The Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas ferry

What it is

It is the scheduled ferry that crosses the Tagus between Cais do Sodré, in Lisbon, and Cacilhas, on the south bank, in the municipality of Almada. It is run by Transtejo Soflusa, the public river transport company, and used daily by thousands of people who live on the other bank and work in the city. For you it is something else: the cheapest boat trip in Lisbon and the best way to see the city head-on, with the Baixa, St George's Castle high up and the 25 de Abril bridge on the right.

The crossing takes about ten minutes. There is no guide or commentary: you sit, look and in a quarter of an hour you are on the other side. If you want to see the whole of Lisbon from the water without paying for a tourist cruise, this is what you are looking for.

Where to catch it

In Lisbon, at the Cais do Sodré river terminal, next to the Cascais line train station and the green line metro stop. From Praça do Comércio it is about ten minutes' walk along the waterfront. Enter by the side of the terminal that says Cacilhas: boats to other destinations, such as Seixal or Montijo, leave from the same building.

At Cacilhas you disembark next to the bus terminal and the Almada surface light-rail stop, the Metro Sul do Tejo.

Timetable and frequency

Boats leave every 15 or 20 minutes during the day, more often at peak hours and less at night and at weekends. The full timetable and real-time departures are on the Transtejo Soflusa website: check it if you plan to come back late, because in the small hours the service thins out a lot.

Tickets and price

A single ticket costs €2. If you load zapping credit on the Navegante or Viva Viagem card, the trip comes to €1.60; the card itself costs €0.50 and also works for the metro, bus and tram. Children up to 5 travel free. Bicycles do not pay, and an animal over 5 kg pays €2.

You validate the card at the turnstiles in the terminal, as in the metro. With the same loaded card you can spend the whole day on public transport, including tram 28.

What to do in Cacilhas

When you get off, turn right and walk along Cais do Ginjal, a quay of old warehouses that runs at the foot of the cliff towards the bridge. It is a flat walk of about twenty minutes with Lisbon in front of you the whole time, and in the afternoon the sun sets behind the bridge. At the end of the quay, the Boca do Vento lift goes up to Almada's old town, with a viewpoint over the river.

At the top of Almada stands the sanctuary of Cristo Rei, which can be seen from all over Lisbon. If you want to go up to it, check opening times and access on its website before going; there is a bus from Cacilhas.

When to go and how long

Any day of the year. The prettiest light is at the end of the afternoon, when the sun goes down in the west and the city turns golden. Allow about two hours for the trip out, a walk along the Ginjal and the return. If you only want the boat, half an hour is enough.

With children it works very well: it is short, cheap and the boat has indoor space in case it is windy. Access to the terminal and the boat is level, suitable for pushchairs.

Combine it

From Cais do Sodré you are a step from the Baixa and one train stop from Belém. A good afternoon is to go up first to the viewpoints of Alfama and cross the river to see the same city from below.