Best Beaches Near Lisbon Portugal

One of the best things about Lisbon besides its beautiful parks, incredible museums, and delicious restaurants is the city’s proximity to amazing beaches. If you’re in Lisbon, you can be on a beach in under 30 minutes – and that’s both by car or by train. If you’re coming to Lisbon and you need some vitamin “Sea”, check out our choices for the best beaches near Lisbon.

Best Beaches Near Lisbon

Praia de Meco (45 minutes by car) If you’re into pristine beaches that go on forever, this is the beach for you. There are no crappy shops, no restaurants, and nothing around. The beach is located in the Serra de Arrabida national park, as you can imagine…it’s gorgeous. There are swimmable, calm waters as well as rougher waters that surfers love…and you may run into a few people in their birthday suits…don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Playa De Albarquel (45 minutes by car) I’ve got to pop in a disclaimer here. There are better beaches in Setubal, but this beach is fabulous (especially since you can get there by foot – it’s a walk, but it is doable). The water here is crystal clear AND it is super calm. There’s a bus that takes you from Setubal’s center – which is usually a good idea – parking is hellish there in the Summer. On a good note, it’s near Setubal, so you can enjoy the city after the beach and drink some tasty Muscatel. Praia de Carcavelos (30 minutes by train) This one is pretty popular with Lisboetas since it’s easily reached from the Cais do Sodre train station on the Lisbon-Cascais line. It’s almost 1 mile of soft, golden sand; but the downfall is that it does get pretty crowded, especially on Summer weekends. The water is cold (as is much of the water in Portugal), clean, and quite refreshing on a hot summer day. Unlike Meco where you need to do some walking to get to a solid restaurant, there are plenty of cafes and bars on the beach so you can grab a snack. Your trip from Cais do Sodre to Carcavelos will cost you 1.95. Praia da Conceição, Cascais (45 min by train) This beach is conveniently close to the train station, clean, sandy and offers calm waters for swimming. It is right in the middle of Cascais, an upper and upper-middle-class town (feel free to ask us about the tias de Cascais) with tons of restaurants and shopping. If you’re from NYC, it’s like if Westchester became a beach tow. What I like here is that once you’re done with your beach adventure, you can go shopping, check out beautiful mansions or walk the promenade. You can also check out the Fortaleza nearby. You can drive here or take the train from Cais do Sodre.

Costa da Caparica (30 minutes by bus, 20 by car) This is basically right across from Lisbon. It has none of the charms of Cascais, but the beaches are seriously long (14 miles/24km). If you want a quiet spot on the beach, just walk a little longer and you’ll find it. If you like to surf, this is a good choice for you, there are usually decent sized waves. As you walk the beach, you will see plenty of fishing boats and their haul. Meco beach is officially a part of Caparica, but I think it’s the nicest part, so that’s why it gets a separate listing here. If you have kids or want to be near restaurants and other amenities, stay near the actual town of Costa da Caparica. It’s quite touristy, but there are plenty of restaurants and things to do. This is also where the bus stops. You can take the bus at the Campo Pequeno stop. Praia Sao Pedro (35 minutes by train) São Pedro do Estori is a really nice, sandy beach with clean water and it’s very close to the train station. It’s not the calmest water – which is great if you like to surf or body board. The beach is smaller than most, but the cliffs in the area make for Instagram gold. While it’s not the best beach for swimming, there are smaller rock pools where kids can safely play in the water. To get here, grab the Lisbon to Cascais train from Cais do Sodre. This will cost you  €2.05 ( so double that to come back). Praia do Tamariz, Estoril (train 40 min by train) Estoril is probably one of the most chi-chi towns near Lisbon. There’s a famed casino, a beautiful medieval castle, tons of hotels and resorts, and a huge beach. The water here is calm, so if you like to swim, this one is for you. This beach also has lifeguards during the on-season. It’s pretty popular, so get there early so you can claim your spot on the sand. The beach is directly in front of the park and casino and just a quick ride from the train. If you want to check something really cool out, head over to the Piscina Oceânica do Estoril, it’s an ocean swimming pool (and the water tends to be a touch warmer there). Parking in Estoril is nightmarish, so unless you’re willing to pay for a parking deck, just take the train. Praia do Creiro aka. Portinho da Arrábida (1 hour by car) Another fantastic beach in Setubal. This one takes a little longer to get to, but it is worth every second. It’s got a sandy beach, calm waters and the view of the white mountain is superb. To get there, you do need to take a long staircase, so make sure to wear comfortable non-slip shoes. One downfall is the lack of public bathrooms. If the call of nature comes, you will need to go to one of the cafeterias nearby. It’s so pretty, that this beach is worth it. Praia de Guincho (30 minutes by car) If you’re a surfer, you’re going to love this beach, the Atlantic waves here are huge. If you’re a photographer, you will too. It’s located at the Serra da Sintra National Park and because of this, there is little to no development. While I’m not a huge fan of this beach (I love calm, swimmable waters), it is quite nice to at least see. The easiest way to get here is by car, but you can also take a bus (405 or 415) from Cascais bus station. These buses take 35 minutes from Cascais and cost  2.25 (buy the tickets on the bus). To travel to Guincho by public transport from Lisbon requires a train and bus ride. The train journey connects Lisbon to the resort town of Cascais and departs from the Cais do Sodré train station in Lisbon (green metro line). The train journey is 30 minutes and a single ticket costs €2.15. It’s not the most convenient trip, so make sure to plan ahead or just drive. Praia da Adraga – 50 minutes by car You’ll take some of the most beautiful pictures here. There are gorgeous cliffs, glowing sand, and beautiful waters. However, to see this beauty, you need to go off-season when there are fewer people there. There is no public transportation to here, so you will need to rent a car. At the beach, there is a cafe and a few restaurants and a public bathroom. It’s also not so far from Sintra, so you can drive there afterwards for a good meal. Praia das Maçãs – 45 minutes by car If you have little ones, this beach will quickly become a favorite. There is a small city with a small beach that includes a saltwater pool. The nearby town is picturesque and has a fantastic market. Best part, there’s a tram that goes directly from Sintra to the beach. However, the tram only runs Fri-Sun and gets pretty packed during the Summer months.  If you want to make a weekend out of it, there are plenty of hotels to pick from. IMHO driving there is the best option. Because the water in Portugal is so darn cold all year round, the salt water pool is a much better option if you are looking for warm waters. Bicas Beach – 45 minutes by car A clean and quiet beach for you to visit. There is usually plenty of parking and there are also cafes and restaurants to eat at. You will have to climb stairs to get down to the beach, but they’re pretty easy to use. Make sure to bring umbrellas since there’s really no respite from the sun. It also tends to get busy, so get there early!

PRO TIP: If you are coming to Lisbon for a week or two, pick up a Beach Pass or another discounted pass from the Comboios de Portugal. This is a 7-day pass that lets you take the train as often as you want for just €12. There is also a daily pass for  €6.00 that will also let you go to Sintra. All this could change, so just ask at the ticket window when you go to purchase your Via Viagem card.

Did I miss one of your favorite beaches? Let me know in th comments below 😀