Portugal for Travellers and Tourists » Mystical Places Archive » Portugal for Travellers and Tourists

Cape Girão in Madeira Island

theperfecttourist — Sun, 18 Jan 2015 09:00:27 +0000

Europe´s highest cape and 2nd in the world! Is an almost vertical 580 meters cliff , with turquoise sea all around and a single view of Funchal and Câmara dos Lobos. Faja dos Padres can be seen from here, a small rocky beach with clear cristal water that can be reached by sea.

A must see tourist attraction that is located west of Funchal.

Cape São Vicente- Sagres, Algarve

theperfecttourist — Tue, 21 Jan 2014 15:53:31 +0000

The history and myth of Sagres can be confused with the furthest point of the known world – Cabo Sao Vicente. Wrapped in a halo of mystery and mythical feelings imposed by its coast, wind and wild vegetation.

Since the Neolithic that Cabo Sao Vicente was used as a place of worship. Already in the 4th century BC, Greek writers reported religious ceremonies involving libations and the banning of human beings during the night as it was seen as a place frequented by gods.

Rise to the promontory, consult the gods, keeping promises, was mandatory for all sailors who ventured into the ocean which was inhabited by terrible monsters . It was here that Infante D. Henrique founded the school that contributed to the Discoveries. It was here that began the globalization of the world.

Sintra, Cabo da Roca

theperfecttourist — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 09:41:29 +0000

Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca) is a cape which forms the western most extent of mainland Portugal and continental Europe (and by definition the Eurasian land mass).

Elevation: 140 meters – 460 ft

Coordinates: 38°46′51″N 9°29′54″W

The cape is in the Portuguese municipality of Sintra, west of the district of Lisbon, forming the western most extent of the Serra de Sintra.

The cape is located within the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, 42 kilometres northwest of the urbanized area of Lisbon and 18 kilometres northwest of Sintra. Its location (38°47′N 9°30′W) is inscribed on a stone plaque, located on a monument at the site.

The western coast is a mixture of sand beaches and rocky cliff promontories: around Cabo da Roca, cliffs are more than 100 metres height, and cut into crystalline rocks, composed of strongly folded and faulted sedimentary units. These forms are disturbed by dikes and small beaches. This promontory of “high” beaches is the extreme western immersion of the ancient eruptive Sintra massif, as evident from the rose-coloured granite in the north and syenite of the Ribeira do Louriçal in the south. In the vicinity of the Cape, there are geomorphological examples of gabbro-diorite, volcanic breccia, and granite.

Part of the granite formations show evidence of strong coastal erosion, while in other areas there are limestone deposits embedded in the granite.

Much of the vegetation in this cape are low-lying and adapted to saltwater and windy conditions. Once home to a variety of plant life, Cabo da Roca has been overrun with the invasive plant species Carpobrotus edulis. This creeping, mat-forming plant, a member of the Aizoaceae succulent family, was introduced as ground cover by local residents several decades ago, but now covers much of the arable land on Cabo da Roca.

Many migratory and marine birds roost temporarily along the cliffs and protected coves of the coastal area.