Hotels near Cabo de Sao Vicente and Sagres

Cabo de Sao Vicente is the south-westernmost point of mainland Europe and the rawest coastline in the Algarve travel guide circuit - 75-metre cliffs hit by Atlantic swells from three directions, an 1846 lighthouse with the second-strongest beam in Europe (60 km visible range), and an exposed plateau where the wind regularly tops 60 km/h. The cape, around 8 km west of Sagres town, is free to enter; the lighthouse interior is closed but the small museum at the base is open 10 am-6 pm daily for 1.50 EUR.

Sagres itself is a low-rise fishing village with the 15th-century Fortaleza de Sagres - the cliff-edge fortress where Prince Henry the Navigator is traditionally said to have founded his school of navigation. Entry is 3 EUR and the wind-rose stone circle inside is worth the visit alone. The surrounding Costa Vicentina coast is now a protected natural park and has the Algarve's best surf beaches - Praia do Tonel, Praia do Beliche, and Praia do Amado a short drive north.

Pro Tip: Drive out to the cape for sunset (the only spot in mainland Europe where the sun sets straight into the Atlantic), but bring a windproof jacket even in August - the temperature drops 5-8 degrees C at the cape edge regardless of the season.