Boca do Inferno, Central Portugal, Portugal

5Carol 5:00 PM Apr 17, 2022

I Saw the Mouth of Hell And I was fascinated by it…
Boca do Inferno (the Mouth of Hell) is a mesmerizing place! This maritime attraction is located along the coast on the western edge of Cascais. Although still a fishing community, much of Cascais’ village charm has been replaced by hotels, restaurants, cafes, and fashionable shops. In the summer, the city is overcome with tourists from all over the world who are attracted to the weather, the beaches, the natural attractions, and the vibe. The Mouth of Hell is what remains of an ancient cave that protrudes out towards the raw Atlantic Ocean in the form of an arch. When the ocean is calm, the strong waves move lazily through. But when the ocean is angry (or even just a little agitated), the tidal waves become oversized and crash up, into and through this space. You wouldn’t survive if you got caught up in it. From the Cascais Marina, it is a mostly flat, easy walk which may take about 20-30 minutes. Along the walk there are spectacular ocean views. Hotels and homes line the opposite side of the road. There are also bicycle and pedestrian paths along this route. It’s also easily reachable by car with parking available at the site. You’ll also find a variety of small shops selling souvenirs, food, and gift items (most take cash only) as well as a couple of restaurants. There are public restrooms (marked WC) next to the parking lot.

5neil_hun 5:00 PM Feb 21, 2020

Dramatic and mesmerising
Located about 1km from Cascais, it's an easy walk (there's a flat path that hugs the coastline all the way from the marina). Leading up to the Boca do Inferno, there are a series of cliff faces and rock formations being battered by waves, which give you a taste of what's to come. The Boca do Inferno itself is one of those curious naturally formed rock formations that couldn't have been hand-sculpted any better. It's effectively a lagoon with almost vertical rock faces surrounding it, save for an archway (the boca/mouth) at one end. This acts as a funnel for huge waves to come crashing into the lagoon, which creates a swirl of white water. We were mesmerised for 15 minutes, waiting for the next big wave to come crashing in, while marvelling at the birds that would swoop through the archway and perch just out of reach from the incoming waves. If you wanted to sum up the power of the ocean in one place, the Boca is a pretty good candidate.