The end of Europe: Cabo da Roca …and, as a bonus, Cascais

We explore the westernmost point of continental Europe, or Cabo da Roca in Portugal, and additionally show you the small tourist town of Cascais.

We explored Lisbon and the surrounding area using public transportation, both around the capital itself and going to nearby towns and cities. Our experience so far has varied widely, from the incredible squeeze on the famous Tram 28 and the streetcar to Belém, to the comfortable train ride to Sintra. Fortunately, like Sintra, Cascais can be reached by train (2.15 eur per person one way).

Getting to Cabo da Roca

We immediately took a bus from Cascais to Cabo da Roca, although it took us a while to find the bus stop. We expected the train station and the bus stop to be right next to each other…. The fact that distances are not far away, but you have to figure out where it is, because unfortunately the signs are missing.

Once you find one, it doesn’t get much better, because you have to walk around every stop and see what buses leave from there – there are no information maps. On the other hand, we are in a small town, so don’t expect a terminal like Victoria Station in London :)

This is the beginning of many bus routes, so you can easily find a seat, and you can buy a ticket from the driver at the entrance to the bus (it’s good to have an equal amount sewn up). Although the road to the cape is not long, it took us an unusually long time, because we hit a car accident, so the road was partially blocked by fire trucks. In total, we drove for about an hour, and the destination stop is right next to the lighthouse on Cabo da Roca.

Cape Cabo da Roca

Cabo da Roca is a particularly symbolic cape, as it represents the tip of Europe.

Of course, only the continental one (that is, excluding islands). In addition to this aspect, noteworthy is the fact that it is a very high cliff (144 meters) and, unfortunately, it is dangerous here (there was a famous accident of a Polish couple who lost their lives here).

In addition, it’s very windy here, so it’s a good idea to take some kind of sweatshirt or jacket with you. Comfortable shoes will also come in handy. The place is fenced with railings, but there are also paths leading down – we, however, preferred not to risk it, even more so in a two-pack, when the sense of balance can fail :)

After Cabo da Roca, we returned to Cascais to see the much-recommended seaside town that grew out of a small fishing village. We returned the same way, that is, by bus – this time, fortunately, there were no difficulties along the way.

Cascais

In fact, Cascais is a typical tourist destination that is frequented not only by foreign tourists, but also (or maybe even primarily) by Portuguese – they mainly have their summer residences here.

It is not a place where a multitude of sights await us. To be honest, after Sintra our appetites grew a lot, and Cascais is nothing to compare. Here we have beaches, boardwalks with numerous stores and souvenir stands, a marina with grazing yachts….

Of the places to visit, the most noteworthy are the citadel and several smaller museums. The citadel was used by the royal family for vacations, and is now a luxury hotel.

We took a long walk around the city with a break for an Indian-style lunch (we needed a little break from Portuguese food ;) ).

Compared to previous days, this one was really loose. We had time to stop for a long while at Cabo da Roca and just look at the horizon, and in Cascais we walked from one beach to another. No rush, no stress. Such a day was perfect because of the “heady” days in Sintra and Lisbon ;)

It is worth going to Cabo da Roca. You can possibly combine a visit there with Sintra, but we already recommend a car more then. Sintra is too interesting to waste time transferring and traveling by suburban transport :)

Zobacz galerię zdjęć z Cabo da Roca i Cascais >>>