Best Beach Towns Near Lisbon, Portugal
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When I moved to Portugal, finding the best beaches and beach towns near Lisbon was one of my top priorities.
While there’s plenty to do in the city, there’s nothing like getting the heck out of town and smelling ocean salt water!
My Favorite Beach Towns Near Lisbon
🏖️ Azenhas do Mar – I love it because the coastline views can’t be matched, and it’s not over-commercialized yet. It’s also a great spot to pair with a visit to Sintra and Cabo da Roca.
🏖️ Cascais – Hands down, Cascais is the cutest, richest, and prettiest of the beach towns near Lisbon, and only a 30-minute train ride away from the city. It almost feels curated to me, a bit like Santa Barbara in Cali, but make it European.
🏖️ Ericeira – One of the bigger surfer towns in Portugal, it gives a hippie feel, with tons of cozy coffee shops and Hurley surf gear stores. It’s super popular in the winter months as well, when the big wave season hits!
My Favorite Beaches Near Lisbon
☀️ Costa da Caparica – a local and my go-to, best for beach clubs & amazing seafood restaurants, my favorite being La Princesa (which is chill at night and family-friendly during the day).
☀️ Praia do Guincho – white sand beach near Sintra, with plenty of space – pretty sure this is one of the largest beaches in Portugal and a great spot to see surfers!
☀️ Praia de Galapinhos – in the Arrabida National Park south of Lisbon, a bit of a hidden gem, super beautiful and quiet beach! I also love hiking in this area, tons of trails in the National Park.
If you’re trying to decide which is the best beach town near Lisbon for you, here’s my recommendation:
- For a classic, upscale beach town with everything → Cascais
- For a dramatic coastline (and my fave) → Azenhas do Mar
- For long sandy beaches & beach clubs → Costa da Caparica
- For world-class surfing & a cool vibe → Ericeira
- For a quieter, more family vibe town (and closest to Lisbon) → Estoril
Best Beach Towns Near Lisbon
Here are my top 3 favorite beach towns near Lisbon with a few personal insights on where to eat and what to do around them. You bet I had the best time doing my due diligence research for this article!
✅ Azenhas do Mar: Most Scenic
Perched on a cliffside overlooking the Atlantic, Azenhas do Mar is one of the most breathtaking beach towns near Lisbon and my favorite.
Azenhas is tiny, but worth visiting, especially if paired with a coastal walk from Cabo de Roca and Praia de Ursa – it’s one of the most stunningly beautiful and easy hikes you’ll do around Lisbon. I think I’ve been out here every weekend in January, it’s that pretty (rain or shine).
One of my favorite spots to have lunch is at the famous restaurant underneath the cliffs Azenhas do Mar Restaurante – the fish dishes and the Portuguese wine pairings are amazing. If you have not tried an Alvarinho white wine with a baked octopus, this is what I recommend.
🚗 How to Get There? 45 minutes by car from Lisbon, which is more my style. Alternatively, you can book a full-day Sintra and Cabo da Roca tour, which might include heading to the cute viewpoint of Azenhas do Mar.
✅ Cascais: All Around Stunning
Cascais is the perfect blend of beautiful beaches, great restaurants, and a lively yet relaxed vibe.
It’s easy to reach from Lisbon (40 min by train from Lisbon’s Cais do Sodré station), has a charming old town you can shop and stroll through, and has both sandy little beaches and a rugged coastline.
My best beaches around Cascais are Praia da Rainha (small & scenic), Praia da Conceição (lively & central), and Guincho Beach (surfing & wild beauty), which his one of my personal favorites.
As far as restaurants, I love Tasca Da Vila because there are always little old Portuguese locals eating there – plus their sardines are chunky and delicious!
PRO TIP: Around sunset time, you can walk or take an Uber from the town center to see the famous Boca do Inferno.
✅ Ericeira: Surfer Central
Ericeira is a fishing village turned world-class surf town with a laid-back vibe, great cliffs, and some of the best coffee shops for a tiny village that I’ve ever seen in Portugal.
PRO TIP: I recommend renting a car to get to Ericeira. It’s the easiest 45-minute drive you’ll make, plus it’s scenic.
My favorite beaches nearby are Praia dos Pescadores, which is pretty calm, and Praia São Julião, which is a bit more wild and beautiful.
Best Beaches Near Lisbon
Within six months, with the help of my local and highly active expat friends, I’ve arrived at this curated list of the most beautiful beaches for surfing, sunsets, and tons of seafood in and around Lisbon.
☀️ Costa de Caparica: My Favorite
Caparica is a long, white sand beach south of Lisbon across the bridge, and is probably my number one choice in the summer. Because it’s huge, there’s space for everyone, and thank god, because this is pretty popular for most Lisbon locals.
My favorite spots along Caparica are Buya Beach Club, Princesa Beach Club, and the little town of Fonte da Telha, where the vibe is more Portuguese with fewer expats.
The beach clubs are great for long lunches and renting loungers with umbrellas, but we usually bring a cooler full of food and drinks and park it just outside the clubs so you can still hear the DJ and music.
At night, these beach clubs usually have DJ sets on the beach as the sun is setting, and I have not enjoyed living in Lisbon as much as ending the night on the Caparica Coast with my friends as the sun sets.
The further you get away from the beach restaurants, the more quiet and the fewer people you’ll find, so it’s great for families with kids, or anyone looking to mind their own business and be left alone in the sun!
