Portugal ... In Words and Pictures ... Part III

Fact: The name Portugal first appears in 868, during the Reconquista

over the Muslims. A country was formed around the city of Porto,

from which "Portugal" is derived

To finish off our trip, we decided to head off to Sagres (pronounced Sagresh), a village close to the most South Westerly point of Europe.

It doesn't make for an interesting place to visit if the Globetrotter book (author, Jane O'Callahan) is anything to go by ...

"The windswept Sagres peninsula, with it's arid, scrubby vegetation and dramatic cliffs is a complete contrast to the rest of the Algarve. It is not pretty enough for most mainstream tourists and, unlike the sheltered south coast, the weather can be windy for days on end."

And boy is she bang on ! Talk about windswept and interesting !

However, the Cabo de Sao Vincent, as the peninsula is known, is definitely worth a visit, the cliffs truly are amazing, the sun was shining while we were there, ensuring visibility for miles out to sea, truly dramatic. The textures of the rocks differed with every footfall, all so rugged and windswept for so many years, the waves crashing against the rocks hundreds of feet below, making for a truly humbling experience.

According to my guide book, this part of the coast has seen much action over time ... one of these facts is that Christopher Columbus was shipwrecked here in 1476 on his way from Genoa to England ... apparently his ship was attacked by pirates, he escaped and swam 6 miles to shore - wow !

The lighthouse at the very tip is one of the most powerful in Europe and is said to be visible from 55 miles out to sea.

Incredibly, there is a full blown market here with stalls selling anything from big sweaters (seriously, take my word for it, this place is windy and cold even on the sunniest of days, bring your own sweater !) to hotdogs and burgers ... go figure !

Here are a few photos for your viewing pleasure :)

Gill