Tickets for the Pena National Palace are sold out, but there’s still another way to watch the solar eclipse in Sintra: the Cabo da Roca Lighthouse will open its grounds to the public on Wednesday, August 12, starting at 5 p.m., with the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop.
The westernmost point of Europe
The special ticket costs €5 and includes protective glasses for solar observation. According to Parques de Sintra, as the Moon moves across the Sun in the late afternoon, the light over the mountains, the coast, and the sea will change, creating new colors and shadows—a scene possible only at the westernmost point of continental Europe.
A historic eclipse, even without totality in Sintra
In Sintra, the phenomenon will be visible as a deep partial eclipse: beginning around 6:39 p.m., peaking at 7:36 p.m.—with about 95% of the Sun’s disk covered—and ending around 8:29 p.m. It is, nonetheless, a rare moment: This Wednesday, Portugal will witness its first total solar eclipse on national territory since 1912, although totality will only be visible in a small area of Bragança for about 26 seconds. In the rest of the country, the Sun will be obscured between 92% and 99%. The next total eclipse is not expected until 2144.
How to observe safely
Since this is a partial eclipse, Parques de Sintra recommends wearing protective glasses throughout the entire observation of the phenomenon, warning that ordinary sunglasses or makeshift filters do not provide adequate protection for the eyes. The organization also notes that visibility of the eclipse from Cabo da Roca will depend on the weather conditions on that day.
Useful Information
Address: Cabo da RocaLighthouse , Colares, Sintra
Times: Wednesday , August 12, starting at 5 p.m.
Tickets: €5 , with protective glasses included, available on the website
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