If you want to escape the hassle and the heat of Lisbon on a hot summer day, try the beaches of Costa da Caparica, just across the Tejo river. Locals swarm to the village of Caparica, but just away from the village, tens of kilometres of white, unspoilt beaches are at your disposal!
Costa da Caparica beach in summertime.
Take the little train (in season)
at the end of the boardwalk and it will take you 8 kilometres south to the quiet stretches of sand. The train has 21 stops.
NOTE: due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Transpraia was taken out of service in 2020 and did not return in 2021 and 2022. More: Lisbon beaches guide
Little train Costa Caparica YouTube movie
The best beaches 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.
World famous gay Beach 19
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 Costa da Caparica Lisbon
HOW TO GET THERE
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 € 25.
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.
Ferry to Lisbon Cacilhas
An alternative route includes a mini-cruise (15 min.) 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.
Stop 21 (paragem) Beach Fonte da Telha
At stop (paragem) 21 at the end of the line where the little beach 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 € 30.
MECO Beach
Even further south, about 10 kilometres from Fonte da Telha: Meco Beach, a real mecca for nudists & surfers
Hello mrs Kuijs,
nice to see your site. excellent information. I-am exited to visit your appartement in august 2009 – I look forward to go to this exiting city called ‘Lisboa’ , etc
greetings from Rene-Henk
Great resource! I’ve been trying to look up information on the Caparica beaches and your information has been the most helpful. Do you know if changeroom / locker facilities are offered at most of the beaches?
June 2010:
Yes, this beach is very nice,
Yes, there is serious cruising going on here…
But !!!!!
Be ready to walk until there, or try to hitchhike,
Because in 2010, they stopped the operation of the little train.
How sad…
(it took me +/- 1hr30 to get there walking onthe beachfront… Under a very strong sun. But i managed to find 2 friendly Lisbonians to bring me back to the city at the end of the day)
ola
gostava que me informasse qual e o mes que comeca o train nas praias da osta da caparica
tambem gostava de saber se da para campar l na praia sem prigo
obrigado
leonardo
Hey this is a really cool beach. Very relaxing and with loads of cute guys. Getting there was easy, I used a local service with some really friendly (and gay) staff – http://www.lisbonbeach.com
I just went to Caparica but as the above comment by Mikky found that the train has stopped! If he can walk it in 1hr30, then so will I. I hope it is worth it!!
Sorry, do you now what’s the price of the bus from Lisbon to Costa Caparica?
If you take the 161 bus from Praca Areeiro it is about 3€ one way – you buy the ticket at the driver. You pay less if you buy a block of tickets (10 pcs), but not sure how much is that.
The train is working for the summer 2012.
To find the train, walk along the seafront with its poor quality resturants housed in rectangular boxes. At the end which takes about 15 minutes you will find the train. It costs 7.50 euro return.
The nudist beach and Resturant is at Casa da Praia ( beach 19).
The gay area and dunes are about 5 minutes walk to the left along the beach.
ENJOY.
Very nice info and right to the point. I don’t know if this is really the best place to ask but do you people have any thoughts on where to hire some professional writers? Thx 🙂
Hi, Elouise,
I saw this posting as I was 1) looking how to get to Caparica and 2) looking for writing work. I have been writing and editing for New York-based magazines for the past 7 years. Please get in touch if you’re still looking.
There’s a lot of spotty info about how to get to Praia 19 / Beach 19. As of today August 11, 2012, the Transpraia train is *definitely* running.
Here’s the simplest way to get to Praia 19 / Beach 19 from central Lisbon: take the Metro (Subway) – green line – to Areeiro station. Ask the station attendant which stairs to go up for the 161 Caparica bus stop. The bus stop is upstairs and then a few feet down the street. You want the 161 bus to Caparica. The bus takes you through Lisbon, across the April 25 Bridge (the one that looks like the Golden Gate), then through a bit of Almada municipality to the beach town of Caparica. Stay on the bus past all the beach shops and boardwalks and get off at the stop just as the bus turns left off of the beachfront street.
