The main destination of our trip was Portugal. The Sardinian segment was intended to be just a warm-up, and Spain was only on the list to reach Gibraltar. The trip itself, when I came up with it, should have been called “Portugal by Bike” or something like that.

But the warm-up stage and the week in Spain absorbed such an insane amount of emotions and impressions that I now cannot consider our journey in isolation from these components. That’s why the book is called “The Southern Path.”

Why Portugal, the reader will ask me. After all, in Europe there are many countries, with a lot of attractions, about which every resident of the former Soviet Union knows since childhood. What's interesting in Portugal? The idea of ​​visiting this country came to me five years ago, and there seemed to be no real reason for its appearance. I was probably influenced by the fact that this region is least reflected in the tourist routes of Southern Europe. For example, how many friends do you have who have been to Spain or Italy at least once? I'm sure quite a lot. And there may not be any people who have visited Portugal at all. The second factor why I was drawn there was the fact that Portugal is washed by Atlantic Ocean. And I've never seen the ocean. And this only added to the interest.

In my imagination, Portugal seemed like a kind of branch of the tropics; Apparently, at that time, the concept of “ocean” was strongly associated with palm trees, reed houses and a light cool breeze. This explained the fact that until now we had lived in a sprawling tent - in the tropics, after all, you can generally sleep in the open air. What's the point of buying a new one if everything will be fine and easy. But as it turns out, the adventure is just beginning.

The border between Spain and Portugal runs along the Guadiana River. We crossed the bridge and found ourselves in another country. It is interesting that cars entering from the Spanish side were inspected by a whole detachment of Portuguese border guards with dogs, despite the Schengen agreement. We were not recognized as potential smugglers, and we rolled forward unhindered. The fact that we were in one of the poorest countries of old Europe was immediately felt.

In Spain we enjoyed excellent roads: smooth asphalt, wide shoulders on which you can even drive in two rows. There is also chipped asphalt with cracks and a complete absence of shoulders. Nowhere else have we had as much negative impact from car traffic as in Portugal. Almost at the very first kilometer, a tractor with a long trailer came very dangerously close to us, cutting corners in a roundabout.

Differences from Spain were observed in everything: completely different architecture, a noticeably lower standard of living and the almost complete absence of the ubiquitous Arabs and blacks. At first, looking at the landscapes around me, I couldn’t decide whether I liked Portugal or not. I even began to fear that the country would not live up to my high expectations. Looking ahead, I will say that she not only justified them, but also surpassed them many times over.

The first night we stopped at a campsite near the town of Olhao. The receptionist was surprised when I asked if she spoke English. As practice has shown, in Portugal English language much more widespread than in Spain.

Many people from neighboring Spain were vacationing at the campsite. It’s strange, but we didn’t meet the Portuguese in such large numbers in Spanish campsites. Apparently, the Spaniards are attracted here by a rather noticeable difference in prices: Portugal is at least a third cheaper than Spain. True, they behave here exactly the same as at home: noisy, aggressive and absolutely disregarding the opinions of others. In our experience (and not only that), the only people worse than the Spaniards as holiday neighbors are teenagers from England.

Olhao is a very small town, but we immediately discovered an excellent bike shop, selling not cheap city bikes, as is customary in Europe, but expensive fetishistic mtb and road bikes. We bought a new speedometer for Murzik here to replace the lost one. After riding around the area, we headed back to the campsite, and on the way we met a large crowd of cyclists. This reminded me of the Thursday evening rides in Tallinn, which are organized by our cycling club www.biketime.ee. A considerable number of people also gather here and travel along some interesting route.

The next day we continued driving along the southern coast of Portugal. It is called the Algarve and is rightfully considered a resort area of ​​this country. The main Portuguese tourism business is concentrated here, hotels and apartments are being built, the British and Germans are actively buying real estate. Of course, Portugal was hit hard by the financial crisis, but the Algarve still remains a fairly attractive region for investment.

