PraiaGrande PraiaDaUrsa CaboDaRoca 17-10-2020

My favourite walk on the Sintra coast. Very nice on a sunny autumn or spring day when it's not too hot. Hardly any shade, so in summer you are quite exposed.
This is actually a circular walk, Wikiloc lists it as "one-way" because beginning and end of GPS track are a few hundred meters apart.
Please note that this walk is not an "official" trail, only some sections (roughly from Praia Grande to Fojo da Adraga and Casa da Bota but avoiding the Dinosaur steps), which are parts of GR11 Caminho do Atlântico (red-white) or PR7 SNT Cabo da Roca (red-yellow) have marks and are maintained. In particular the stretch in between Casa da Bota and Cabo da Roca is not marked. Even within GPS accuracy it may not be completely obvious to choose the right way, for instance during the badly eroded descent to Vale da Ursa. Take some care there.
Starting from the end of Praia Grande, I walked up the Dinosaur steps (these are currently closed due to danger of rockfall, there is a fine, too, if you get caught, so actually must not use that part now, better take the route as on the way back; I think this is now waymarked red-white as part of GR11) to reach the top of the cliffs. On the way to Praia da Adraga, you divert from the top of the cliffs inland, passing through a few hundred meters of pine forest, about the only shade you have on this walk.
You descend to Praia da Adraga on a path leading through an area full of sand. Cross the valley and walk up the access road, away from Praia da Adraga, for a few hundred meters, before diverting to the right on a dirt road, which takes you up again to the top of the cliffs, where you continue, then cross a valley, before descending once more to a valley (Vale da Ursa) and then to Praia da Ursa.
The last descent to Praia da Ursa involves a bit of climbing, but can actually be done also by older children (my 10y old daughter did it well), but certainly not recommended if you are unsure.
You walk up the usual access path to Praia da Ursa in order to reach Cabo da Roca.
If someone picks you up at Cabo da Roca, or you continue by public transportation, you can do only half of the walk, then it's just moderate (skipping the descent through the rocks to Praia da Ursa or taking the normal access path).
Otherwise, take more or less the same way back (I visited Fojo de Adraga, a 90 m deep hole in the limestone cliff that connects to the sea; on the first part of the descent from Fojo towards Praia da Adraga, there is no clear path to follow, you need to find your way down a hill slope and through a bit of pine forest, not too difficult, though).
Avoid the Dinosaur steps at the end by using the descent through the village.