38.64° N · 9.24° W
15 km of Atlantic beaches across the Tagus, with surfing, grilled fish and a fossil cliff, half an hour from Lisbon by direct bus.
What to do
Each plan says how long it takes, who it's for and whether you can book.
Two-hour beginners' lesson with board and wetsuit, at the beach nearest to Lisbon with waves all year · 2 h · From €30
15 km of sand across the Tagus, with grilled-fish beach bars and a different atmosphere on each stretch · Half a day · Free
18th-century pine wood above a 13 km cliff and a descent to the fishing beach of Fonte da Telha · 2–3 h · Free
Itineraries
Days and weekends already planned out, with how to get between each stop and who to book with.
Plan the trip
Each choice narrows the next: the season shapes how best to travel, and how you travel decides where you stay and where you eat.
When to go
From June to September for swimming, with cool Atlantic water and a north wind in the afternoon. Surf works almost all year, and in spring and autumn the southern beaches are almost empty.
How you travel
Choose how you're travelling and we'll tell you where to stay, how to get around, where to eat and which services you'll need. We only show the ways of travelling that make sense here.
By car you cross the 25 de Abril Bridge and in half an hour you are on the sand. With a car you can string together Cristo Rei, the Capuchos viewpoint and the southern beaches as far as Fonte da Telha. On summer Sundays the bridge jams on the way back: leave the beach before 17:00 or after dinner.
Without a car it is even easier: three direct buses from Lisbon drop you next to the beach, and the return on a Sunday saves you the bridge jam. For a change, go by boat to Cacilhas and continue by bus.
Costa da Caparica is Lisbon's beach: it is about 20 km from the centre, across the 25 de Abril Bridge, and Humberto Delgado airport has direct flights from the main cities in Spain. By hire car you arrive in about 30 minutes from the airport; without a car, take the metro to Marquês de Pombal or Cais do Sodré and one of the direct buses.
Who you're with
A trip with a toddler is not the same as one with a teenager. Pick yours to see what works and what to bear in mind.
A long beach, surf lessons from age 6 and a direct bus from Lisbon: Costa da Caparica is the simplest beach getaway with children from the city.
For teenagers, the Costa is surf and atmosphere: schools on the sand, waves almost all year and a beach town with life. At 15 or 16 they can go and come back on their own on the direct bus from Lisbon.
Where to stay
We show you what suits the way you travel.Change how you travel
Why we like it: Four-star hotel facing the beach, in the centre of Costa da Caparica, with a pool, spa, beach club and family rooms. Dogs welcome.
Why we like it: Four-star hotel at the top of Caparica, next to the Capuchos convent, with a spa, a 25 m indoor pool and views over the beaches.
Why we like it: Campsite 200 m from the beach and 20 km from Lisbon, open all year, with a minimarket and a bar-restaurant.
Services for this trip
Areas, for any way of travelling
| Area | Who it's for | Average night |
|---|---|---|
| Centre | Beachfront, bus terminal, surf schools | |
| Southern beaches | Mata, Castelo and Fonte da Telha, beneath the cliff | |
| Capuchos | Viewpoint over the coast | |
| Almada | Cristo Rei and Cacilhas, on the way |
Where to eat
From set lunch menus to Michelin stars. We mark the price level and what to order at each place.
What to order: the caldeirada, which is the house dish, or grilled fish to share; for dessert, the "delícia da praia".
Map
The places to stay and services on the map are the ones for the way you travel. Turn on the layers you want and tap a point to see its details.
Nearby
The closest places, whichever country they are in.
38.73° N · 9.15° W
Car-freeBackpackingLuxuryBy carBy plane
38.70° N · 9.42° W
Car-freeBy carBy plane
38.80° N · 9.39° W
Car-freeLuxuryOn footBackpacking
38.44° N · 9.10° W
By carCar-freeBy plane
Tips
The 25 de Abril bridge jams on Sunday afternoons.
Parking on the beachfront in August is difficult and expensive.
The north wind rises after lunch.
The Costa da Caparica is Lisbon's beach. It begins just across the 25 de Abril bridge and runs for 15 km of unbroken Atlantic sand, from Praia de São João to Fonte da Telha, with a fossil cliff and a pine forest behind. In the middle, a beach town with surf schools and beach bars serving grilled fish; further south, beaches that get ever quieter. A direct bus runs from Lisbon and in half an hour you are lying on your towel.
By car, over the 25 de Abril bridge and the A33 motorway towards the Costa: about 20 km and half an hour without traffic. The problem is a summer Sunday: from 17:00 the return over the bridge jams up, so come back before or after dinner.
Without a car, Carris Metropolitana has three direct lines to the Costa bus terminal, a few steps from the sand: the 3708 from Cais do Sodré, the 3709 from Marquês de Pombal and the 3710 from Areeiro. Another way, prettier, is to cross the Tagus on the TTSL boat from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas (ten minutes) and continue by bus. If you fly from Spain, from the airport you take the metro to any of those stops.
It depends what you are after. Those in the centre (CDS, Santo António, Tarquínio-Paraíso, Dragão Vermelho) have a promenade, restaurants, lifeguards in summer and surf schools: they are the ones for families and for anyone arriving by bus. To the north, São João is quieter. To the south, the forest road passes the beaches of Mata and Castelo, among pines and dunes, as far as Fonte da Telha, a former fishing settlement at the foot of the cliff; buses 3012 and 3030 go there.
Yes, it is one of the best places in Portugal to start. The beaches in the centre have small, regular waves almost all year and the sand is full of schools. At Gecko Surf School, on Praia de Santo António, a two-hour group lesson with board and wetsuit costs €30, and children can start at age 6. You must be able to swim.
Behind the beach rises the Arriba Fóssil, an old 13 km cliff protected since 1984, with a pine forest planted in the 18th century, the Mata dos Medos: there are trails with views of the whole coast as far as Cabo Espichel. At the top, the Capuchos viewpoint is the place for sunset. And on the way from Lisbon, the Cristo Rei in Almada has a lift to a viewpoint with the best overall view of the city and the bridge.
On the sand. The beach restaurants serve grilled fish, clams and caldeiradas; O Barbas, on Praia do CDS, is the best known, open daily except Wednesday.
From June to September for swimming; the water is cool, as in all of the Portuguese Atlantic, and on many summer afternoons the north wind blows, so the morning is the best time. Surf works almost all year. In spring and autumn the southern beaches are almost empty and the walk along the cliff is more pleasant.
Questions
On the direct buses 3708 (Cais do Sodré), 3709 (Marquês de Pombal) or 3710 (Areeiro) of Carris Metropolitana, or by boat to Cacilhas and then a bus.
About half an hour by car without traffic.
Those in the centre, with lifeguards in summer, facilities and the bus nearby.
From €30 for two hours in a group, with board and wetsuit, at Gecko Surf School.
The beach at the far south, a former fishing settlement at the foot of the fossil cliff, wilder than those in the centre.
Yes: the TRYP Lisboa Caparica Mar is on the beachfront and the Orbitur campsite is 200 metres away.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/lisbon-region/costa-da-caparica