Fortunately, Portugal is not at all densely populated; only ten million people live in a fairly large area. 70% of the population lives in the coastal zone, but even despite this, there is no dense commercial development in resort areas, as is the case in Italy and Spain. In general, compared to others southern countries Europe, in Portugal life is very calm and measured. The people here are much closer to the traditional way of life than, say, in Italy or Spain. I don’t know what the reason is, maybe some distance from European economic centers, or maybe the only recently started urbanization played a role. After all, Portugal is everything last years was an agricultural country, and standing behind the plow it is quite difficult to become imbued with new ideas.

I haven't said anything about the ocean yet! Although I had already seen it in Spain, I was only able to swim on the shore of the resort town of Quarteira. Yes, the ocean is power! The structure of the waves is very different compared to sea waves. In the sea, the waves are fast and light, the ocean breathes calmly, but the power of the water is such that you seem to feel the vibration of this entire titanic mass. I'm not a fan of swimming at all, but the ocean captivated me.

We made our way little by little through the Algarve. The goal we were approaching was the most southwestern point of Europe. I managed to read on the Internet that you should definitely visit two places in Portugal: the southwestern cape of Sao Vicente and the famous Cabo da Roca, the extreme point of the European continent. At that time I did not yet understand what these places meant, but I subconsciously strove for them.

The weather was great, the winds were moderate, and I decided that everything was going according to plan. Nothing special happened, we just enjoyed the sun and warmth, looked around, swam, bought ripe fruit, but also did not forget to pedal every day. The Algarve is truly a paradise: the ocean prevents the heat from becoming intrusive, but the nights remain velvety warm. Ideal climate - no rain, no heat. I haven't studied climate map Algarve, but I suspect that the weather I describe is quite typical for these latitudes.

The cult of surfing reigns in Portugal. Absolutely everywhere on the coast you will find old, dirty minibuses with boards tied to their roofs, and people different ages and nationalities united by one diagnosis. All season they travel around Europe in search of waves, live right on the beaches, and apparently feel quite happy. Through this they look at the world through the prism of their non-standard perception. I talked to one of these guys, they really are from another planet.

A little before reaching the town of Sagres, near which the southwestern cape of San Vicente was located, we stopped at Lidl to replenish provisions and lunch. At the beginning of the trip, we were somehow shy, but then we got used to it: we sat right on the wide window sill of the supermarket, laid out food, boiled tea and had a snack. People walked by, smiled at us and waved.

The attitude towards strangers is absolutely tolerant; everyone has long been accustomed to the fact that every year thousands of crazy people like us pass and pass along the roads of Europe. No one has ever shown aggression or hostility towards us. I have already written that a traveler is a messenger of good, and people understand this on a subconscious level. It seems to me that if evil person goes on the road, then after a while the evil will leave his soul. It is impossible to comprehend the Road and at the same time remain angry and selfish - it simply does not make sense.

That day we also sat on the window sill of Lidl and ate our afternoon tea. Two cyclists drove up to the store: one older, the other younger. The acquaintance could not fail. It turned out that these were Portuguese who were practically following our route, only in reverse: they were traveling from Porto to the Spanish border. Unfortunately, a full-fledged conversation did not work out, since the Portuguese spoke very little English, but even in these few minutes we were imbued with deep mutual sympathy.

Having wished each other good luck, we parted in different directions: they moved east, and we only had to finish fifteen kilometers to Sagres. These kilometers flew by simply magically: the tailwind blew such that, barely turning the pedals, we managed to maintain a speed of forty kilometers per hour. True, we would have to return from Sagres along the same road, but I hoped that the wind would change. If I had known then that in these places the wind always blows in one direction... If I had been familiar with this simple geographical fact, our route would have looked completely different. But more on that later.

At a campsite near Sagres, we were one of the few guests. The absence of neighbors was only to our advantage: we enjoyed good nights after Italy and Spain. The wind, which had so successfully driven us here, was gaining true strength on the high coast, howling in the blue cloudless sky. The tent that we took out of its cover immediately inflated itself with a sail, soared into the air and flew about fifty meters, getting stuck between two trees.

Let me add a small detail: a couple of weeks have already passed since we lost a bag of hooks and ropes for the tent somewhere. Now, in strong winds, we had to tie her to nearby trees with a clothesline. This is what they did now: after a long resistance, they managed to install and secure the tent. As usual, I covered the entrance and roof with bike covers to prevent drafts: due to the strong cold wind, it was quite chilly, and at night the temperature dropped significantly.

