How To Reach
The Beaches
From The Apartment
Going to the beach from Lisbon is not difficult and the beaches are not far from the city. As you know Lisbon is beside the Tejo river, which turns into the Atlantic Ocean along the Cascais coastlineAs you know Lisbon is beside the Tejo river, so the little “urban beaches” you can find in Praça do Comercio or Cais do Sodré are not suitable for swimming. So, if you want a real Atlantic ocean beach experience that you can reach by public transport, you have basically two options:
1) The Cascais coastline
You can easily reach Cais do Sodré from the apartment taking the metro green line in Baixa-Chiado to Cais do Sodré (just one station) or simply walking down the hill from Chiado.
You have several other good beaches, but Carcavelos (a short walk from the station), and Estoril and Cascais (beaches very near the station) are maybe the best ones in terms of access and services.
2) Beaches of Costa da Caparica
Caparica offers wilder and wider beaches than the Cascais line, but you have to cross the river to get there.
The main difference is that in the Cascais coastline the Ocean is a bit calmer (excluding the surfing spots in Guincho and Carcavelos), while in Caparica the beaches are bigger, wider, and a little bit wilder. In terms of facilities, along the Cascais line, in almost every beach it is possible to rent sun umbrellas and sun beds and there are plenty of cafés, bars and restaurants along the beach, while in the Caparica area there are less of these options, but also much more space around you! On the other hand, in Cascais or Estoril if you get tired of the beach you can always take a walk in the very pleasant city centre of Cascais, or visit other attractions in Cascais, while in Caparica there is very little to see beside the beach.
If you choose the Cascais coastline, read how to reach it here.
If you choose the Caparica option, the best solution is to get a bus at Areeiro Bus station. Areeiro is on the metro green line, and can be reached simply taking the metro in Santa Apolonia, 5 minutes walking from the apartment where you take the blue line until Baixa-Chiado, where you switch to the green line.
A single ticket costs €3.20 and is purchased from the driver, TST do not use the Viva Viagem card system. The journey takes between 40-60 minutes depending on the traffic in Lisbon and terminates at Costa da Caparica bus station.
You can find the timetable of the 161 bus here. It has been translated to English by us.
At Areeiro Square, it can be tricky to clearly identify the exact departure location of the 161 TST bus, so, if in doubt ask for the bus to Coast da Caparica.
The bus station in Coast da Caparica is 500 m from the beach and is 1 km south of the main resort centre. The bus station is very easy to navigate and all services are clearly displayed above the bus stands, and at beach stop there is a clear timetable.
The centre of Costa da Caparica is pretty basic and anodyne. The beaches are very big and beautiful but the first ones you can find when you arrive to Costa da Caparica bus stop might be very crowded in summer. We suggest to try the Transpraia train: this is a regular little train service from Caparica to various beaches along the coast. The “train” is totally open, so you can enjoy the trip through the natural reserve and the full extention of the 10 km of beaches in Caparica, through the countryside to all types of great beaches and bars. Worth stopping at the Waikiki bar and relative beach. The train is right at the end of the main beach away from the town of Caparica itself.
Every trip costs 8 Euros return. The stops are numbered but no numbers to be seen or mentioned by the train guy who collects the fares, so ask to locals.
Number 19 is the gay naturist beach. If you do not fancy naked men, we suggest beaches number 14 (Praia da Morena) or number 17, where you can enjoy kitesurfing or watching kitesurfers in action. Most of these beaches have restaurants that stay open for dinner.
The train stops at the end of Sept/early October and depart from Caparica at 30 minutes past the hour. The very last stop of the train is the Fonte da Telha village and beach. Nothing specially worthy
The train stops at the end of Sept/early October and depart from Caparica at 30 minutes past the hour.
The very last stop of the train is the Fonte da Telha village and beach. Nothing specially worthy because it is easily accessed by car and it can be more crowded and dirty than the other beaches.
Our tip is to bring some warmer clothes: on the Atlantic Ocean sometimes you might go through windy days which turn quite fresher at sunset time (but still, if you can, do not miss the sunset on the beach).
Also, if you come from a country where sea waters are calm and warm, or if you are used to the Mediterranean Sea, you might find the Ocean quite wild and chilly. Be very careful when swimming: always choose a beach with “baywatch” service, and never leave children unattended playing in the water: the currents are stronger than they look.