Cabo Espichel has a few man made points of interest including an imposing convent and church. The complex stems from a 13th century vision of the Virgin Mary riding a mule up the rocks.

It turns out that the ‘footprints’ which backed up the story really belong to Jurassic dinosaurs. Of course, no one knew anything about dinosaurs in those days so the cape gained fame as a holy place and attracted many pilgrims who needed accommodation. Over the years, various additions were built, including an aqueduct and a water temple which now lies in ruins, surrounded by glorious wild flowers. My favourite building at Cabo Espichel is the Ermída da Memória (Chapel of Memory), a simple whitewashed building with an azulejo panel inside that depicts the story of the vision. There is a 5 km circular walk that you can do near Cabo Espichel.