In general, I describe the wind with such enthusiasm, but then it quickly brought us into a state of panic. I read that a strong wind causes severe psychological discomfort in a person: you want to leave this place as soon as possible. I share this point vision - the wind whistling in the ears drives you crazy, and objects flying out of your hands cause fits of rage. If my readers, looking at sunny photographs from Cape San Vicente, ask why we left this wonderful place so quickly, I can only explain this by the strong discomfort that we experienced due to the wind. You may note that they sell knitted items here, which are very popular among frozen tourists:

In the morning we drove to the significant cape, immediately encountering a strong headwind. Of course, it was not the crazy storm that we found ourselves in on the approaches to Gibraltar, but we had to push through quite a bit. The places there are simply fantastic: the entire coast is a continuous stone wall, about fifty meters high. You look down and it takes your breath away. And then there is blue water, and there is so much of it that it is even difficult to comprehend. Amazing feeling.

Finally, we arrived at the lighthouse marking Cape San Vicente. The place is the most southwestern point of the Eurasian continent. The cold wind howls, the ocean waves crash against the rocks... incredible energy. We came here ourselves, got there, and pedaled! These are real impressions! Will you forget something like this, will these emotions be able to weaken over time? It's been a year and a half now, and I still get goosebumps when I remember that day. This is real capital that will remain with me forever.

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Stopped not far away tourist bus, and about fifty Spaniards poured out of it. They wandered around the observation deck, took pictures with the lighthouse in the background, bought souvenirs and, freezing, climbed into their bus and drove off. Well, for them, Cape San Vicente has become another passing place, the impressions of which will very soon dissolve without a trace. What is given to you for free has no value.

San Vicente is a symbol of the geographical discoveries of the world. It is no coincidence that Henry the Navigator founded a navigation school in Sagres, which became famous not only throughout Portugal, but also throughout Europe, and which gave the world many first-class sailors and explorers. Probably, all the desire of the medieval Portuguese for travel and discovery was concentrated in this place. The Portuguese did not fight very well in those days, but they had no equal in the development of natural sciences and research into the surrounding world. I can’t even remember how many countries were discovered by Portuguese sailors; Brazil, Madagascar, Angola, Mozambique, Zanzibar come to mind... and many, many others.

Some photos:

Of course, we did not pay enough attention to this stunning place; the wind turned out to be stronger than us. Returning to the campsite, we packed up camp and hit the road. There were some doubts about where to go now, and this issue needed to be resolved.

You will learn what happened next on our journey in the following issues of the report. Since they are published irregularly, I advise that you will not find any spam or commercial mailing in your mailbox, only my new notes from time to time

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Cape São Vicente (Cabo de São Vicente), the extreme southwestern point of Europe, is the main attraction of the Portuguese province of Algarve. There are always a lot of tourists here. They take pictures, blithely approaching the cliff itself - “here I am, at the end of the world!”, feast on German “wurschen” at the “Last sausage before America” kiosk, and around them seventy-meter-high cliffs crash into the ocean surface. One resembles the bow of a ship, the other resembles a protruding tongue, and all together resembles a clawed stone paw that wants to reach out to the horizon. “Shshshtotam, shshshtotam...” - the waves say. What's there? In the south there is Africa, in the west there is America, any schoolchild will answer you.

Cape San Vicente

Since then, when Cape San Vicente was the border of the inhabited world for Europeans, and they did not know either Africa
(with the exception of the northern part of the continent), nor America, a little more than five centuries have passed. For our
planets is one moment. The picturesque rocks that tourists photograph today have not changed, but
People's ideas about the geography of the Earth have changed dramatically.

The second half of the 15th century is considered the beginning of the era of great geographical discoveries: they follow one after another, as if someone had prepared the triumph of navigation in advance. And indeed it is! It is difficult to say how much later Europe would have learned that beyond the immeasurable water desert there are other lands, if not for a man whose name is not known to everyone - the Portuguese Infante Dom Henrique o Navigator. Just like in cinema, the audience's love goes to famous actors, and the director, the true inspirer and organizer of the action, often remains in the shadows, in the history of navigation the names of the legendary discoverers are heard. Everyone has heard about Vasco da Gama, Columbus, Magellan... and about Enric the Navigator? During his life, he made only three short voyages and did not discover any new lands. And yet, Enrique the Navigator rightfully deserved his honorary title.

