As you might know, Lisbon is one of the most visited cities in Europe for several reasons: the historical atmosphere, the tasty food, the famous yellow trams, the nightlife, among many others. However, if you are still not sure about whether to visit Lisbon or not, we will help you: we have amazing beaches!

In Portugal, the bathing season starts officially in June and usually ends in September, but if you visit Lisbon in April or October there’s a high possibility that you can go for a swim at one of our beaches. Lisbon has two main beach areas: Cascais Coastline and Costa da Caparica.

 

CASCAIS COASTLINE 

The coastline between Lisbon and Cascais is full of great and diferent sandy beaches! Take the train at Cais do Sodré and get off on the station that you think has the beach that you will like the most. The ticket can cost between 1,30€ to 2,20€ (each trip). Here’s some suggestions where you can stop:

Santo Amaro de Oeiras – A nice urban beach only 5 minutes by walk from the train station. Due to great acessibility and having some restaurants near by, this is one of the most chosen best beaches. If you want to take a break from the warm sun, do a picnic on the garden close by or go for a walk in Jardim do Palácio do Marquês de Pombal. Having the road Marginal side to side to the beach can be a disadvantage if you are looking to completly switch off the world.

Carcavelos – This beach is perfect for families: a big sand area with places to rest or play sports. If you are a surfer or would like to try it, sign up for a lesson in a surf school. Check useful info about Carcavelos Beach here!

Cascais – Start early in the morning and take a day trip to visit Cascais and the beach. Cascais is a small village with parks and museums and also a beach called Praia da Ribeira.

If laying on the sun for hours is not your thing, go for a walk on the “paredão” (walking and cycling path) and eat an ice cream!

Insiders tip: Try to buy the tickets for the train in advance because during most mornings in the summer, especially on hot and sunny days, the queues at Cais do Sodré station will be quite long both at the ticket counter and at the automatic machines.

 

COSTA DA CAPARICA

Go futher and visit the Costa da Caparica beaches, on the other side of the Tagus River. It can be easier if you have a car but, if not, there is several options to get to the central beaches of Costa:

DIRECT:
– Bus 153 at Praça de Espanha
– Bus 155 at Marquês de Pombal
– Bus 161 at Praça do Areeiro

All this buses belong to TST company. You can buy directly the ticket on the bus and the price can go up to 4,65€ (each trip).

 

NON DIRECT: 
– At Cais do Sodré charge your Viva Viagem or 7 Colinas card with zapping or single tickets for 1,25€ each trip. Take the boat to Cacilhas, it only takes around 10 min but it’s fun to do. After, take the TST bus 124 or the bus 135 (faster), both with the direction Costa da Caparica.

Once you get there, you have tons of possibilities to choose from! It just depends on much you are willing to walk. Since the beaches are bigger, here you will have a lot of space just for you. These beaches are close to the busy Rua dos Pescadores (Fishermen Street) with diferent kinds of restaurants and little shops.

Insiders tip: Lisboners LOVE spending a full day at the beach. Either swimming, getting a tan, playing volleyball or cards, or eating the cake “bolas de berlim” or even cooked snails in a restaurant (yes, we do eat snails as tapas!), we never get bored at our beautiful beaches! Be prepared like a Lisboner to the sun: don’t forget the sun towel, an umbrella and sunscreen and just enjoy your day in one of our Lisbon beaches!

Let us know which are your favorite Lisbon beaches on social media. We’d love to hear from you! #caravelonwheels #bestlisbonbeaches