Cabo Espichel, the sanctuary and the dinosaur footprints

What it is

Cabo Espichel is the south-western tip of the Setúbal peninsula, west of Sesimbra, where the Arrábida mountains end in sheer cliffs above the Atlantic. At the top, on an esplanade open to the wind, there are a lighthouse, the sanctuary of Nossa Senhora do Cabo and, below the esplanade, slabs of rock with dinosaur footprints. It is an austere place, with no shops and almost no shade, and that is why it makes such an impression.

What you see

• The sanctuary: the Baroque church of Nossa Senhora do Cabo, with the two long wings of the old pilgrim hostels that close off the esplanade. Turismo de Lisboa describes it as the only Portuguese sanctuary planned from scratch. The complex also includes the Memória chapel, at the cliff edge, the Casa dos Círios, the cross, the Casa da Água and an aqueduct.
• The Memória chapel: a small chapel covered in tiles, a few metres from the drop. From here you see the Lagosteiros bay below.
• The dinosaur footprints: on the sloping wall of the bay, the Pedra da Mua Natural Monument preserves sauropod tracks from the Jurassic. The local legend says they were the hoofprints of the mule that carried the Virgin up from the sea. There is a second protected site, Lagosteiros, in the same bay.
• The lighthouse: at the far end of the cape, above the sea.

Opening hours and price

The cape is free to enter at any hour. The sanctuary church is open, according to Turismo de Lisboa, Monday to Friday from 9:30 to 17:00 and at weekends from 9:30 to 18:00, with free entry. The footprints can be seen from above without paying anything.

How to get there and park

By car, from Sesimbra follow the EN 379 westwards; the road ends at the sanctuary esplanade, where you park. By public transport, Carris Metropolitana line 3205 links the Sesimbra terminal with the cape, but with few departures a day: check the timetable on its website before going, especially the return one.

If you are travelling through the mountains, the cape is the natural end of the Arrábida ridge road.

When to go

All year. At sunset the light falls from the side on the sanctuary and the sun sets over the sea; in winter there are days of strong wind and fog that cover everything. On weekdays and outside summer there is almost nobody.

Bring a coat even if the weather is fine in Sesimbra: it is windy up there. There is no shade on the esplanade, so in summer bring water and a hat.

With children

The dinosaur footprints are the hook. Bring binoculars to see them well from the viewpoint and tell them the legend of the mule. Hold children's hands near the edge; the esplanade, on the other hand, is wide and flat.