Infante Henrique (1394-1460), the third son of King John I of Portugal and Philippa of Lancaster, distinguished himself in his youth during the capture of the North African port of Ceuta (this sea campaign in 1415 marked the beginning of Portuguese expansion in North Africa). After the Ceuta campaign, the infanta had no shortage of tempting offers of military and diplomatic career. However, the descendant of the Portuguese and nephew of the English kings retires into the wilderness, to the very south of Portugal, and, becoming the governor of the Algarve province, equips naval expeditions one after another. For what? To penetrate from the sea to the western coast of Africa, and if you’re lucky, find sea ​​route to the East, to India, where there is an abundance of what in Europe is worth its weight in gold - spices. Infante Enrique seemed to have foreseen the future: after the Ottoman Turks defeated BYZANTIUM in the mid-15th century, the route to the East by land was closed to Europeans.

What country, if not Portugal, should have looked for a sea route to the land of spices? “Cinderella of Europe”, pushed to the very edge of the continent, without access to the connecting peoples, already inhabited a thousand years ago Mediterranean Sea, Portugal faces only the ocean, from which, unlike the sea, there was no use, except perhaps fishing close to the shore. Who would dare to sail south along the African continent beyond the legendary Cape Nun (from the Portuguese "nao" - no), if, according to the ancient authority on geography Ptolemy, Africa - a deadly desert - is frozen to Antarctic ice and you can't go around it. The path to the west across the boundless ocean, teeming with unprecedented monsters, is even more hopeless.

But it was not only superstitions and fear of the unknown that prevented sailing ships from going far to sea. Going on an ocean voyage for sailors of that time was no less difficult than for modern man make a space flight. The art of navigation was in decline; the experience of the sailors of antiquity and the Vikings who reached North America at the end of the 10th century was completely forgotten. Imperfection of ships, lack good cards and more or less accurate navigation instruments, inept and fearful sailors - this is what Enrique encountered when he started his sea expeditions. What was to be done? Learn navigation!

Ponta da Piedade. Rocks around Lagos

How interesting and contradictory this strange prince is... His motto was the words “Talent for good deeds.” Severe and ascetic, he did not start a family and in 1420 became the Supreme Master of the Knightly Order of Christ, the successor to the Templar Order dissolved in 1312. Infante Enrique was a romantic dreamer who eagerly listened to the stories of captains about distant lands, a fanatical missionary who sought to spread Christianity throughout the world, a tough businessman who established successful trading African slaves. But the main thing is that he was a smart organizer and a perspicacious researcher. Retiring in Sagres, just east of Cape San Vicente, Enrique the Navigator created the first navigation school in Europe.

This is how Staffan Zweig describes it in the novel “Magellan. Man and His Deeds” (1938):
“According, perhaps, to the romanticizing reports of the Portuguese chronicles, he ordered books and atlases to be delivered to himself from all parts of the world, called upon Arab and Jewish scientists and entrusted them with the production of more accurate navigational instruments and tables. Every sailor, every captain who returned from a voyage, he called to him and questioned him in detail. All this information was carefully stored in a secret archive, and at the same time he equipped a number of expeditions. Infante Enrique tirelessly promoted the development of shipbuilding; within a few years, the former barcas - small open fishing boats, the crew of which consisted of eighteen man - turn into a real naos ( Portuguese name caravels - M.A) - stable ships with a displacement of eighty, even one hundred tons, capable of sailing on the open sea in stormy weather. This new type of ship, suitable for long-distance voyages, also led to the emergence of a new type of sailor. To help the helmsman is a “master of astrology” - a navigation specialist who can understand portolans (navigational charts - M.A.), determine compass deviation, and mark meridians on the map. Theory and practice creatively merge together, and gradually in these expeditions a new tribe of sailors and explorers grows from simple fishermen and sailors, whose deeds will be completed in the future."

We reap knowledge with interest,
Where only death loomed at first.
We know - beyond the storm abyss
The distant blue sky is rising.

