Cabo da Roca Lighthouse opens to the public with new experiences between the Sintra Hills and the Atlantic

From today, Cabo da Roca has new stories to tell and new ways to be discovered. The Cabo da Roca Lighthouse Interpretation Centre opened to the public on Thursday, 23-JUL-2026, offering visitors the opportunity to explore one of Portugal’s oldest lighthouses and admire, from an entirely new perspective, the landscape where the Sintra Hills meet the Atlantic.

Inaugurated in 1772, Cabo da Roca Lighthouse is the second-oldest lighthouse still operating on the Portuguese coast. For more than 250 years, its light has guided those sailing offshore. This heritage site is now also opening its doors to those arriving by land, with two new visitor experiences.

Two Ways to Discover Cabo da Roca Lighthouse

The Essential Visit, which is self-guided, offers access to the new Interpretation Centre and an opportunity to discover the history of Cabo da Roca Lighthouse, the evolution of marine aids to navigation and the importance of lighthouses to navigational safety.

The route also includes access to the courtyard, a privileged location from which to admire the vast Atlantic Ocean and the landscape of the Sintra Hills. The experience can be complemented with a visit to the new temporary exhibition area, shop and café.

Tickets for the Essential Visit cost € 5.

For those wishing to go further, and higher, the Panoramic Visit also includes an accompanied ascent to the lighthouse’s panoramic balcony. From this elevated vantage point, visitors can enjoy a unique perspective over the cliffs, the coastline, the Sintra Hills and the vast Atlantic Ocean, at the westernmost point of mainland Europe.

Tickets for the Panoramic Visit cost € 10 for adults, € 7.50 for visitors aged 65 and over and € 5 for young people aged between 6 and 17.

A New Perspective on Cabo da Roca

Rather than simply adding a new attraction to one of Portugal’s most visited locations, this project seeks to transform how Cabo da Roca is understood and experienced.

The new Interpretation Centre helps visitors understand that this is not merely a viewpoint overlooking the Atlantic, but a place where maritime heritage, landscape, History and nature come together. It is also one of the principal gateways to the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park and a point of connection between terrestrial and marine ecosystems.

The opening of the new facilities improves visitor reception conditions, helps manage visitor presence and raises awareness of the natural and cultural values of this area, fostering a more informed and responsible relationship with the landscape.

A Cooperation Project

The restoration of the building complex, the creation of the Interpretation Centre and the installation of the new visitor facilities are the result of cooperation between Parques de Sintra and the Directorate-General of the Maritime Authority – Directorate of Lighthouses, under a Joint Management Protocol.

The project represented an investment of more than € 1.6 million by Parques de Sintra, reconciling organised public access with the preservation of the lighthouse’s operational mission. The lighthouse continues to perform its function as an aid to navigation and to support navigational safety.

From today, Cabo da Roca Lighthouse will continue to guide those sailing across the Atlantic, while also leading its visitors through the History, landscape and nature of this unique territory.