Cabo da Roca
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Cabo da Roca (Cape Roca) is a
cape that forms the
westernmost point of
Portugal, and hence the
westernmost point of the
European mainland. It was known to the
Romans as 'Promontorium Magnum'.
It is located in Lisbon district, 40 kilometres west of Lisbon and 18 kilometres west of Sintra in the Serra de Sintra nature park. Its coordinates, {{coor|{}_{}_{}_{}_{}_{}_{}_1000000|{}{}′ {} {}{}′ {}}}, are inscribed on a stone plaque on the monument at the site. The cliff rises out of the Atlantic Ocean to approximately 140 metres above sea level. On top of it sit a lighthouse and a tourist desk. The cape is a popular tourist attraction.
The poet Lus de Cames defined Cabo da Roca as the place "where the land ends and the sea begins" (Portuguese: "Onde a terra acaba e o mar comea"). Compare Cape Finisterre (literally End of land) in Spain and Land's End in the United Kingdom.