One by one: so that from human words
The huge waves of the sea changed their path.
Fernend Pessoa

Sea monsters. Illustration from "Cosmogarphy" by Sebastian Munster. 1550

From 1416 until the death of the infante in 1460, dozens of ships entered the ocean at his will and on his behalf (and in fact, the order
Christ) means. The ships set off from a convenient harbor in the city of Lagos, which is east of
Sagres. The first voyages were made on single-masted barges, and from the 1440s - on three-masted caravels
with oblique "Latin" sails. A scarlet cross was inscribed on the white sails of the caravels - the sign of the Order of Christ.
The captains did not dare to turn back: the infant, angry at the failures, was more terrible for them than any naval
monsters. Why Enrique did not personally participate in the voyages remains not entirely clear. Perhaps it was thought
that a person of royal blood should only sail for military purposes, and not for research purposes. Maybe,
The infant himself believed that he was more needed on land than at sea.

Portuguese caravel

The Infante Enrique and the school of navigation on the secluded coast were legendary among his contemporaries. What can we say about more later times, when, after pirate raids and the GREAT LISBON EARTHQUAKE of 1755, not a trace remained of the school - only a strange stone disk resembling a compass rose. They write that Enrique was a cripple, a gloomy hunchback, that he never went to sea at all, that the navigation school did not exist at all, that a certain secret order operated under the guise of the school...

Nuno Gonçalves. Altarpiece of San Vicente (1456-67).
On the right in the second row - Enrique the Navigator

But let's get back to reality. What were the results of the expeditions? It may seem that among the amazing discoveries of subsequent decades they are rather modest. About the same as going to the Moon compared to landing on Mars. But it was these voyages that became the first step towards conquering the ocean. In 1419, the island of Madeira was discovered (in general, by chance, the ships would not have dared to sail so far to the west if they had not been carried away by a storm), in 1427 Diogo Salves reached the Azores. In 1460, Diogo Gomes discovered some of the islands of the Cape Verde archipelago. After many unsuccessful attempts in 1434, captain Gil Eanish managed to move south along the African continent, rounding the fateful Cape Bojador (26° northern latitude). Cape for a long time seemed an insurmountable obstacle, because in this place a sandbank jutted out far into the sea, and the sailors did not dare to move away from the shore in order to get around it. Chroniclers report that the captain brought the infanta from this significant voyage wild roses picked south of Cape Bojador.

Portrait of Enrique the Navigator.
Fragment of the altar of San Vicente.

The psychological boundary was taken, and the following expeditions moved further and further south. By 1444, caravels from Lagos had passed the southern border of the Sahara and reached the fertile and populated coast of Africa. Enrique's dream of reaching the African continent, bypassing the desert by sea, has come true! From that time on, voyages along the African coast became purely commercial - gold, “white gold” - ivory and “black gold” - slaves were brought to Portugal. The slave market in Lagos flourished. Alas, here too the infant was the first in Europe!

Slave market in Lagos

A captain leading a ship through a steep wave
He sees how far away, exhausted and weak,
Goes down with the very last galley
A slave who can't swim.
Fernando Pessoa

Monument to Enrique the Navigator in Lagos

Enrique the Navigator did not see the main fruits of his efforts. In 1486, Bartolomeu Dias reached the southern tip of the African continent and circumnavigated it. Vasco (Vasco) da Gama (it is significant that he was born in the same 1460 when Enrique died) fulfilled the Infante’s plans and in 1498, bypassing Africa, sailed to Calcutta. In 1500, Pedro Alvares Cabral discovered Brazil. Portuguese sailors did something that Infante Enrique could not even imagine: in 1543 they reached Japan! The achievements of Portugal could have been even more significant if King João I had not rejected the proposal of the Genoese Columbus in 1485, and King Manuel I in 1515 had not rejected the project of his compatriot Fernao Magalhaes, who, having turned into Ferdinand Magellan, went into the service of Spain. As a result, the voyages of Columbus and Magellan were carried out under the Spanish flag and for the Spanish crown.

