# Costa da Caparica 15 km of Atlantic beaches across the Tagus, with surfing, grilled fish and a fossil cliff, half an hour from Lisbon by direct bus. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/portugal/lisbon-region/costa-da-caparica · Revisado: 2026-11-12 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. ## How do you get there from Lisbon? 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. ## Which beach should I choose? 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. ## Can you learn to surf? 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. ## What else is there to see? 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. ## Where to eat? 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. ## When should you go? 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. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Lisbon (a 12.0 km), Cascais and Estoril (a 17.1 km), Sintra (a 21.9 km), Sesimbra (a 25.0 km) ## Qué hacer - **Surf lesson at Praia de Santo António** (2 h · From age 6; swimming ability required · Desde 30 € per person): Costa da Caparica is Lisbon's surf beach: 15 km of sand open to the Atlantic, with small, regular waves on the central beaches, good for learning almost all year. Gecko Surf School has its school at Praia de Santo António, next to the bus terminal: the group lesson costs €30 for two hours, with board, wetsuit, insurance and instructor. Private lessons start at €80 and semi-private for two at €90. You need to be able to swim; children can start at age 6. If the sea is not right for a lesson, they move it to another day at no cost. Paid parking next to the beach; without a car, the 3708 bus drops you a few minutes away. - **The beaches of Costa da Caparica, from São João to Fonte da Telha** (4 h · Everyone; flags and lifeguards in summer · Free): Costa da Caparica is 15 km of continuous beach on the Atlantic shore of the Setúbal peninsula, a few minutes from Lisbon across the bridge. Those in the centre, in front of the town (Praia do CDS, Santo António, Tarquínio-Paraíso, Dragão Vermelho), are the liveliest and have a promenade, restaurants and surf schools. To the north, Praia de São João is quieter. To the south, the beaches of Mata and Castelo, under the pines, and at the end Fonte da Telha, at the foot of the fossil cliffs. All have, as Turismo de Lisboa puts it, beach bars and restaurants where you can order a jug of sangria, grilled fish and clams. In summer there are lifeguards and flags. With small children, stay on the central ones, with facilities at hand and the bus nearby. The north wind blows hard on many summer afternoons: go in the morning. - **Fossil Cliff, Mata dos Medos and Fonte da Telha beach** (2 h 30 · 6.5 km · Keen walkers; sand and slopes · Free): Behind the beach, the land rises in a sandstone cliff about 13 km long running parallel to the sea: it is the Arriba Fóssil, an old cliff that the sea stopped battering millennia ago, protected as a landscape since 1984. On top grows the Mata Nacional dos Medos, a pine wood that John V had planted in the 18th century to hold back the dunes and which is now a botanical reserve. The interpretation centre is on the Fonte da Telha forest road. A good walk joins the cliff edge, with views along the whole coast to Cabo Espichel, with Fonte da Telha, a former fishing settlement at the foot of the wall, where the beach is wilder than in the centre. There are trails of about 6 to 8 km. Without a car, buses 3012 (from Cacilhas) and 3030 reach Fonte da Telha. Do not go near the edge: the sandstone crumbles. - **Cristo Rei Sanctuary, the view of Lisbon from the other side** (1 h · Everyone; lift to the viewpoint · Desde 10 € per adult): The Cristo Rei of Almada looks at Lisbon from the south bank of the Tagus, next to the 25 de Abril Bridge. A lift goes up inside the pedestal to the viewpoint, with the best overall view of the city, the river and the bridge. It is a natural stop on the way to Costa da Caparica, about 15 minutes away. It is open every day: from October to March from 10:00 to 18:00 and from April to September from 10:00 to 19:00, with the last ascent 20 minutes earlier. The visit to the monument (Chapel of the Confidants, terrace and multimedia room) costs €10 from age 13, €3 from 8 to 12 and is free up to 7. The sanctuary grounds, the lower viewpoint and the café are free to enter; parking costs €2. - **Capuchos viewpoint, above the whole Costa da Caparica** (30 min · Everyone · Free): At the top of the cliff, above the town, the former Franciscan convent of the Capuchos has a viewpoint next to it from which you see the whole Costa da Caparica: the line of beaches to the south, the pine wood and, on clear days, the Sintra hills to the north. It is about five minutes by car from the centre, heading up towards Caparica. It is a good place for sunset before going back to Lisbon. - **Ferry from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas and the Ginjal walk** (1 h 30 · Everyone): The most beautiful way to reach the south bank is on the TTSL (Transtejo Soflusa) boat from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas: a ten-minute crossing with Lisbon, Praça do Comércio and the 25 de Abril Bridge in front of you. In Cacilhas, the Cais do Ginjal is a quay of old warehouses by the water with fish restaurants and views of Lisbon. From the Cacilhas terminal buses leave for Costa da Caparica and Fonte da Telha (line 3012). It is an alternative to the direct bus over the bridge, especially on summer Sundays, when the bridge jams up. ## Dónde comer - **O Barbas** (Restaurant, Costa da Caparica, €€). Qué pedir: the caldeirada, which is the house dish, or grilled fish to share; for dessert, the "delícia da praia". ## By car: Costa da Caparica by car 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. Presupuesto orientativo: 60–150 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **TRYP by Wyndham Lisboa Caparica Mar** (Hotel): On the front line, in the centre The TRYP Lisboa Caparica Mar is the big hotel of the Costa da Caparica beachfront, on Avenida General Humberto Delgado, a few steps from the sand and from the Lisbon bus terminal. It has 354 rooms over seven floors: doubles, twins, suites, superior rooms with sea views, six family rooms and seven adapted ones. What it has An outdoor pool, a spa, a gym and a play area for children. For eating there is the Horizonte restaurant, à la carte, with a panoramic view over the beach; Paparica, a buffet; a rooftop, the garden bar and the Red Dragon Beach Club, its beach bar on Praia do Dragão Vermelho, with an area reserved for guests. Garage, laundry, room service and babysitting on request. With a dog It accepts pets for a fee and gives them a welcome kit. - **Crowne Plaza Caparica Lisbon** (Spa hotel): Up high, with the coast at your feet The Crowne Plaza Caparica Lisbon is in Aldeia dos Capuchos, at the top of the cliff, next to the Capuchos convent and viewpoint, about 3 km from the beach and 15 km from the centre of Lisbon. From many rooms you can see the beaches of the Costa da Caparica. It has 227 rooms, 60 of them suites. What it has A spa with treatment rooms, a steam room, a sauna and a 25-metre indoor pool, an outdoor pool and a large gym. There is a restaurant, a bar and car hire. Lisbon airport is about 25 minutes away by car. Who it is for For those who come by car and want a spa and calm above the beach; to go down to the sand you need a car or a bus. - **Orbitur Camping Costa da Caparica** (Campsite): A campsite by the beach The Orbitur campsite in Costa da Caparica is in the north of the town, in Santo António da Caparica, 200 metres from the beach and about 20 km from Lisbon. It is open all year and has many permanent installations, because many Lisbon residents use it at weekends. What it has A large leisure area, common rooms, terraces, a minimarket and a snack bar restaurant. Paid parking and wifi. It is the cheapest option for sleeping by the sea near Lisbon, in a tent, caravan or motorhome. ## Car-free: Costa da Caparica without a car 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. Presupuesto orientativo: 50–120 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **TRYP by Wyndham Lisboa Caparica Mar** (Hotel): On the front line, in the centre The TRYP Lisboa Caparica Mar is the big hotel of the Costa da Caparica beachfront, on Avenida General Humberto Delgado, a few steps from the sand and from the Lisbon bus terminal. It has 354 rooms over seven floors: doubles, twins, suites, superior rooms with sea views, six family rooms and seven adapted ones. What it has An outdoor pool, a spa, a gym and a play area for children. For eating there is the Horizonte restaurant, à la carte, with a panoramic view over the beach; Paparica, a buffet; a rooftop, the garden bar and the Red Dragon Beach Club, its beach bar on Praia do Dragão Vermelho, with an area reserved for guests. Garage, laundry, room service and babysitting on request. With a dog It accepts pets for a fee and gives them a welcome kit. - **Orbitur Camping Costa da Caparica** (Campsite): A campsite by the beach The Orbitur campsite in Costa da Caparica is in the north of the town, in Santo António da Caparica, 200 metres from the beach and about 20 km from Lisbon. It is open all year and has many permanent installations, because many Lisbon residents use it at weekends. What it has A large leisure area, common rooms, terraces, a minimarket and a snack bar restaurant. Paid parking and wifi. It is the cheapest option for sleeping by the sea near Lisbon, in a tent, caravan or motorhome. ### Servicios - **Lisbon to Costa da Caparica buses (3708, 3709, 3710)**: Three direct Carris Metropolitana lines to the Costa da Caparica terminal, from Cais do Sodré, Marquês de Pombal and Areeiro - **Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas boat (TTSL)**: The Transtejo Soflusa boat crosses the Tagus between Cais do Sodré and Cacilhas; from there, buses to the coast ## By plane: Flying to Lisbon and taking the bus to Costa da Caparica 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. