View of the Arrábida coast – Cape Espichel Lighthouse loop from Azóia

Hiking trails & Routes

Setúbal

Sesimbra (Castelo)

View of the Arrábida coast – Cape Espichel Lighthouse loop from Azóia

Moderate

4.7

(87)

333

hikers

View of the Arrábida coast – Cape Espichel Lighthouse loop from Azóia

03:31

12.4km

250m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: October 14, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Parque Natural da Arrábida

Arrábida-Espichel

ZPE Cabo Espichel

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

2.78 km

View of the Arrábida coast

Highlight • Viewpoint

From here, the view opens up over the bay, with the sea stretching out before you, immense and majestic. If the weather is good, you might be able to see, to the southeast, the gentle undulations of the Grândola mountains, appearing on the horizon.

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2.94 km

Fort of Saint Dominic of Baralha

Highlight • Historical Site

The Fort of São Domingos da Baralha or Forte da Baralha is located next to Praia da Baleeira, between Cabo Espichel and Sesimbra, in the District of Setúbal, Portugal. It was built in the 17th century, as part of the kingdom's defensive strategy implemented by D. João IV, and was begun during the reign of D. Afonso VI, thus contributing to the protection and surveillance of the coast.

Considered at the time to be the first defence of the Arrábida coast, this fort is currently abandoned and in ruins.

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2.99 km

Chã dos Navegantes Trail

Highlight (Segment) • Trail

On this trail between Chã dos Navegantes and Forte de São Domingos da Baralha, the landscape surprises you with every step. As you descend to the walls of the fort, you will notice the so-called "Horst do Forte da Baralha", a block of ancient rocks that rises between parallel faults, surrounded by more recent limestone.

Turning south, Rechã dos Navegantes looks like an immense step carved by time, with the field of lapiás just below, marked by marine erosion. The scenery is simply incredible!

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5.81 km

Cape Espichel Lighthouse

Highlight • Monument

There is news that as early as 1430 the brotherhood of Our Lady of the Cape had installed a lighthouse that was the predecessor of the current lighthouse.

The current tower was inaugurated in 1790, in 1865 it was fueled by oil, changing fuel in 1886, when its light began to be powered by incandescent petroleum vapour and, much later in 1926, by electricity.

In 1983 this lighthouse had a lighting device installed, called a first order, which emitted light in groups of four white flashes, instead of the old fixed light system. With this new system it now had a luminous range of twenty-eight nautical miles (forty-five kilometres).

The support structure for the lighthouse was extended to the sides around 1900.

In 1947 a new era in terms of lighting was entered. An aero-maritime optical device was installed, which had previously been in service with the Cabo da Roca Lighthouse. This new dioptic - catadioptic optic called fourth order, a large model, has a focal length of thirty centimeters, producing single flashes, now with a luminous range of forty-two nautical miles (about sixty-seven kilometers).

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6.54 km

Casa da Água (House of Water), Cape Espichel

Highlight • Monument

Casa da Água is the terminal building of the aqueduct that supplied the Cabo Espichel sanctuary, and is therefore located in Cabo Espichel.

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6.68 km

Stone Cross at the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora da Pedra Mua

Highlight • Monument

large stone cross on a square base.

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8.47 km

Pedra da Mua Dinosaur Footprints Viewpoint

Highlight • Viewpoint

From here, you can see the dinosaur tracks. It's best to bring binoculars or a vision magnifier.

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8.53 km

Lagosteiros Natural Monument

Highlight • Natural Monument

At the top of the cliff that embraces Lagosteiros beach, a piece of prehistory stands the test of time: the Lagosteiros Natural Monument. Traces left by dinosaurs over 130 million years ago can still be seen imprinted in the yellowish limestone.

Among the various fossilized trails, one stands out, measuring an impressive 50 meters long, a true trace of the past, engraved in stone.

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9.94 km

Aqueduto

Ruins

12.4 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

5.43 km

4.94 km

1.97 km

< 100 m

Surfaces

4.48 km

3.67 km

2.57 km

1.59 km

120 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Friday 16 October

21°C

17°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 34.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

September 22, 2024,Around Sesimbra - The Cape

Starting early in the mist ... the views would have been spectacular ... though the swirling mist did add to the atmosphere . This route takes you to the ruins of the Sao Domingos Fort and on to the lighthouse and the ruins of the Santuario de Nossa do Cabo Espichel
We caught the bus to and from the start …