BEACHES AND THE RIVER TAGUS

The Tagus is, without doubt, a fundamental feature on the physical map of Lisbon. A busy commercial port, of sorrowful departures and happy reunions, this river has also become a great place for tourists to explore.

So, you can enjoy its natural beauty and the surrounding landscape on a boat trip, either just for an hour or for a whole day, which you can take on a cacilheiro*, ferry, speedboat, sailboat, cruise ship, yacht, motorboat, amphibian (mixture of bus and boat), among others.

In turn, for those who want to do some water sports – like surfing, bodyboard or windsurf – or simply enjoy quality-certified beaches (for their water or the environment) and recommended by international travel guides, you have two options.

If you cross the bridge, the itinerary can include beaches on the Costa de Caparica, the island of Troia, the Arrábida hills (Galapinhos beach is considered to be one of the best in the world) and Comporta (a favourite of the famous like Madonna and princesses of Monaco), and you can also swim with dolphins in the Tagus estuary.

If you stay on the Lisbon side, just follow the coast towards Cascais and, right away, kilometres of salt water appear with the popular beach of Carcavelos, very close to Parede beach with its therapeutic iodine.

Reaching Estoril, Tamariz beach is more sought after by sun worshippers while Guincho beach, given its strong winds, is more in demand from windsurfers, and is where world championships in this sport are held.

Further on, we reach the enigmatic and elegant town of Sintra, and its emblematic beaches – of Adraga, S. Julião, Azenhas do Mar, Magoito, Vigia and Maçãs – are, without doubt, a benchmark for their natural beauty, periodically receiving various national and international awards.

However, what you really cannot afford to miss is a trip to Ursa beach, a real treasure of fine sand that begs to be discovered and is situated very close to the Cabo da Roca, which is the westernmost point of Europe.

* A cacilheiro is a boat that transports passengers from Cacilhas, in Almada (city on the other side of the river), to Lisbon.

Note: If you wish, Medidental can organise the whole of your stay in terms of transportation to beaches and/or to sign up for a variety of activities such as surfing, windsurf, bodyboard, among others.