🚗 Getting There: Caparica is a 30-minute drive from Lisbon, and an Uber from the city center costs about $25. I usually aim for Princesa Beach Club or the little beach town of Fonte da Telha.
☀️ Praia de Galapinhos (Arrabida): Naturally Beautiful
Praia de Galapinhos is a stunning, more secluded beach in the Arrábida Natural Park (where I usually go hiking), about an hour south of Lisbon. It has pretty golden sand, clear bright blue waters, and a mountainous backdrop, which makes me think I’m in the Mediterranean.
This is a calm, very Instagrammable cove, ideal for swimming, snorkeling, and relaxing. It’s one of the least populated beaches on my list.
The water is pretty calm with very small waves, making it safe for kids to swim, but there are no lifeguards. The beach access also involves a bit of a hike down a dirt path, so if you’re traveling with small children or strollers, it might not be the easiest beach to access.
I usually bring a bunch of beach snacks and beer, but just in case, I love O Farol nearby for lunch. After lunch, I love to walk it off by heading to Lapa de Santa Margarida. It’s a little cove about 30 30-minute walk away, with some pretty views – you are walking on the street for a little bit, but it’s Europe, so everyone will be doing it.
🚗 Getting There: Praia de Galapinhos is about 50 km (31 miles) from Lisbon, roughly a 1-hour drive depending on traffic. The easiest way to reach Galapinhos is by renting a car. The beach parking is packed in the summer and fall seasons, so arrive early. I usually try to be there by 9 am.
☀️ Praia da Adraga: Best for Surfers
Praia da Adraga is a bit of a drive up north of Lisbon in the Sintra area, but holy shit, it’s pretty. Unlike the calm coves of the Arrábida Coast region, Adraga has a more untamed feel, perfect for surfers and people who will sit on the beach admiring the waters and the nature around them.
Don’t get me wrong, while the wind and waves are giving surf vibes, I still go in the water, but just to my waist. There’s a small café nearby, but no lifeguards, so keep an eye on the younger babies.
I usually make this a whole day event, pack up a rental car with hiking gear, a cute outfit to change for dinner, and my beach stuff. Restaurante de Adraga is great for a fresh fish lunch while you’re on the beach.
After a day at Adraga Beach, I like to change and head up to a little hidden gem Bar Do Fondo for dinner and sunset – just a heads up, you will need a reservation. Another great option nearby is Michelin-rated Restaurante Nortada.
🚗 Getting There: Praia do Adraga is about 45 km (28 miles) from Lisbon, roughly a 40-50 minute drive. It’s close to Sintra, so it’s a great beach to pair with a visit to the town for half a day. Renting a car is the best option. Parking is available but fills up quickly in summer, and a heads up, the last stretch of the drive is through narrow, winding roads.
☀️ Praia do Guincho: Largest Beach
Praia do Guincho is another big beach about 50 minutes north of Lisbon. It is part of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, and so you can see the stunning Serra de Sintra hills in the background.
The water is clean, clear, and the dark blue only the Atlantic can serve up. I will warn you that the wind can be quite strong sometimes, and so the waves are great for surfers for that very reason.
My favorite thing to do is take a day trip up to Praia do Guincho for a morning sunbathing session and then have a late lunch at the local restaurant Estrela da Serra.
Around sunset, I would drive (or take an Uber) to Cabo de Roca and call it a day well spent on the Portuguese coast.
🚗 Getting There: You can take the train from Lisbon Cais de Sodre station to Cascais (last stop), and then take a taxi to Praia do Guincho. From Lisbon to Praia do Guincho Beach is about 50 minutes, and the Uber should be about $30. For this beach though, I would rent a car.
☀️ Praia do Estoril: Best For Families
Praia do Estoril is a smaller sandy beach along the Cascais coastline, just 30 minutes west of Lisbon, and you can take the train right to it.
I would say that this is one of the best family-friendly beaches near Lisbon, and where my friends with little kids go. The waves are usually gentle, the sand is soft, and there are plenty of restaurants, cafes, folks renting sunbeds, and lifeguards in the summer.
🚆 Getting There: Praia do Estoril is about 25 km (15 miles) from Lisbon, and it’s one of the easiest beaches to reach from the city. The best way to get there is by TRAIN. Take the Cascais train line from Lisbon’s Cais do Sodré station (about 35 minutes) that runs along the coast, and get off at Estoril.
How To Get To The Beach Towns Near Lisbon
You have three options to getting anywhere near Lisbon – by train, by Uber, or by renting a car for the day.
The easiest way to get to Cascais is by train. There’s a direct Lisbon – Cascais train line from Cais de Sodre train station.
The best way to get to most of the other towns or beaches is by taking an Uber from the city center.
As an example, a 30-minute Uber from Lisbon to Costa da Caparica is about €25.
We usually split the cost among the group and don’t have to worry about renting a car or taking public transportation.
❌ PRO TIP: Public transportation is not great for getting to these beaches or beach towns.
Of course, another option is to rent a car for the day. I do this sometimes, and use Discover Cars to check prices and get good deals quickly – I usually go with Centauro Car Company because of their great service and ratings!
When To Go To The Lisbon Coast
Final Thoughts: Which Beach Town Is For Me?
- For a classic beach town with everything → Cascais
- For a quieter, more family vibe town (and closest to Lisbon) → Estoril
- For world-class surfing & a cool vibe → Ericeira
- For a dramatic coastline → Azenhas do Mar
- For long sandy beaches & local surf culture → Costa da Caparica
