Sagres and Cape St Vincent

The South Western Tip Of Mainland Europe: The Sagres Fortress And The Cape St Vincent Lighthouse On 60 75 M Cliffs, In The Southwest Alentejo And Vicentine Coast Natural Park · Sagres, Faro

Sagres and Cape St Vincent form the south-western corner of mainland Europe, where the Algarve's south coast turns north into the open Atlantic. Two bare headlands of sheer cliff, some 60-75 m high, stand about 6 km apart: the Ponta de Sagres, walled off by a fortress, and the Cabo de Sao Vicente, crowned by one of Europe's most powerful lighthouses, as it is often said. The Romans called this the Sacred Promontory, and Henry the Navigator is linked with Sagres in the story of the Discoveries - though his famous 'School of Navigation' probably never existed as a building. People come for the edge-of-the-world feeling, the sunset at the cape, the surf beaches of Tonel, Beliche, Mareta and Martinhal, the birds in autumn and a quieter, windier, more rugged Algarve than the resort strip to the east. The honest caveat: it is windy almost every day, often cold at dusk even in summer, the cliffs have no railings, and at sunset in summer the cape's small car park turns into a traffic jam of hundreds of cars and camper vans.

Fortaleza de Sagres on the Ponta de Sagres headland, Vila do Bispo; the Cape St Vincent lighthouse stands about 6 km north-west, Sagres, Faro, Portugal

The headlands, beaches and cliff paths are open all year and free. The Sagres fortress keeps daytime hours, longer in summer (roughly from mid-morning to early evening), and closes on some public holidays - confirm. The Cape St Vincent lighthouse is a working light: the grounds and a small museum open in the daytime on some days only - confirm. Sagres is about 30-40 minutes by car from Lagos and 1.5 hours from Faro airport; regional buses run from Lagos (confirm times), and there is no train. Nothing needs booking except surf lessons, boat trips and August rooms.

Sagres and Cape St Vincent on Spottos · Explore more places on Spottos