Cape St. Vincent

The Cabo de São Vicente [ kabu dɯ sɐu visẽtɯ ] (Cape St. Vincent ) at Sagres in Portugal is shared with the neighboring Ponta de Sagres, the south-western tip of mainland Europe. The Algarve ends there in a rocky, up to 70 meters high cliff with a barren, treeless vegetation.

Myth

The Cape is a sacred place since Neolithic times, as standing stones ( stone circles ) show in the area. At the time of the Phoenicians, he was said to be dedicated to the deity Melkarth. The Greeks called the place Ophiussa ( land of snakes) and its inhabitants Oestrimni ( inhabitants of the far West ), by the Romans it was called promontory sacrum ( Holy Promontory ), where live a magical place at the end of the world, the gods and the sun sinks into the sea.

The Christians named the coastal tip of the St. Vincent of Saragossa, a patron saint of sailors. According to legend, the body of the martyr there should have been driven and secure in a boat in the year 304.

Shipping

On the Cabo de São Vicente is a lighthouse whose light cone 32 nautical miles (about 60 km ) reaches across the Atlantic and is considered the brightest lighthouse in Europe.

On one of the busiest seaways world keep ships to the Cape a large safety margin.

At Cabo de São Vicente at least four major naval battles and naval engagements took place over the centuries:

• The naval battle at Cape St. Vincent ( 1681) on September 30, 1681 between Spanish and kurbrandenburgischen squadrons,
• The Battle of Cape St. Vincent ( 1780) on January 16, 1780 between the British and Spanish fleet in the North American War of Independence,
• The Battle of Cape St. Vincent ( 1797) on February 14, 1797 between the British and Spanish fleet during the First Coalition War,
• The Battle of Cape St. Vincent ( 1833) on July 5, 1833 between the British and Portuguese fleets Miguelistenkrieg.

Tourism

The place is frequented by bus from large amounts of international tourists from the surrounding Algarve, move to the Cape via Sagres. The line of the largest bus company EVA travels from Lagos Portimão over there.

Trivia

On the access road to the Cape is the well-known through television snack bar with the words "last Bratwurst before America." Among other fresh original Thuringian bratwurst and Franconian sausages are offered.