But it’s really worth taking a ferry at Cais do Sodré  to Montijo, walk around in this picturesque village, have lunch and take a bus to the centre of Alchochete and walk to the beach called Samouco (ca. 15 min.)

Beautiful views: Lisbon city and the 25 April Bridge. 

The ferry trip to Montijo takes about 20 minutes and give you a chance to enjoy the river and the views of Lisbon and the surrounding areas. Return ticket: euro 5.60.

Montijo, Praça da República

You’re away from the crowds…and it is really a pleasure walking around here.

Montijo , a lazy afternoon, September 2009, Rua Guerra Junqueiro. Not one tourist in sight! Coffee (bica) euro 0,60.

Alcochete , Samouco beach

From Montijo, take a bus to Alcochete centre and walk 15 minutes to Samouco beach  (YouTube).  You can enjoy watching pink flamingos or egrets (white heron) near the Reserva Natural of the Tagus river, which is famous for the birds.

Of course in July and August there are more tourists. On the background: Lisbon and the ‘twin towers’, Parque das Nações.  Alcochete, like Sintra, has in the past been a popular haunt for royalty, coming here to relax and holiday. The town’s foundation dates back to the 7th century, after the Moors conquered Lisbon. Its name derives from the Arabic word for kiln, as there have been many found in the area. Bullfighting also has a history here, and bulls are still let loose in the streets during the Barrete Verde and Salinas Feasts (the second weekend of August).

Fitness exercises at the beach…. ! On de background: Vasco da Gama Bridge

Near the beach there’s a small cafe. Very nice people!  Typical Portuguese snacks and drinks: coffee (bica) 0,60, glass of beer 0,60, Portwine 1 euro. Glass of whiskey 2 euro.

By car it’s ca. 30 minutes from Lisbon to Alcochete beach. The wonderful Vasco da Gama Bridge connects Alcochete and Montijo with Lisbon.

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 November 11, 2009, what a wonderful sunny day! Lunch in restaurant ‘Peixenalinha‘,  Bafureira beach, Av. Marginal.

In summertime São Pedro do Estoril beach is very crowded and this region is also a popular surf spot .

On the background: Cascais, one of the favourite tourist destinations in Portugal.

Our choice: 2 Couvert Bafureira (bread, butter, olives and paté) € 4.00; Risotto al Funghi (mushrooms)  € 15.50; Taglioninni Nero Gambas (shrimps) € 14.00; small bottle of wine (Vinho da Casa) € 7.50.

By car this beach is about twenty minutes to thirty minutes away from the center of Lisbon. You go along the “Marginal” (the name of the road), in direction to “Cascais” . About half way across the “marginal” you get signs of  “S. Pedro do Estoril’. Free parking for approximately 200 cars.

Restaurant Peixenalinha, Praia da Bafureira,  São Pedro do Estoril. Email: peixenalinha@gmail.com. Tel. (00351) 214685389. Highly recommended!

Outside or inside dining, Open: every day from 12:30 – 15:30/19:30 – 00:30; there’s also a dining area open to smokers and a Sushi restaurant. 

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Cabo da Roca . The views to the Atlantic from here are stunning. The cliff rises 144 meters in height above the cape. Expect strong winds when looking down from the cliff-top. You have to be very careful on windy and rainy days. Take care, it’s a long way down!!

How to get there from Lisbon? Take a train from station Cais do Sodré  to Cascais. Bus 403 travels regularly between Sintra and Cascais stops at Cabo da Roca.

A cross has been erected in this spot as a monument to celebrate the end of the European mainland, and the beginning of the Atlantic ocean. The cross basement bears the words of the famous Portuguese poet, Luís Vaz de Camões (1524-1580), born in Lisbon.

‘Aqui…
Onde a terra termina e o mar começa…
Ponta mais ocidental do continente europeu’

‘Here…
Where the land ends and the sea begins…
Westernmost point of the European continent’

View from Cabo da Roca on the fabulous beaches. On sunny days Meco Beach (Praia do Meco) can be seen. (ca. 45 km). The small house is still a remain of the long Moorisch occupation (700C – 1400C).

Cabo da Roca is at the end of a 30 mile stretch of the coast known as the Portuguese Riviera, 40 km from Lisbon. The Atlantic coast, which stretches to the north and west of Lisbon, is of surprising beauty: here the landscape swiftly changes from high, sweeping cliffs to beaches of white sand, backed by lagoons.

The construction of the lighthouse (farol) was completed in 1772. It is still active and staffed by a crew of three keepers. Lighthouses in Portugal are owned by the navy (Marinha de Portugal) and operated by the navy’s lighthouse directorate. Portugal has a long distinguished maritime history; the Portuguese first traveled out and around Africa, launching the European age of discovery 600 years ago.

