Sea pillars and stacks of stratified rock, sculpted into curious shapes by waves and wind, are scattered along the rugged Cabo Carvoeiro coastline at Peniche in Leiria District, central Portugal. Much of the sedimentary rock was laid down in the Early Jurassic epoch, up to 200 million years ago.
Cabo Carvoeiro, Peniche, Leiria District, Portugal: layers of sedimentary rock deposited in the Early Jurassic epoch up to 200 million years ago are laid bare in the stack rocks or sea pillars scattered along this wild and rugged Atlantic coastline in central Portugal. Cabo Carvoeiro (Cape Coal Carrier in Portuguese), the westernmost point of the Peniche Peninsula, is renowned for its jagged beauty, with rock formations such as this stratified stack rock moulded into curious shapes by waves and wind. The best known is Nau dos Corvos (Carrack of Crows), a vast boulder resembling a giant shipwrecked vessel. Rocks just below the surface of the turbulent sea have always presented serious ricks to shipping and many lives have been lost in shipwrecks along the coast over the centuries. In 1758, an impressive lighthouse, the Farol do Cabo Carvoeiro, was built at the tip of the promontory, above the Nau dos Corvos, to help prevent further loss of life. The lighthouse was rebuilt in 1886 and it now has a quadrangular tower standing 57m (187 ft) above sea level and soaring 27m (88 ft) above the ground. Cabo Carvoeiro and the Berlenga Islands about 10km ( miles) off the coast are havens for diverse sea and bird life and are protected as terrestrial and maritime nature reserves.
Size: 4912px × 7360px
Location: Cabo Carvoeiro, Peniche, Leiria District, Centro Region, Portugal.
Photo credit: © Terence Kerr / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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