Cabo da Roca

Coordinates: 38.780919°′N, 9.498361°′W

The lighthouse on Cabo da Roca

Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca) is a cape which forms the westernmost point of both mainland Europe and mainland Portugal. It is in the Portuguese municipality of Sintra, west of Lisbon district.

Location

It is located in Lisbon district, 40 kilometres west of the city of Lisbon and 18 kilometres west of the town of Sintra in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. Its coordinates, 38°47′N, 9°30′W, are inscribed on a stone plaque on the monument at the site. The cliff rises out of the Atlantic Ocean to approximately 140 metres above sea level.

History

It was known to the Romans as 'Promontorium Magnum' and during the Age of Sail as the Rock of Lisbon. The Portuguese poet Luís de Camões (16th century) defined Cabo da Roca as the place "where the land ends and the sea begins" (Portuguese: Onde a terra acaba e o mar começa).

Landmarks

The cape's lighthouse along with a tourist shop sit on top of a cliff. The cape is a popular tourist attraction. The site has a monument with the sign in Portuguese language: "Here...Where the land ends and the sea begins... (Camões) WESTERNMOST POINT OF THE EUROPEAN CONTINENT".

See also

• Cape Finisterre
• Finistère
• Cape Nordkinn
• Land's End

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Cabo da Roca

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