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **TRYP by Wyndham Lisboa Caparica Mar** (Hotel): On the front line, in the centre The TRYP Lisboa Caparica Mar is the big hotel of the Costa da Caparica beachfront, on Avenida General Humberto Delgado, a few steps from the sand and from the Lisbon bus terminal. It has 354 rooms over seven floors: doubles, twins, suites, superior rooms with sea views, six family rooms and seven adapted ones. What it has An outdoor pool, a spa, a gym and a play area for children. For eating there is the Horizonte restaurant, à la carte, with a panoramic view over the beach; Paparica, a buffet; a rooftop, the garden bar and the Red Dragon Beach Club, its beach bar on Praia do Dragão Vermelho, with an area reserved for guests. Garage, laundry, room service and babysitting on request. With a dog It accepts pets for a fee and gives them a welcome kit. - **Crowne Plaza Caparica Lisbon** (Spa hotel): Up high, with the coast at your feet The Crowne Plaza Caparica Lisbon is in Aldeia dos Capuchos, at the top of the cliff, next to the Capuchos convent and viewpoint, about 3 km from the beach and 15 km from the centre of Lisbon. From many rooms you can see the beaches of the Costa da Caparica. It has 227 rooms, 60 of them suites. What it has A spa with treatment rooms, a steam room, a sauna and a 25-metre indoor pool, an outdoor pool and a large gym. There is a restaurant, a bar and car hire. Lisbon airport is about 25 minutes away by car. Who it is for For those who come by car and want a spa and calm above the beach; to go down to the sand you need a car or a bus. ### Servicios - **Lisbon to Costa da Caparica buses (3708, 3709, 3710)**: Three direct Carris Metropolitana lines to the Costa da Caparica terminal, from Cais do Sodré, Marquês de Pombal and Areeiro - **Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas boat (TTSL)**: The Transtejo Soflusa boat crosses the Tagus between Cais do Sodré and Cacilhas; from there, buses to the coast ## As a family: Costa da Caparica with children 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. ### What works best The central beaches, with lifeguards and facilities A surf lesson, from age 6, with board and wetsuit Cristo Rei, a lift to the viewpoint, free up to age 7 The boat to Cacilhas, ten minutes over the Tagus ### Where to stay TRYP Lisboa Caparica Mar, family rooms and a play area Orbitur Camping, next to the beach ### Where to eat O Barbas, grilled fish and homemade desserts ### Bear in mind The north wind picks up in the afternoon in summer: beach in the morning On the fossil cliff, do not go near the edge ### Qué hacer as a family - Surf lesson at Praia de Santo António - The beaches of Costa da Caparica, from São João to Fonte da Telha - Fossil Cliff, Mata dos Medos and Fonte da Telha beach - Cristo Rei Sanctuary, the view of Lisbon from the other side - Capuchos viewpoint, above the whole Costa da Caparica - Ferry from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas and the Ginjal walk ## With teenagers: Costa da Caparica with teenagers 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. ### What works best Two-hour surf lessons, from €30 The central beaches, with more atmosphere The walk along the fossil cliff to Fonte da Telha The Cristo Rei viewpoint ### Where to stay TRYP Lisboa Caparica Mar, facing the beach ### Where to eat O Barbas, on the sand ### Bear in mind For surfing you need to be able to swim Red flags are frequent with a swell ### Qué hacer with teenagers - Surf lesson at Praia de Santo António - The beaches of Costa da Caparica, from São João to Fonte da Telha - Fossil Cliff, Mata dos Medos and Fonte da Telha beach - Cristo Rei Sanctuary, the view of Lisbon from the other side ## Consejos ### Head back before 17:00 in summer The 25 de Abril bridge jams on Sunday afternoons. ### Go by bus Parking on the beachfront in August is difficult and expensive. ### Beach in the morning The north wind rises after lunch. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How do you get from Lisbon to the Costa da Caparica without a car? 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. ### How long does it take? About half an hour by car without traffic. ### Which Costa da Caparica beach is best with children? Those in the centre, with lifeguards in summer, facilities and the bus nearby. ### How much does a surf lesson cost? From €30 for two hours in a group, with board and wetsuit, at Gecko Surf School. ### What is Fonte da Telha? The beach at the far south, a former fishing settlement at the foot of the fossil cliff, wilder than those in the centre. ### Can you sleep next to the beach? Yes: the TRYP Lisboa Caparica Mar is on the beachfront and the Orbitur campsite is 200 metres away.