Sintra: Cabo da Roca - Praia da Ursa - Azóia Loop

A short but fairly strenuous walk on the coast close to Cabo da Roca. Gave it a "Difficult" rating mostly because it was wet when this hike was done, which made some of the descents pretty tough going. In dry weather it might have been a moderately difficult walk.

The route starts from the parking of the Cabo da Roca lighthouse and goes north onto the cliffs. Eventually there is a turn down to the beach Praia da Ursa. This descent is quite slow going, especially if it is wet. It is worth the effort though as the beach is very nice, complete with a little waterfall on the northern cliffside. A shame about the trash left there however - a stain on an otherwise magnificent location.

My map (the offline "Portugal" one in Wikiloc) seemed to indicate that there was an alternate route up from the beach on the northern end, but I could not find it - unless this route was to make a climb up the path of the stream leading to the waterfall. I was not equipped for that so went back up from where I came.

Once up from the beach, the route takes you even higher until you reach a road. Unfortunately there is little alternative to walking along the road for quite a while. The quaint little village of Azóia which the road goes through makes it worth it though. There are some very nice cafes and restaurants along the main road there, so could be a good place for a rest if the time is right.

Eventually the path goes off the road and starts going back towards Cabo da Roca but from the south. One last major descent looks quite difficult when looking at it from the top, but it is not dangerous if you take it slow. I found the bottom of this valley an fantastic place for a rest and some food with a stunning view.

The for the last stretch there is a steep climb up towards the lighthouse. Make sure you stay away from the cliff edge, as rocks can be looser than they appear.