Many places that thanks to the light of the lighthouses are natural indentations or projections of the coastline, although dangerous when the sea is rough, were sinister places before their existence and fed the most fertile minds. Therefore it is not surprising to see that many of them are associated with legends that involve tragedies and miracles.
Legend of N. Sra. da Pedra da Mua
In the interior of Ermida da Memória (Memory Chapel) – built in the 4th century to shelter an image of the Virgin that had been found on top of the cliff – in the sanctuary of Our Lady of the Cape there are 18th century tile panels featuring a very old local religious legend. According to the legend, a pilgrim had a vision of Our Lady brightly lit making her way to the top of the cliffs on the back of a mule, the footprints of which are still there to be seen. The marks of dinosaurs that exist on Cabo Espichel are represented on the tile panel and interpreted as the footprints of the mule. This is the earliest known illustration of dinosaur footprints.
