Cabo Da Roca
The westernmost point of continental Europe. (And Portugal)
Written: @August 18, 2021 1:46 PM (GMT+1) (Late)
Woke up at the top of Azenhas do Mar. A beautiful little camping spot 20ft from the cliffs. The morning was crisp and foggy. After quietly packing up my tent and getting prepped for the day, I commenced the journey. Ride With GPS was leading the way quite effectively, and I decided to put my faith in the app. On the itinerary was making it to Cabo Da Roca, and then pushing on to Lisbon, and Decathlon. The path to Cabo Da Roca was… un-paved… Unfortunately after passing through some small towns, the path turned to dirt, and then rock. I had to take my pannier’s off the bike and hike them up separately. It was slow going, and 100% effort, but I put on some tunes to make it easier. Finally after making it back to paved roads, I carried onto Cabo Da Roca. Swirling winds and beautiful scenery awaited me there. Pictures may provide more context:
The wind in the area was spectacular. With switchback roads changing the wind from a headwind, to side wind, and tail wind, my arms are sore from just holding the bike straight. The headwinds were most impressive. On a downhill the wind preventing me from moving. I had to pedal at a decent amount of effort to move 8km/hr. Downhill. Incredible. The dirt trails took the legs out from me. The ups and downs zapped the majority of my energy, and I was left with few reserves to push onto Lisbon. The N247 into Cascais was decent enough. Historic Cascais was beautiful to cycle through. Especially riding behind 2 guys in a golf cart pumping Dr. Dre, the Chronic, 2001.
The sun was beating the energy out of me. I tried to recharge by sitting in some shade and enjoying the view of the bay and the Lisbon bridge. Eventually I had to just book the nearest hostel and call it a day. After a refreshing shower, I spent the rest of the night lying in bed, passing out for a couple hours at a time until the other guys in the room woke me up with their incessant snoring.
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