One of the main perks of living in Lisbon is its proximity to the beach, and not just one crowded beach, but miles and miles of coastline featuring dozens of individual stretches of sand, each with their own distinctive characteristics, culture and vibe.
Caparica is the closest coastline from the centre of Lisbon, so it tends to be the area we visit most. We live bang in the middle of Lisbon, near Estrela, and it takes us approximately 15 minutes to get to Caparica if the traffic isn’t too heavy. Not bad for a busy European capital, heh?!
It’s the perfect way for you to visit some of Lisbon’s beaches, without having to trek very far, making it a splendid day trip from Lisbon.
There are dozens of beaches for you to choose from in Caparica, from the trendy shores of Sao Joao to the more traditional Praia da Rainha. As you can imagine it gets busy on hot summer days, so parking can be a little hellish, which is why we tend to stick with the more ‘upmarket’ Sao Joao, not so much because we care to be seen in the place to be, but because there’s a huge carpark, where you can get a nice spot under the shade for only €3.50 (day rate). For me it’s money well spent.
Spend the day catching some rays, having a cold drink and snacking on caracois (snails!) and the freshest seafood by the bar and at about 6ish, make a quick dash to Cacilhas and enjoy a seafood dinner by the river, while you look over the sun going down behind Lisbon – my favourite view of the city.
For some more picture of Costa da Caparica, check out one of my favourite Caparica Instagram accounts: I Love Caparica.
What’s your favourite Lisbon beach?
