Worldway Comprehensive News: Cape Roca has been rated by netizens as one of the "50 Must-Visit Places in the World." This cape, located in Portugal and adjacent to the Atlantic Ocean, is renowned as the "westernmost point of Europe." For those who have immigrated to Portugal through the Golden Residence Permit Program, this place is worth a visit.
At the top of the hill in Sintra, a satellite city west of Lisbon, stands the summer palace of Portugal's former dynasty—the Pena Palace. Some who have a rudimentary understanding of Portuguese have directly translated the palace's name as "Palace of Feathers," which, although inaccurate, brings a sense of mysterious allure.
In fact, it is not a place of pure white, but rather resembles a colorful and romantic princess's castle from a fairy tale. After winding up the mountain road lined with ancient trees, one arrives at the entrance of the palace, where a statue of a giant sea god stands at the gate, seemingly reflecting the waves that ripple through Lisbon.
The entire town of Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where among the lush trees, many exquisite mansions, winding paths, and secret gardens left by wealthy merchants who thrived in the Americas can be found.
From the Pena Palace, one can catch a glimpse of the Atlantic coastline, and from Cape Roca, the "end of the earth" in Europe, one can feel the winds blowing from the Atlantic Ocean even more clearly. The term "Roca" means rock, and a simple stone monument stands at the rocky point.
It is inscribed with numbers and verses: the numbers indicate the longitude and latitude, showing that this is the westernmost point of the European continent. The essence of the famous line by the Portuguese poet Camões, "Here the land ends, and the sea begins," is also infused within the vastness of the sea and sky.
Looking at the map, Portugal's territory resembles a barge docked at the edge of the European continent, with Cape Roca as its beautiful porthole. Chinese poets often prefer grand and earth-shattering imagery, while Portuguese poets favor sentimentality and warmth; "With seaweed on my head and seagulls on my shoulder" is their affectionate depiction of Cape Roca.
Cape Roca is indeed different from other places. Its steepness makes one feel that standing on the edge of the cliff could lead to peril at any moment; the unshielded wind is the most suspicious killer; and those waves that appear calm from a distance become passionate upon approach, shattering like emeralds, evoking the sentiment of "better to be shattered than to be broken."
Every traveler who visits can purchase a certificate for 5 euros. The certificate not only features a geographical map of Cape Roca and the coat of arms of Portugal but also boldly states, "This person has arrived at the westernmost point of the European continent."
Just a few kilometers east of Cape Roca is Cascais, Portugal's third-largest city. If you haven't heard of this city, you should know about the famous spy James Bond, right? Ian Fleming, the author of the Bond series, was a renowned British agent during World War II, and Cascais was one of his main workplaces.
At that time, Cascais was a gathering place for spies from various countries, hidden amidst the glitz and glamour, and was known as the "Spy Center." Fleming organized a spy team codenamed "30AU" here, making significant contributions to British intelligence during World War II.
After the war, Fleming returned to the place, and the beauty of Cascais and Cape Roca reignited his literary talent, leading to the creation of several novels about 007.
Today, more and more tourists are choosing to travel to Portugal. Last year, Chinese tourists spent an average of 935 euros per person in Portugal, becoming one of the strongest consumer groups in the country, surpassing the spending of tourists from Angola and Russia. This year, China also participated in the Lisbon Tourism Fair for the first time, indicating China's interest in the Portuguese tourism market.
At the end of 2012, Portugal launched the "Golden Residence Visa Program," allowing non-EU citizens to apply for permanent residency in Portugal by creating 10 direct jobs or purchasing real estate worth over 500,000 euros. Worldway immigration experts state that the real estate project of purchasing property in Portugal for 500,000 euros is undoubtedly the most attractive option for Chinese investors.