If it’s at all crowded, there will be plenty of people exiting the bus. If you’re lucky enough to see anyone who resembles a cliché gay, follow them. Walk south down along the road parallel to the coast, then walk a little to the right where there’s a roundabout and you should see a waiting Transpraia train. They look really quaint and you can go sit in the empty one until it goes. There will be no driver in the train until the other train comes back. The little trains are very enjoyable and unique.
I asked the train attendant, and he told me that the trains run every day. The last train coming back is at 19:30 (7:30PM). The trains run into September, weather permitting.
It’s called Praia 19 / Beach 19 because the little train has (about 20) numbered stops. The 19th stop is where men seeking men tend to dwell.
Down-and-dirty cruising goes on in the bushes on the side of the track away from the beach — and it was quite crowded in there today, on this sunny summer Saturday.
Prissier bourgeois adherents to the Cult of Gay, and other more inhibited types, along with a smattering of contrasting genders tend to inhabit the “normal” part of the beach nearest to the waves, but nudity is fully permitted and legal here, and swimming is an absolute joy – the water is a perfect cool temperature, is clean, and the waves are large enough to be challenging but small enough to be soothing.
Praia 19 is a top-notch experience, and worth the voyage. The train, the blue water, the parasurfers – along with the freedom to be nude – make it really exceptional.
My wife and I visited the area in September and found it to be very nice. Even at the main areas (closest to the town), the local ladies are not shy about showing their natural assets. Don’t be shocked to see many topless sunbathers.
Definitely worth taking the little train down to Stop 19 and beyond. Nude guys galore as you pass by Stop 19. If you get off the train there, you only have to wander a short way into the dunes to see male couples and groups having fun in the sun. They don’t seem to mind if you stop to watch, and may even invite you to join in.
Further down the track are beaches where full nudity is common, but not required. My wife and I got nude right away and felt very comfortable amongst the families and cozy couples. Rent a cabana and lounge chair for maximum comfort.
quero visitor a costa da caparica praia 19 nao conheco nada da costa da caparica sou da ilha da madeira
queria informacao sobre o metro esta a funcionar da costa da caparica ate as praias no mes de dezembro?
As of June 16, 2014, the train is running daily at the end of the beach.
Thank you very much
I’m looking for a naked beach
Where do u reacon fonte da telga or beach 19
Any gay accimidation around for few days ?
Cool
Thank you can you tell me if there is a gay accimidation to share in Central costa da caparica ?
I recommend beach 19
Anyone fancies going with me to beach 19? I live in Lisbon and been there several times…just don’t want to go alone all the time. Thanks!
hi there
im going to costa da caparica and look for a nice guy to go to the beach don’t like to go alone
tell me your stats age how do you look like
can you accommodate ?
are you Portuguese ?
Hi Leonardo,
Thanks for your reply
I am not Portuguese, 34, 170cm, 55kg, can accomodate on airbnb or misterbnb.
I was actually looking for a buddy to go to the beach not a date but why not?
How I wish I were going there this summer! I’m not.
This is the most wonderful beach. Sea is deep and strong current.
July ,August and September you will need an umbrella for shade.
It is very safe when it comes to people, a mix of locals and tourists.
Try to stay in Costa da Caparica if you want a sun holiday, is its quite a trek to come to the beach from Lisbon.
Cool
I’m going to costa da caparica September
For a long weekend in September
I’m from Madeira Island
Please let’s get in tou by mail
Leodavidlondon21@hotmail.co.uk
Hi there I’m going to costa da caparica around 19- 25th September for some beach/sun fun. Have my own transport and accommodation but does anybody know what the situation is for camping cars? Get in touch please if you can help out or interested in meeting
Hello petroc
I’m Portuguese from Madeira Island don’t know much
About costa caparica mainland
I would like to meet sameone to go I beach and so on
R u Portuguese ?
Please get in touch
Hello. I am czech guy, flying to Lisbon this Sunday for a week. Anyone fancies going with me to beach 19.
Hi Pavel,
Just went there last week, very nice…but quite complicated to reach.
