Ishicilelwe: 16.09.2020
Based on the positive experiences we already had in avoiding main roads on previous routes, we decided to do the same this time. This way, we also didn't miss out on the beautiful coastal landscape. We came across new villages, rugged cliffs, and dreamy beaches.
After a while, we decided to take the national roads to speed up the journey and reach our first destination, Azenha do Mar. Here, you can see a village climbing up the cliff, which is completed by a large sea water pool carved in stone. We couldn't say 'no' to enjoying the view from above with a refreshing drink on a modern wooden terrace. 😬
Continuing towards Lisbon, we took a slight detour to Cabo da Roca, where we found ourselves at the westernmost point of Europe. From high up above the sea, we were treated to a scenic spectacle with the swirling mist on the water.
Our last stop before our actual destination today was Sintra. Sintra has been declared a World Heritage Site for its beautiful mansions and the famous colorful castle, Palácio Nacional da Pena. On the whole, it's quite nice to look at, but in our opinion, it's not incredibly spectacular. By the way, it's not so easy to get a glimpse of the colorful castle as all direct access roads are blocked and it sits on a mountain surrounded by other concealing mountains. However, we don't back down easily, and we didn't see the need to spend 50 € (a bargain price from the tuk-tuk driver just for us) for a view. In the end, we found a way. Against the flow of one-way traffic, a road led to the chapel of St. Eufémia. Once we reached the top, we had a magnificent view over Portugal all the way to Lisbon (our next destination) and behold, a beautiful view of the castle. 😎