Cabo Raso Lighthouse

Cabo Raso Lighthouse (Farol do Cabo Raso) sits on the coast of Cascais, west of the town and close to Guincho beach. A red iron tower rising from the walls of an old fort, it has guided ships along Portugal's Atlantic shore for well over a century.

What kind of lighthouse is it?

The tower is a metal cylinder painted red, roughly 13 metres tall, with the light about 23 metres above sea level. A lantern room and balcony crown it, and service buildings are attached at its base. The beacon gives three white flashes every 15 seconds and reaches 20 nautical miles. It has run automatically since 1984.

What is the history behind it?

The lighthouse does not stand on a bare headland. It occupies the Fort of São Brás de Sanxete, built in 1658 under King John IV as a lookout post. Together with the nearby Cresmina fort, it helped cover Guincho beach, a spot where enemy troops could come ashore.

By 1894 the fort no longer had a defensive role, and a navigation light was set up inside it. The lighthouse commission had approved a project in 1884, then replaced it in 1893 with a cheaper plan that included a keeper's house. The first light was fixed and oil-fed. A compressed-air fog signal arrived in 1914, and in 1915 the light moved to the current iron tower.

How do you get to Cabo Raso?

The lighthouse lies between Cascais and Guincho, inside the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park. The easiest approach is by car or bike along the coastal road out of Cascais, and walking routes follow the shoreline. The surroundings are open and windy, so bring a light jacket even on warm days. It is a working aid to navigation, so you mainly view it from outside.

What can you see nearby?

• Rugged cliffs and Atlantic swell typical of this stretch of coast.
• Guincho beach, known for strong winds and popular with windsurfers and kitesurfers.
• The fort walls around the lighthouse and traces of the coastal defence system.
• Views back towards Cascais and the Sintra hills.

When should you visit?

Mornings and the hour before sunset work best, when the light brings out the red of the tower against the ocean. Guincho beach is busiest in summer; outside the season the wind is stronger and the place quieter. For photos, evening is ideal, as the beacon starts to turn on.

Frequently asked questions

Can you climb the lighthouse? It is an active, automated station, so visitors normally see it from the grounds around the fort rather than going inside.

How tall is Cabo Raso Lighthouse? The tower is about 13 m high and the light sits about 23 m above the sea.

When did it start operating? The light was first lit in 1894 on the site of the former fort, and moved to the present iron tower in 1915.

How far can the light be seen? Its range is 20 nautical miles, with a signal of three white flashes every 15 seconds.