Cabo da Roca’s church is being restored at the moment. According to construction workers apartments will be built in this church.

Beautiful tiles (azulejos) inside the church. The azulejo is a typical form of Portuguese painted, tin-glazed, ceramic tilework. They have become a typical aspect of Portuguese culture. Azulejo comes from the Arabic word az-zulayj, meaning polished stone.

Wherever you go in Portugal, azulejos are to be found inside and outside cafes, churches, palaces, ordinary houses and even ceilings, train- or subway stations. Many azulejos chronicle major historical and cultural aspects of Portuguese history.

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During our stay in Meco village we ate in several restaurants in the previous days. Our favorite: Restaurant/bar ”Tropical do Meco”. At night the weather is turning a bit colder in this time of the year (end of September and close to the Atlantic!), so we enjoyed our dinner at the veranda (smoking allowed).

Restaurant’s specialties (especialidades): Mexilhões de cebolada (Mussels prepared with onions) ; Caldeirada de Peixe-espada com amêijoa (a fishstew of scabbard fish and small clams); Filetes de Peixe-espada preto fritos com arroz de tomate (Fried black scabbard fish fillets with tomato rice).

Our choice: Espetada Tamboril Camarao, € 12,50 and Picanha Carvao (Grilled Picanha, € 11,00) . The espetada is a typical Portuguese dish made of chunks of beef or fish rubbed in garlic and salt, skewered onto a bay leaf stick with vegetables such as onions and bell peppers and left to grill over smouldering wood chips. Other meats including pork and chouriço are also commonly used, but there are also other types like those made from squid. It is literally named “sword”. The dish can be served on a skewer which hangs from a hook on a stand as it is presented.

Picanha (meat from Brazil) is generally considered to be the number one cut, even better than beef fillet. Picanha (pick-ahn-yeh) is much better than a steak, meltin-in-your mouth !

The restaurant service was really great, professional and friendly. ‘Tropical do Meco’ owners Hugo, Sergio (brothers) and their mother Teresa. Besides being a great restaurant, Tropical de Meco is also thé place for the Meco beachcrowd for late night cocktails and other drinks (try a caipinrinha!). Especially high summer, the bar is a favourite hangout for Meco-visitors to end the night with a drink or two or more.

We also got invited to a tour of the kitchen: Teresa, Isabel, Gladys, Clarice and Niso.

To accompany our food we enjoyed a bottle of Montado white wine from the Alentejo region (€ 5,50), a superb choice! While drinking our coffees a glass of a delicious liqueur was offered by the restaurant: ‘Moscatel Roxo’, a liqueurous wine from the Setúbal Peninsula.

Restaurant ‘Tropical do Meco’, Rua do Comércio 28, Aldeia do Meco, Sesimbra, Setúbal. Phone 212 683398, mail tropicaldomeco@hotmail.com. Closed Tuesday.

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In the big garden behind the house you have a lot of privacy. Price per cottage (for 2 persons) € 35 per night. July and August € 45 per night, linen and towels included. 

Maria José and Nuno Nunes Botas with baby Marianna.  Rua da Fonte 14, Fetais, Aldeia do Meco. Call 00351 964454832/963200468 or mail maria.botas1@gmail.com. A few rooms are for rent in their house for the same prices as mentioned above.

Aldeio do Meco is a small rural village, about 1 km away from the fabulous and famous sandy beaches and ca. 40 km from Lisbon. More info on this site. In Meco village you can find a few trendy bars (try a caiparinha!) and a number of restaurants offering the best local gastronomy, in particular seafood and fish dishes. If you like grilling by yourself there’s a big BBQ in the garden.

The nearby village of Alfarim has a small local farmers market at the weekend which sells a variety of fresh vegetables from the region. Public bus service from Alfarim to the beach is available .

Kitchen in our cottage and our lovely, cute little friend Simba.

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Costa da Caparica beach in summertime. The boulevard of the village itself is undergoing major reconstruction. A huge boardwalk is being built, where half of Lisbon is parading on a warm summer day.

Take the little train (in season) at the end of the boardwalk (€ 5 return) and it will take you 8 kilometres south to the quiet stretches of sand. The train has 21 stops (the first three are under the new boardwalk now, so it starts at stop (paragem) number 4 (September 2008).

The best ones are Morena and Sereia, surrounded by dunes and with good bars. At almost every stop there’s a beachclub and the further south you go, the more you have the place to yourself.

The ‘Trans-Praia’ train.

Stop (paragem) 19, also known as Beach 19 or Praia de Bela Vista,  is where the nudist beach starts, also world famous for being Portugal’s most popular gay beach. Gay clubs and parties in Lisbon

As everywhere in the world: where the nudist beach ends, the gay cruising begins and this is the largest in Portugal. In the vast bushes behind the railway track, guys from all over Europe and beyond, meet for some fun and relaxation.