The Portuguese Sea is flammable salt,
Our tears and grief, Portuguese pain!
How many tears have you stolen from their mothers' eyes,
How many of their sons sleep in your depths,
How many lovely brides did not go down the aisle,
So that you, the sea, can finally become yours!
Maybe the sacrifices are in vain and everything is nonsense?
But the soul yearns into the distance, even though it is truly solid.
Who sailed ships to Cape Verde,
He never saw Portuguese land afterwards.
How many abysses are there in you, sea - you are a risk and a catch,
But only heaven and God look at you!
Fernando Pessoa

From the “Cinderella of Europe,” Portugal turned into the queen of the seas, but not for long: its decline began already in the 16th century. The Age of Great Geographical Discovery is the highest rise in the history of this country. Portugal remembers to whom it owes for becoming a springboard for humanity into the Atlantic, and honors Enrique the Navigator. In 1960, on the 500th anniversary of the death of the Infante, two monuments were erected in Portugal. The first is a monument to Enrique the Navigator in the historical center of Lagos, near the river embankment along which his ships went out into the ocean. We know what Infante Henrique looked like in his mature years thanks to the Portuguese artist Nuno Gonçalves. In the grand altar of San Vicente (1456-67) there is a portrait of Enrique the Navigator, accurately recreated from a lifetime miniature from the Chronicle of the Conquests of Guinea of ​​1453. Immortalized in dark bronze, Enrique appears the same as Nuno Gonçalves portrayed him - proud, intelligent, strict.

The second monument - "Padrao dos Descobrimentos" (monument to the discoverers) - is installed on the Lisbon embankment, at the mouth of the Tagus River. This is a 52-meter tower in the shape of a caravel, on board of which famous Portuguese climb: kings, knights, priests, captains, cartographers, artists, poets. Among them are Vasco da Gama, Luis de Camões (Luis de Camões), the author of the poem “Louisiades” glorifying the discovery of India, Fernando Magalhães-Magellan, and the artist Nuno Gonçalves. Figures flow around the deck on both sides, and in front, on the bow of the ship, stands Enrique the Navigator with a model of a caravel in his hands. He looks where wide Tagus flows into the ocean, as if trying to see unknown lands beyond the horizon, in the south - Africa, in the west - America.

Monument to the Discoverers in Lisbon

You, captains of the years that have flown by,
You, boatswains, to which vague goal,
Melodies of the unknown following
Do you dare to roam through the oceans?
Perhaps the sirens sang to you,
But the meeting was not judged by the expanse of the sea
With sirens - only with a witch's song.

Who sent you news from across the sea,
He foresaw everything, undoubtedly knowing
That there is not only the call of wealth
For you there is more than one earthly hunger,
But there is another thirst -
The desire to listen to the expanse of the sea
And rise above the vanity of the world.
Fernend Pessoa

Mouth of the Tagus. View from observation deck Monument to the Discoverers in Lisbon.

Olga Born
(Germany, Munich)

At the ends of the earth:
Cape Sao Vincente (Portugal)

Olga Born's previous story about Portugal:

Portugal is a relatively small country, but with a huge and deep soul, because the soul of Portugal is the ocean. The cold and majestic breath of the Atlantic is felt everywhere here. However, the unquestioned dominance of the ancient elements is most acutely felt in the most southwestern point of Europe (to the west only Cape Roca, 40 km from Lisbon), which the ancients called the “end of the world”, and the Romans called the “holy cape”.

A rocky cliff stands in the way like a fortress wall. This place has always been associated with gods and cults, and therefore shrouded in a legend, which has already acquired different variations (that’s why it’s a legend), but the general meaning boils down to the following: in the 4th century, a clergyman named Vincent suffered martyrdom in Valencia and was counted to the saints. When the city was captured by the Moors, the Christians managed to save the relics of the saint and throw themselves into the sea with them. After long sea wanderings, they washed up on a rocky shore, which was the cape, which was later named after the saint. The relics of the saint, guarded by ravens, remained here until 1173, after which they were transported to Lisbon.
The steep cliffs on the cape resemble a nose giant ship setting off on a long voyage. Peering into the ocean expanse open to the shores of America from the rocky shore of the cape, you imagine yourself as a brave pioneer navigator on the captain's bridge.

