On the hill just above Praia das Maçãs. Something extraordinary has been quietly waiting in the ground.

The Alto da Vigia. High Lookout. A Roman sanctuary dedicated to the Sun, the Moon and the Ocean. Active from around 140 AD onwards.

And this was no ordinary place of worship. The inscriptions found here were not left by common people. They were dedicated by governors of Lusitania (the roman name for this land) and the highest ranks of the Roman Empire. Coming to the very western edge of their known world to honour the sky above the Atlantic.

Centuries later, the Moors arrived. Building not one but two Islamic ribat mosques on the very same spot. Using Roman stones to do so. One sacred purpose replaced by another.

The site has been know since 1505. Excavations only began in 2008.

Layer upon layer. Right there above the beach. Hidden for centuries beneath the sand. Who knows how much deeper the origin may be?

Sintra never stops surprising us with mystery.