The 7 Best Day Trips From Lisbon, Portugal • Indie Traveller

There is a lot to do in Lisbon that it’ll maintain you busy for days on finish. But there are additionally some extremely worthwhile locations to go to inside day journey distance of town.

Having lived in Lisbon for over 7 years, I’ve had loads of time to take a look at the entire finest day journeys from Lisbon. Here are my high solutions:

Sintra

Sintra is definitely essentially the most fashionable day journey from Lisbon and with good purpose. The city itself is cute, with numerous medieval structure and set amongst inexperienced mountains, however the true causes to go to are the Palacio Nacional da Pena and the medieval Castelo dos Mouros.

Castelo dos Mouros is an previous stone fortress that has nice views of the Atlantic and surrounding mountains and takes a bit of on-foot climb to get to. You can stroll there from Sintra alongside the principle highway, however the 2km Rua Marechal Saldanha climbing route is way nicer.

The Nineteenth-century Palacio Nacional da Pena is unusually colourful. The interiors are attention-grabbing although not necesserily ready in line for ages (generally there are a protracted queues), although the exteriors of the palace with the domed towers and eccentric colours are at all times extremely price seeing.

Before you permit Sintra, seize a travesseiros pastry and queijadas tart on the Casa Piriquita bakery that has been open since 1862.

Besides these high sights, Sintra has quite a few gardens, palaces, and museums to go to. Honestly, there may be much more right here than you may see on a day journey, however it’s nonetheless frequent for individuals to go to for someday. Make certain you get an early begin leaving Lisbon so you may have loads of time to discover. You can get to Sintra through the suburban practice (on the Sintra Line) from Rossio station in central Lisbon.

Alternatively, it’s price reserving a tour to Sintra simply to avoid wasting time and match every little thing in. Sintra includes a number of strolling because the sights are very unfold out, so a tour will prevent a number of bother and also you’ll spend your time in essentially the most environment friendly approach. If you are taking a tour, you’ll have time for extra sights, such because the beautiful Quinta de Regaleira, an uncommon backyard that has many cave tunnels and an historic properly with a staircase.

Obidos

Obidos is an previous medieval city that was given to Queen Isabel de Aragon as a marriage present from her husband King Dinis within the thirteenth century. It continued to go between royal households till the Nineteenth century. The city was as soon as enclosed by a stone wall that dates again to the medieval interval and you’ll nonetheless stroll alongside what’s left of it immediately.

With its many restored buildings with flowers hanging from balconies, Obidos is without doubt one of the prettiest cities you may go to in Portugal.

Interestingly, the historical past of Obidos may be very tied with literature. In reality, the city is a UNESCO City of Literature, so it has some attention-grabbing bookstores. One of essentially the most spectacular is the Livraria de Santiago, which is inside the 18th-century Sao Tiago church.

Try some ginjinha (a bitter cherry liqueur originating in Obidos) or have a chilly beer at a plaza. The finest method to get to know Obidos is to only wander round and get a bit misplaced alongside the cobblestone streets.

Obidos is about 75 minutes from Lisbon within the District of Leiria. You can get there through the A8 if you happen to’re driving, or catch a Rodoviaria do Oeste bus from the Campo Grande bus station (you may see the schedule on-line and purchase your ticket on the station).

Organized excursions from Lisbon are additionally out there. These mix Obidos with different locations just like the spiritual sanctuary of Fatima and Nazare, the location of the world’s tallest waves and browsing world information.

Serra da Arrábida and Sesimbra

The Serra da Arrabida is a small mountain vary that extends above the bay of Setubal south of Lisbon. There’s a mixture of lush coast, inexperienced woodland and shrubland making it an attention-grabbing place to hike.

There are some public transport hyperlinks to the cities of Sesimbra or Setubal, however you received’t get to many different locations by bus. If you’re simply happening a day journey it’s price hiring a automobile for a day and happening a mini highway journey to take advantage of your time.

Some of essentially the most attractive seashores close to Lisbon might be discovered right here, similar to Galapinhos Beach.

There are numerous climbing trails too, that are marked out. If you wish to verify some routes out beforehand or obtain a map, I’d suggest utilizing AllTrails.

While in Sesimbra go to the Seventeenth-century Fortaleza de Santiago, and don’t skip the Museo do Mar (Museum of the Sea) inside the fort if you wish to discover out concerning the city’s historical past. There’s a Moorish fortress above the city too, which dates to the tenth century.

