to see

• The lighthouse of Cabo da Roca, the westernmost in Europe.
• The cliffs and the platforms over the Atlantic.
• The coastline views towards Cascais and the Serra de Sintra.
• The stone monument with the famous words of Camoes.

Visiting

The cape lies at the end of the N247 road, around 40 minutes by car from Sintra and 30 from Cascais. There is no public transport to the cape itself, and the headland is exposed to wind and weather: visit in good conditions and keep to the paths and viewpoints. Facilities are limited, so plan the visit with the official information of the municipality.

Nearby

The historic town of Sintra, with its palaces, is a short drive inland, and the Parque Natural de Sintra-Cascais embraces the cape and the coast around it.

Information: cm-sintra.pt.

Image credit: Cabo da Roca and its coastal cliffs, by LensaCibi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.