Cabo da Roca – way out west

Enjoy the panoramic view of the Serra de Sintra and the Atlantic Ocean from 140 meters altitude. The best time to go to Cabo da Roca is around sunset.

Monument at Cabo da Roca

A visit to the westernmost point of (mainland) Europe is easy to combine with a day trip to Sintra or Cascais. If you’re sporting a hat, take it off when visiting Cabo da Roca; it’s always windy there!

Monument at Cabo da Roca

At Cabo da Roca, which literally means rock cape, there are always lots of tourists, but fortunately somehow it doesn’t feel that way. There is a large parking lot, a restaurant / souvenir shop and a post office. At the post office you can buy a certificate and take it home as a souvenir.

Cabo da Roca and places of interest

The lighthouse from 1722, ‘Farol do Cabo da Roca’, was the first real Portuguese lighthouse. Before that time lighthouses were usually built onto or in existing buildings.

At the head of the cape there’s a stone monument with a cross on top. The inscription on the side is a well-known quote from the Portuguese poet Luís de Camões: “Onde a terra se acaba e o mar começa” (here the land ends and the sea begins).

Cabo da Roca sunset

Cabo da Roca sunset

If you want to eat or drink something before or after your visit to Cabo da Roca, we recommend going to Moinho Dom Quixote. This restaurant has several terraces where you can choose to have a drink, but they also serve lunch, dinner and snacks. The view there is beautiful so if you get a chance, visit this place!

Accessibility by car

Cabo da Roca is about 30 KM west of Lisbon and is easily accessible via the N247. The road to Cabo da Roca passes through the village of Azóia, which is the westernmost village of Europe’s mainland.

Access by bus

Bus 403 runs between Sintra and Cascais and stops at Cabo da Roca. So no matter where you get on this bus, it’ll bring you to Cabo da Roca.

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