It’s price having some freshly caught grilled sardines while you’re there. The city additionally has numerous watersport excursions on supply, like diving and kayaking expeditions.

Berlengas Islands

The Berlengas Islands are made up of three totally different islands, however you may solely go to one, the Berlenga Grande island. The one downside of today journey is that it does require ahead planning. As solely 350 guests are allowed on the island every day, you’ll wish to seize your ticket upfront (particularly if you happen to’re visiting in peak season).

The island is simply 1.5km lengthy, so a day journey is sufficient time to discover. You can hike across the island, go to the previous fortress, laze on the seaside, or scuba dive within the Natural Reserve of the Berlengas. There’s a lighthouse on the island too, the Berlenga Lighthouse, that’s nonetheless in use immediately. The solely method to get to Berlenga is by boat, and most embark from Peniche.

It’s price staying an evening in Peniche, so you may discover the coast and bounce on a ship early the subsequent morning. The boat trip takes about an hour and if you happen to’re quick on time half a day is sufficient to discover this little island.

Peniche is a small city the place most individuals come right here to surf. The waves are a lot friendlier to amateurs than the big swells that crash on the shores of Nazare. But even if you happen to’re not a surfer, there are many spots for swimming and sunbathing.

Evora

Evora is a perfect day journey for foodies and historical past followers. Some of the best-preserved Roman ruins in Portugal are in Evora. One of essentially the most well-known is the Roman temple, a 1st-century marble temple that’s now a wreck.

Another historical past hotspot in Evora is the Bone Chapel, a bit of the Sao Francisco church. It was constructed within the Seventeenth century and it’s fairly spooky. On the within of the church, most of the partitions had been constructed utilizing human bones. The skulls stick out amongst the cement and provides the entire place an eerie really feel.

Evora can also be recognized for its wine. Get a bit tipsy at Cafetaria Pateo de Sao Miguel earlier than leaping on the bus again to Lisbon.

You can get to Evora from each the Sete Rios and Oriente bus stations. There are buses fairly ceaselessly, and you’ll verify for schedules and up-to-date costs on the Rede Expressos web site.

Nazare

Known for its unusually tall waves, this coastal fishing city was placed on the map in 2011 when Garett McNamara, knowledgeable US surfer, conquered a 24-meter wave close to the lighthouse off North Beach.

More lately, on the twenty ninth of October 2020, the German surfer Sebastian Steudtner set the Guinness World Record for the biggest wave ever surfed. The 26.2-meter wave that broke that day was one other of Nazare’s monster waves.

The city itself received’t maintain you busy for too lengthy, however it’s nice to see the waves crashing onto shore, particularly round October and November once they’re typically at their strongest. The finest spot to look at from is the lighthouse, which has a giant platform-like space.

There’s a protracted stretch of seaside alongside the entrance of the city, and you’ll generally swim there if the ocean is behaving itself that day – however if you happen to’re trying to lounge and snorkel, there are different seaside locations.

You can take the funicular between the 2 components of the city, one in all which sits excessive above the coast and has some fairly spectacular views of the seashores beneath.

Nazare is about 2 hours drive away from Lisbon and between 2 to three hours away by bus. There are public transit choices from each the Sete Rios and Oriente bus stations, with operators like Rede Expressos and Flix Bus. However, Nazare is finest mixed with different websites on a day journey by automobile, or visited as a part of a multi-stop tour similar to this one.

Cacilhas

Cacilhas is a neighborhood on the south financial institution of Lisbon, providing you with nice views of town and the twenty fifth of April Bridge.

Walk alongside the Tagus River and cease for a lunch of freshly grilled fish at an area restaurant. Near the ferry station, there are primarily contemporary seafood eating places, like Ponto Final.

If you’re searching for selection, probably the greatest meals spots on the town is the Rua Candidos dos Reis, a road lined with eating places and ice cream outlets.

There’s a free panoramic carry you may go as much as see town and city from a distinct perspective. Fancy an excellent espresso and seeing some artwork? Then head to Casa da Cerca, it’s simply 5 minutes stroll away from the carry and so they have up to date artwork exhibitions, a restaurant, and a cute terrace.

The wonderful thing about Cacilhas is that it’s only a 10-minute ferry trip away from Lisbon. You can simply catch the ferry from Cais do Sodre station. If you’re in a extra adventurous temper (or maybe dwelling in Lisbon and searching for a random place to go), you may also get to different cities by the bay from right here, similar to Seixal.