8 of the Best Beaches in Alfama

Caparica itself is a lively if not particularly pretty town whose overwhelming popularity with holidaying locals from Lisbon and the surrounding area rests largely on the access she offers to some ten kilometres of sandy beach.

The beach, known as Costa da Caparica, is backed by acacia and eucalyptus trees and home to a string of campsites, packed out during the summer months.

The first five kilometres of...

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Praia de Paço de Arcos is one of several sandy beaches that line the broad River Tejo as it leaves Lisbon to empty into the Atlantic. Like the other beaches it is backed by the busy N6 "Marginal" road and also within a couple of minutes walk of the nearest station on the Lisbon-Cascais train line. The downside of all this is that the water quality here is quite bad and personally I wouldn't swim here.

The beach itself is actually pretty pleasant. In fact there are two beaches...

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Beach 19 lies between the more traditionally named Praia da Bela Vista and Praia Fonte da Telha in Costa da Caparica. Just across the bridge from Lisbon this massive stretch of sandy coast is widely regarded as a beachgoer's paradise. 

Before we go on it is worth explaining the name of this beach. The beaches of Costa Caparica are served by a miniature train known as the "Transpraia" which runs from the town at the northern end, all the way to Fonte da Telha about 10 km to the south....

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Praia de Santo Amaro de Oeiras is located on the banks of the river Tejo roughly halfway between Lisbon and Estoril. This makes it one of the closest popular beaches to the Portuguese capital.

The sandy beach at Santo Amaro de Oeiras is around 1 km long and these are well groomed by the local council to keep the beach nice and clean. Unfortunately the water quality here suffers somewhat as it is largely fed by the river as...

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Carcavelos is the first wide, sandy beach on the Lisbon - Cascais coast. It takes just 20 minutes to get here from Lisbon by car (traffic permitting) along the Marginal road. There is also a train station around 10 minutes walk away, so as you can imagine this can be a pretty popular choice. Whilst the beach is fairly wide, it can barely soak up the throngs of beach-goers who flock here in the summer.

Carcavelos beach is a great spot, and I've spent a fair bit of time here myself....

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The beaches of Costa da Caparica seem to be one long stretch of golden sand running from the river Tejo almost to the rugged promontory of Cabo Espichel. However, the miniature train (Transpraia) which drops visitors off at various points along this sandy coast only goes so far. 21 stops, and 8 km in fact which will drop you off at Praia da Fonte da Telha - the end of the line.

I have seen some guides giving the impression Fonte da Telha is still some sleepy fishing community with a...

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Separated from neighbouring Carcavelos beach by the small headland that is home to Forte de São Julião da Barra is the sandy little crescent of Praia da Torre.

If you don't fancy the surf at Carcavelos then Praia da Torre may be a better option as it is not only more sheltered from the swell but often less crowded. With a lifeguard service during the summer months this makes Praia da Torre a popular family option. 

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Parede beach is a small but pleasant stretch of sand which is often overlooked. Located midway between Carcavelos beach and Sao Pedro do Estoril it is tucked away below the main "Marginal" coast road that runs from Lisbon to Cascais. This makes it easy enough to get to and there are car parks at both ends of the beach. Access from the town or train station is via an underpass that leads directly to the...

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