The powerful light from the Farol de Cabo da Roca lighthouse, built 165 meters (541 ft) above sea level, can be seen from up to 48 km (30 miles) out in the Atlantic. It was the first purpose-built lighthouse in Portugal when it opened in 1772 and is now fully automated after being rebuilt in 1842. The lighthouse stands at the highest point on the rugged Cabo da Roca promontory, renowned as the westernmost point in continental Europe.
Cabo da Roca, Lisbon region and district, Portugal: the 3,000 watt light of the Farol de Cabo da Roca or Cabo da Roca Lighthouse, built at an elevation of 165 meters (541 ft), can be seen from up to 48 km (30 miles) out at sea and is still a vital navigation aid for shipping passing up and down Portugal's Atlantic coast. The original structure on the site was the first purpose-built lighthouse in Portugal. It started operating in 1772, was rebuilt in 1842, and was automated in 1990. The walled complex stands some 25 meters (82 ft) above a stone monument surmounted by a plain white cross that records Cape Roca as the westernmost point of mainland Portugal and of continental Europe. An inscribed plaque also includes a line written in the 16th century by Luís Vaz de Camões (1524-1580), now regarded as both Portugal's greatest poet. It describes the rugged promontory about 42 km (26 miles) from Lisbon as: "Where the land ends and the sea begins" - an apt portrayal of near-vertical cliffs plunging into the sea and massive granite and limestone sea pillars separated from the headland by erosion. Cabo da Roca is now a popular tourist destination with its beauty officially protected and preserved as part of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park.
Size: 7360px × 4912px
Location: Cabo da Roca, Lisbon region and district, Portugal
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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