Cape St Vincent Portugal

Cape St. Vincent, also called Cabo Sao Vicente is located in the southwest corner of Europe. There, you will discover towering cliffs that look out over the Atlantic Ocean. The fascinating thing about Cape St. Vincent is that although absolutely, gorgeous, it is also a controversial spot. For example, as you sit and watch the sunset, many people claim that the sun going down over the horizon there is much larger than at any other horizon.

The cliff top road is near Sagres where you will discover a lighthouse and a 16th century Franciscan convent that was built in 1846. The convent operated without any electricity until 1906. Today, you can walk around the beautiful grounds and when the tower is open, climb up inside. Even today, the lighthouse lamps aim a tall beam out on the sea, which can be seen for miles. In fact, all the shipping through and from the Mediterranean going up to Europe’s west coast, along with the majority of North American eastern seaboard takes this route.

At the point of Cape St. Vincent, many battles raged with the famous Sir Francis Drake having been active there as he returned from the Caribbean carrying his many treasures. At that time, the country of Portugal was under Spanish rule. Then in 1693, the French fleet defeated the British fleet at Cape St. Vincent followed by the Spanish being defeated by the British in 1790.

However, the Battle of Cape St. Vincent occurred on February 14, 1797, which was a major battle between the British and French fleets while being commanded by Sir John Jervis. While the battle was raging, the commander of the Captain ship, which was located near the end of the line, disobeyed orders by blocking the passage for the Spanish fleet to escape. However, Jervis approved of the action and the young commander’s decision, saying he was brave and had made a good judgment. With this, the commander was promoted to rear admiral and made a Knight of the Bath. The name, Horatio Nelson, was someone who passed through Cape St. Vincent a number of times while in the navy.

When Nelson first saw the area, he thought it was rugged and rather bleak but as he approached and got a closer look, he found this to be an area rich in flora with a magnificent view. One of the things he discovered was an abundance of plant life, some called Cape St. Vincent that actually grow on the cliffs in the small cracks and crevices. If you visit Cape St. Vincent during the spring and fall months, you will have the added treat of watching migration of many species of birds.

This area is simply beautiful. Sitting up on the cliff watching the sun set down over the sea is truly a memorable occasion. Today, the legend of the Cape is that the Spanish priest whose name it came from, Thmartyred, was buried there with a temple being constructed that is watched over by ravens. Then when Afonso Henriques reigned from 1139 to 1185, Vincent’s remains were exhumed and shipped back to Lisbon so they would not be damaged. Keeping vigil throughout the voyage, the raven flew overhead. Because of this, the raven is still an insignia in the city of Lisbon but also at the local seat of Cape St. Vincent.


Last Updated: 10/19/2006 3:14:00 PM

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