For centuries before the Age of Discovery, Cabo de São Vicente marked the known edge of the world for European sailors — the Romans called it Promontorium Sacrum, the Sacred Promontory, and believed the sun sank into the ocean here every night.
The cape sits just 12 minutes from Vila do Bispo by car, at the southwestern-most tip of continental Europe. A 16th-century lighthouse still operates on the site, one of the most powerful in Europe, and the surrounding cliffs drop nearly 75 metres straight into the Atlantic.
It's a genuinely spectacular place to watch the sunset — arrive at least 30 minutes before to find a spot along the cliff edge, and bring a light jacket, as the wind picks up sharply once the sun starts to drop.
The cape is also one of the best birdwatching points in Portugal during migration season (spring and autumn), when large numbers of raptors and seabirds pass along the coast. Combine a visit with nearby Sagres, a 5-minute drive further, for its fortress and the dramatic Ponta de Sagres headland.