Beach 19, September 2008

From Lisbon to Costa da Caparica: by car, go South to Caparica and south again all the way to the last access to the beaches. When the road goes uphill, you have just passed the access you want to go! Go past Praia do Rei until the parking at the end of the dust road. Upon Bela Vista, walk south, to the left of the restaurant. It’s some 2 miles of white sand beach and dunes! A taxi will take you there from downtown Lisbon for a little over € 20.

By bus: from Praça de Espanha take bus 153 to Costa de Caparica busstation. Walk five minutes south along the boulevard and you’ll see the little train, that leaves every half hour (until end of September). The 161 bus from Praca de Areeiro will also take you to Caparica. An alternative route includes a mini-cruise on the ferry from Cais do Sodré across the river to Cacilhas. Get on bus 138 (directo) to Costa da Caparica (bus 124 via Almada will provide you with a long detour past 1960 highrise architecture, that’s better avoided).

By train: cross the Tagus river to Pragal railway station and take bus 196 to Caparica. The train may be a good alternative on weekends, it’ll help you avoid the traffic jams on the 25th of April Bridge.

Fonte da Telha

At stop (paragem) 21 at the end of the line where the train turns, there’s the village of Fonte da Telha (’Fountain of the roof’). This little fishermen’s village is perfect for that holiday feeling. This is the real Portugal, with some trendy beach cafés added to it. Fonta da Telha can also be reached by bus from Cacilhas harbour. Beach 19 is just a short walk from the centre of Fonte da Telha. A taxi there from Lisbon will put you back a little over € 25.

Even further south, about 10 kilometres from Fonte da Telha: Meco Beach, a real mecca for nudists & surfers

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The beach of Meco got famous in the 70s as one of the first nudist beaches.  Website Young Naturists.  At the beach, facing the ocean, on the left side is a high dune from where onwards start the naturist area, opposing to the right side, where the beach amenities are situated, frequented by families.

Protected by a high cliff, with small springs (drinking water) and excellent green mud for skin treatments, which is a common sight.

Beach restaurant ”Bar do Peixe (Fish)”, an excellent bar/restaurant with a chill out area (closed Tuesdays). Traditional Portugese meals.

Our choice for lunch: Salada Russa con gambas (Russian salad with shrimps) € 7.50, Salada Atum (Salad with tunny) € 7.50, a small bottle of white wine (vinho branco) € 3.80, agua (water) € 1.00. Rua Praia do Moinho de Baixo, Meco.

Fishermen with their nets, September 2008. The village lives mostly from the local tourists; when the season is over, people like to visit Meco because of the good restaurants and to walk on the beach.

This friendly lady will take care of your car for the whole day: € 1,00. Closer to the beach the price is € 1,50 per day.

If you travel by car: from Lisbon, take the A2 South Highway, then towards Sesimbra and after Fernão Ferro turn right to Alfarim, and right again to the beaches (”Praias”). Meco Beach has several paid parking lots. Once agricultural fields, nowadays transformed into car parking lots during summer time, as it is much more profitable for the local families.

Public transport: from Lisbon this beach is not the best to be reached. You’ll need to catch the bus to Sesimbra from Praça da Espanha bus terminal in Lisbon and get off at Santana. Several buses run to Meco on a regular basis. Don’t forget to ask for a timetable to go back to Lisbon.

Meco Beach: excellent for activities such as surf, parapente, fishing or windsurf. On windy days the sea can be quite rough.

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As ‘Ambassador of l’ Oreal’ you can find Aurelio a few days a week in ‘Le Salon’ working as a hair director and teacher; besides he works as a freelance hair stylist in Monte Carlo, Nice, London, and Paris. Visit Aurelio’s website

Le Salon, June 2008. Aurelio and Teresa take a break. Although Teresa is blind, she is very talented to become a good hairdresser.

After arriving in Lisbon in 2001, Aurelio worked 6 years for Facto, a trendy hairdresser’s saloon. For his interpretation of Gothic Luxury in 2006, Aurelio was winner of the International Trend Vision Award in Milan. After the Milan event he took part in various Wella Professionals fashion projects to provide his talents and as well profit from working with other top hairdressers.

Le Salon, Avenida da Liberdade 262, entree

In his leisure time Aurelio likes everything related to art (painting, theater, music)….

……and eating lots  of sardinhas (grilled sardines)…….

Favorite places: Castelo Sao Jorge in Lisbon. Beach: Meco, an amazingly huge and beautiful beach. ‘I like surfing in the weekend’. 

Map Meco beach, near Alfarim, a very popular gay beach 40 km south of Lisbon. More about Meco Beach

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