Pam and I took a day trip to the southwest tip of Portugal, Cape Sagres and Cabo St. Vincent (next blog). The Sagres Fort is located on a flat wind-swept point that extends into the Atlantic. In the days before Columbus this spot was known as the "end of the world" because the spot was closest to the edge of the Earth (flat in those days). Prince Henry the Navigator built a Navigator's School within the fortress to advance the thinking of Europe and sent sailors out to sea to explore and chart the unknown.
The Fortress is the more famous of the two capes with it's historic navigators school, old church, temporary art exhibits and spectacular views from within the walls.
The Fortress is the more famous of the two capes with it's historic navigators school, old church, temporary art exhibits and spectacular views from within the walls.
The other point you can see on the left is Cabo St. Vincent.
There are also daredevil fishermen that come and try their luck casting off of the huge cliffs into the Atlantic. We saw some fishermen in some pretty precarious locations on our walk around the point. During the summer, apparently windsurfers can also be seen from the cliffs.
