Photo: Espetrepellapa · CC BY-SA 3.0 · editedCabo de San Vicente
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Pufacz · Public domain · edited
Why go
- One of Europe’s most powerful lighthouses; Créac’h Lighthouse in France is more powerful.
- Two 1,000-watt lamps cast a beam nearly 60 km across the Atlantic.
- A Fresnel lens counted among the world’s largest.
- A 28-metre cylindrical stone tower topped by a red lantern and gallery.
Opening hours
Today10:00 – 18:00Show all
Know before you go
- The cape, cliffs and headland remain accessible around the clock.
Interesting facts3
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86 metres
The light is 86 metres above sea level.
Leuchtturm Cabo de São Vicente - Wikipedia -
1908
The Fresnel lens installed in 1908 has a 3.58-metre diameter and a 1,330 mm focal length.
Leuchtturm Cabo de São Vicente - Wikipedia -
313 kilograms
The historic lens assembly had three optical panels of eight square metres each and floated in 313 kilograms of mercury.
Farol do Cabo de São Vicente - Wikipedia
Shorts
History
Bishop Fernando Coutinho built a fort and lighthouse tower as coastal defences in the early 16th century. Centuries later, the lighthouse fell into near ruin after years of abandonment; renovation began in 1897.
- 1520A rudimentary lighthouse stood on the cape, on a turret inside a convent.
- 1521–1557King D. João III ordered a larger tower to defend the coast from attacks.
- 1587Francis Drake destroyed the tower.
- 1606The tower was rebuilt on the orders of King D. Filipe II and relit.
- 1755The Lisbon earthquake razed the structure.
Show all
- 1846Commissioned by Queen D. Maria II, the current lighthouse began operating in October inside a 16th-century convent.
- 1897Renovation began because the lighthouse was in poor condition.
- 1908The lighthouse returned to service after 11 years of work; the tower had been raised by 5.70 metres.
- 1926Generators electrified the lighthouse, replacing its petroleum-vapour lantern.
- 1947Deflector panels made the lighthouse an aeromaritime beacon.
- 1982The lighthouse was automated.
How to get there
- CarThe lighthouse is 7 km west of Sagres, with free parking at the lighthouse.
Accessibility
- Toilet The toilets inside the lighthouse complex are closed to visitors.
Sources: Lighthouse of Cabo de São Vicente - Wikipedia · Leuchtturm Cabo de São Vicente - Wikipedia · Phare du cap Saint-Vincent - Wikipedia · Farol do Cabo de São Vicente - Wikipedia · checked 30 Sep 2026
Questions and answers
What light signal does the Cabo de San Vicente lighthouse give?
One quick white flash every five seconds.
What does the Cabo de San Vicente fog signal sound like?
Two five-second blasts every 30 seconds. A fog signal was first installed in 1914.
How did the original Cabo de San Vicente lighthouse light work?
It burned olive oil and gave two two-second flashes every two minutes, visible for about 10 km.
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