Visitors to Cabo da Roca now have one more reason to linger there. Since July 23, the Cabo da Roca Lighthouse in Sintra has been open to the public, featuring a new Interpretive Center and the opportunity to climb up to the tower’s panoramic balcony.
Behind the renovation is a partnership between Parques de Sintra and the General Directorate of the Maritime Authority—Lighthouse Directorate, which, according to Parques de Sintra, cost more than 1.6 million euros. And the lighthouse hasn’t stopped: the light remains on and continues to fulfill its role of guiding ships.
Two ways to visit the lighthouse
A must-see
Built on its own, it provides access to the Interpretive Center—dedicated to the history of the lighthouse and the role these towers of light have played (and continue to play) for those at sea—as well as to the courtyard facing the ocean and the Sintra Mountains, the temporary exhibition area, the gift shop, and the café. According to Parques de Sintra, admission is 5 euros (adults, seniors, or youth ages 6–17) and 15 euros for a family of two adults and two youth.
Panoramic Tour
It’s the same tour, but with a bonus: the climb up to the lighthouse’s observation deck, always accompanied by a member of the Parques de Sintra team. Up there, the view opens up over the rugged coastline and, with your back to the ocean, over the Sintra Mountains. Adult tickets cost 10 euros, senior tickets 7.50 euros, youth tickets 5 euros, and family tickets 20 euros. Children under 6 get free admission to both tours.
Where the land ends and the sea begins
The lighthouse’s history begins with a charter issued by the Marquis of Pombal on February 1, 1758, which called for six lighthouses along the Portuguese coast. This one first lit its lamp in 1772 and, according to Parques de Sintra, is today one of the oldest still in operation along the country’s coastline. Standing 22 meters tall, the white tower with red balustrades rises above cliffs that are about 140 meters above sea level.
Right next to it, the monument with the cross recalls the verse by Camões that describes this place in *Os Lusíadas*: “Where the land ends and the sea begins.” Access to the cape itself remains free; and at the tourist office, you can purchase a certificate confirming your visit to the westernmost point of continental Europe —according to the Visit Sintra website, it costs 11 euros.
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