The fact that this “end of the earth” is located on the territory of Portugal is some kind of fateful sign: the Portuguese were conquerors of the seas and only the Spaniards could compete with them. Already in the 14th century, ships of the Portuguese state with an identifying cross on the sails (a cross with forked ends meant that the actions of the sailors were sanctified by the Pope and approved by God, and the ship itself belonged to the knightly Order of Christ) explored the western and southern Atlantic, and already in 1500 the Portuguese ships reached coast of modern Brazil, where numerous colonies were founded.

The Cape was also the theater of major naval battles. Many great European powers either tasted glory or suffered defeat on its granite cliffs. In 1693, the French captain Tourville won a victory here over the English and Dutch fleets. And almost a hundred years later, in 1780, the British admiral Rodney defeated the Spanish fleet in these waters.

Nowadays, the light of the lighthouse on the top of the rocky cape serves as a guiding star for ships. This lighthouse was built on the ruins of the temple in 1846. This is the second largest and most powerful lighthouse in Europe (the most powerful is on the French island of Ushant), its two 1000 W lamps can be seen more than 90 km away even in the rainiest weather. You won’t be able to look beyond the very edge: in addition to the lighthouse, there are several buildings on the cape, access to which is closed.

Such strong piercing winds always blow on the cape that you can be chilled to the bone even in the scorching summer heat. It feels like the wind is about to tear out the hair on your head along with the roots. Lightly dressed tourists, just sweltering from the heat, begin to chatter their teeth from the cold.

Strong wind Atlantic makes you hold your breath. In such a place, you don’t want to continuously click the camera shutter; you want to freeze on the edge of the abyss and endlessly watch how the dark blue waves with snow-white streaks of sea foam crash against the sharp coastal stones.

When you stand on the edge of a cliff, peering into the boundless ocean, the deafening noise of the waves beating against the rocks turns you into a grain of sand in the universe, and suddenly the realization comes that there, for many hundreds of kilometers ahead, there is only a boundless ocean and NOTHING else.

The island of Saint Vincent is located in the Caribbean Sea, it is the largest island of the state of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The discoverer of the island is considered to be Christopher Columbus, who landed on its shores in 1498. According to scientists, the first settlements on the island appeared 5.5 thousand years earlier, as evidenced by numerous archaeological finds. In 1980 and 1986, the island was badly damaged due to hurricanes that hit it; today, the tourist infrastructure of St. Vincent is actively developing and improving.

The island positions itself as a luxury holiday center; its resorts are distinguished by high environmental performance. St. Vincent is ready to offer its guests luxury resort hotels; the island has excellent conditions for active recreation. Fans of excursions will not be bored either, as they will be able to visit unique archaeological areas and get acquainted with the variety of natural attractions presented on the island.

The capital of the island is Kingstown, which is very beautiful and ideal for walking. The center of attraction for hundreds of tourists is the port area of ​​the capital, next to which the most popular entertainment venues, shops and craft shops are concentrated. Walking around the port area, you can see many beautiful buildings from colonial times. Important distinctive feature The capital has an abundance of religious attractions. Copyright www.site

The beautiful St. Mary's Cathedral, which was built in the early 19th century, has been preserved here. The building was seriously damaged due to the destructive elements; in 1930 the cathedral was completely restored and has remained unchanged since then. The cathedral is incredibly interesting from an architectural point of view, it is built from dark volcanic blocks and is an amazing combination of Gothic, Moorish and Romanesque styles.

A true example of the Gregorian style is St. George's Cathedral, which was also completed in the early 19th century. It is within its walls that a unique relic is kept - the Red Angel stained glass window, which was donated to the cathedral by Queen Victoria. Among other unusual attractions of the capital, it is worth noting Botanical Garden, which was founded in 1762 by William Bilay. The captain who arrived on the island decided to establish a commercial “nursery” on the fertile lands; exotic plants were brought here from all over the world.

In the immediate vicinity of the capital, a popular walking route- Book Valley Vermont Nature Trail. He passes through incredibly beautiful tropical forests, banana groves and volcanic ridges, covering many interesting natural attractions to explore. The most important natural attraction is the active volcano La Soufriere. Its height is 1234 meters; climbing to the crater of the volcano remains one of the favorite activities of active tourists.

