Standing at the southwestern tip of Europe, where the land simply ends and the Atlantic stretches into infinity.
Cabo São Vicente has been sacred ground since before the Romans. Prince Henry the Navigator reportedly watched his ships depart from these cliffs, heading into waters no European had charted. Today the lighthouse stands where his fortress once did, its beam visible 60 nautical miles out to sea.
The wind here is relentless. It carves the cliffs into jagged formations and bends the few scrubby bushes sideways. Vendors sell grilled sardines from the back of vans. Surfers dot the waters far below, tiny specks against the deep blue.
Come at sunset. The cliffs glow orange, the lighthouse begins its rotation, and for a few minutes you understand why the ancients thought this was where the world ended.
Getting there: 6 km west of Sagres. Free parking. Bring a windbreaker — always.