Cabo da Roca Lighthouse

At the edge of Europe: the lighthouse at Cabo da Roca marks the westernmost point of the continent — dramatic cliffs above the Atlantic.

The lighthouse at Cabo da Roca stands at the westernmost point of the European mainland — where the continent plunges into the Atlantic from 140-metre cliffs. Luis de Camões, the great Portuguese poet, described this spot in the 16th century as "the end of the world". The first lighthouse was erected in 1758; the current structure dates in its essential parts from the 19th century and remains operational today. Around the lighthouse a dramatic panorama unfolds: white surf, bare rock and endless ocean. Cabo da Roca belongs to the parish of Colares in the Sintra municipality and lies within the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. A small visitor centre sells an official certificate confirming that you have stood at the westernmost point of Europe.