Those who want to diversify their leisure time by visiting unusual excursions should explore the Black Point Tunnel. This 115 meter long tunnel was built by slaves in the early 19th century and is located in the immediate vicinity of Kingstown. The construction of the tunnel was necessitated by the need to create a direct route between the capital and the sugar plantations. Among the archaeological areas, it is worth highlighting Buccament Bay. On the rocks located near it, scientists discovered Celtic drawings and petroglyphs; one of the stones with prehistoric drawings is located right on the coast.

For many years now, the island of Saint Vincent has been a permanent venue for international music festivals. The island does not have any special natural beauty, so the authorities decided to diversify its cultural program to attract travelers. Several times a year the island is visited by famous musicians and performers, one of the most interesting national holidays held in the first half of February. At this time, a colorful carnival starts, which is very reminiscent of the classic Brazilian one.

Cape St. Vincent is unique in that it is located on the edge of the earth insouthwestern part of Portugueseregion of the Algarve, and in general represents the extreme southwestern tip of Europe. The cape ends with a steep rocky coast with sparse vegetation.The height of the rocks is approximately 75 m. The cape is surrounded on 3 sides by the Ocean. It's always blowing herethere is a strong wind, and powerful waves crash noisily against the steep cliffs.There are no trees at all, because... it is almost impossible to take root on bare rocks. The name of the cape is associated with the story of the Iberian deacon St. Vincent.

Who is this and what is his holiness?

St. Vincent is known in Orthodoxy as Vincent of Saragossa.He was born in the 3rd century AD.
in Spain. At an adult agewas ordained deacon by the Bishop of Zaragoza.
Vincent showed oratorical abilities and he began to preach Christianity,originated in the pagan Roman Empire. Roman authorities beganpersecute preachers of Christianity, and Christians themselves were persecuted. Vincent and the bishop were captured and sent to trial in Valencia.

At the trial, Vincent was subjected to terrible torture,
and on January 22, 304 he was burned. After all, Vincent's body was thrown into a field and guards were posted so that Christians could not bury him. However, a raven appeared near the body and did not allow anyone, neither people nor birds, to approach the body. no animals. Then the authorities decided to throw the body into the Mediterranean Sea, which was done.But when the guards swam to the shore, they saw a body lying on the shore.They ran away in fear, and a certain widow buried the body of the martyr.

News of this quickly spread throughout the Roman Empire and Vincentgained enormous popularity among the people. In the 8th century, Valencia was captured by the Moors, but the relics of St. Vincent were saved by Christians and transported to the capeand buried, and a small chapel was installed on his grave, which was always guarded by crows. Franciscan monks protected the church and the remains of St. Vincent from the Moors, remaining there until 1834, when all the monasteries in Portugal were disbanded.

In 1173, the body of St. Vincent was transported to Lisbon on a ship accompanied by ravens.The transfer of this relic is depicted on the coat of arms of Lisbon.
In the 12th century, St. Vincent was declared patron saint of Lisbon. His relics are kept
in the Church of San Vicente di Fora. He is also the patron saint of winegrowers, vineyards and sailors. In Lisbon there is a monument to St. Vincent, and on the lanterns in Lisbon you cansee a ship with two ravens: one in front of the ship and the other behind.

In the era of the Great geographical discoveries, it was from here that ships set off on sea expeditionsin search of new lands.
On a cape on the very edge of a cliff 75 m high.
in 1846 on the spot former church, where St. Vincent was buried, a lighthouse was built,the light of which is visible at a distance of 32 nautical miles. It serves as a landmark for ships sailing to or from the Mediterraneanto Europe and America. From the middle of the 14th century until the 19th century, off Cape St. Vincent, with the participation of fleets of different powers, several major naval battles.

Near the cape is the town of Sagrish, where nearby on a cliff stand the ruins of the 18th century Fortaleza fortressdo Beliche, whose walls could have witnessed those battles.

This is the end of the earth. Are you standing on rocky shore And you feel like a grain of sand
in the hands of nature.Ahead for hundreds of kilometers there are only endless waters of the Ocean,
behind which America is hidden, and breathing in the backold lady Europe.
This is what makes the western part of the coast attractiveAlgarve - precisely for its rocks and their pristine wildness.