Hanging Off a Cliff at the End of the World
Known as the “end of the world”, Cabo de São Vicente (Cape St. Vincent) on the southwest tip of Portugal offers visitors one of the most stunning sunsets Europe has to offer.
During my visit to Lagos with Discover Excursions, one of our activities was to venture out to the Cape, an hour or so drive from the city of Lagos, just as the sun was setting, but I’ll get to that later…
Let’s instead go back several hundred years…
As you can imagine, the southwesternmost point of Europe has some serious history.
It was sacred ground during the Neolithic times, the ancient Greeks referred to it as Ophiussa (Land of Serpents) and dedicated a temple to Hercules there. The Romans called it Promontorium Sacrum (Holy Promontory) and considered it to be an enchanted place where the sunset was larger than anywhere else on earth and when it set into the ocean, this marked the edge of the world.
Furthermore, for many years, the Strait of Gibraltar, also known as the “Pillars of Hercules”, was the point in which many sailors would not dare to venture past. The brave few that did, would find their limit at the rocky cliffs of the Cape of St. Vincent, otherwise known as “the end of the world”.
As a strategic maritime location, the Cape of St. Vincent was also the site of many naval battles, dating as far back at 1337. In the 1400s, the spice and silk routes from the Orient were in full force, but merchants and travelers faced many fees and risks long the way.
Following rumors of a wealthy Christian king in central Africa who had found a better, safer route, Portugal’s Prince Henry decided to search for a better route around Africa. The fear of going past “the end of the world” was a barrier to Henry’s plans and it was impossible to find sailors willing to test their luck.
Instead, Henry established a navigation and seamanship school to train sailors himself in what is modern day Sagres, to the east of Cape St. Vincent. This earned Henry the nickname “Henry the Navigator”. Famous explorers such as Magellan, da Gama and Columbus attended the school. It has been since destroyed by occupations of other powers as well as a devastating earthquake, but restoration efforts are underway.
On the point of the Cape of St. Vincent itself, there is only a lighthouse, but the real star of the area is, of course, the views.
Visiting just as the sun is setting ensures that you have a completely panoramic ocean view on nearly all sides.
Check out this sunset slideshow:
The wild winds and crashing waves only add to the magical experience. There isn’t much else to see there, but if you’re in the area, a visit the the Cape of St. Vincent is something that cannot be missed!