I am going there on Thursday 25th. let me know if interested…cheers.David
Hi there, well I went and had a great time! HOWEVER, the dune area and cruising area is FILTHY with used condoms and soiled tissues everywhere; it’s a real health hazard and an environmental disaster. There are bins provided for in the car park at Bella Vista so just take a plastic bag and put your used stuff inside then dispose of it in the bins provided. Why does the gay community that uses this beach not give a toss about the pollution and mess they make? Everyone has a responsibility to look after this planet, regardless of sex or gender, so please, can everybody make an effort to keep this beautiful place clean and tidy? How anybody can think that having sex amongst such dirt and filth is exciting is beyond me. Clean up please before this beach area gets closed thanks to sloppy, dirty habits and have some PRIDE.
hello there
any nice friendly guys around costa da caparica to visit and show me for the first time ?
im Portuguese from madeira island but live in London
im planning to go to fonte da telha sametime in setember 2015
please reply
leo
Hi there,
I am Irish and Love the beach at Costa da Caparica.
I would advise you to stay in Caparica and take the little train down to our section at stop 19
You may well meet somebody who has a car and travel up and down to the beach on a daily basis.
Sol ŷ mar (bus stop to Lisbon is across the road)and Real are good places to stay.
Little to do night unless you want to go into Lisbon .
You will have a wonderful time. Enjoy
Hello there
How r u?
I’m planning to go to fibre da telha near Costa da caparica and beach 19
I’m going by myself for long weekend but I’m looking to meet someone to show me around
By the way I’m Portuguese from the island Madeira
ola
estou visitando a fonte da telha por 2 dias em setembro
23 ate 25
procure um gajo simpatico discrete afim
meu mail e
Leonardosilva@hotmail.co.uk
hi there
anyone around fonte da telha costa caparica to meet for a drink also going to praia 19
going to costa da caparica on 23 september for 2 days
anyone interest for a drink and fun
Thank you so much for this new post! Thank you for your suggestion and great places to see. Thanks for this suggestion! Pretty diffrent of Air BNB! Nice job my friend! Each time, your post was excellent. Thank your for your blog. It’s appreciate. Really! See u 🙂
I love Praia 19! As a straight girl, there’s so many beautiful men, mostly Portuguese. They just make American men look so ugly by comparison (well… American men are ugly). The Portuguese are stunning, I love them. There’s lots of gay sex in the bushes behind the railway line. A note about the ocean: in June and July, it can be warm, the temperature can go up to 22c, but in August, it’s the worst month as the Nortada blows and causes upwelling, so the ocean temperature can be very cool (about 16c). It’s still quite refreshing. I prefer it in June and July when the sea is warmer. There are other ways of getting to Praia 19 without using the expensive TransPraia train!
Is straight couple nude bathing just as common around 19?
Nude sun bathing is on the bucket list before we get too scary 🙂
Yes Den, around 19 beach is also common a straight couple, sometimes they also play at dunes and bushes…
I have been once before to beach 19 two years ago and had a great time. Enjoyed it so much that I am going back in August during a visit to Lisbon. There are a lot of friendly, hot guys of all nationalities, primarily Portuguese. Odd comment from creepy “straight girl” above visiting the gay beach to voyeur the guys having fun. I’m an American who is not ugly (loving the blanket statements from someone who I am sure is the next top model lol) and had zero problems hitting it off with the locals and enjoying some creative synthesis. The only not so great aspect of beach 19 is that there are a few random and odd voyeurs, male and female, wanting to check the scene out, act creepy and finger bang or rub themselves off while checking everyone out who is actually in the mix. Definitely leave before sundown especially if alone. Other than that it is great!!
By the way I’m Portuguese from the island Madeira
Hello,
Cuckold couple 35/48 visiting Lisbon, looking for some gay/bi men to guide us on this beach and other similar locations.
Hi all, I am Asian and really like to go to nude beach. Is anyone interested to go together for safe reason? I am planning to go around 19th August. If any interested please contact.
Hello! Will be in Lisbon beginning August 19 for one week. Visiting from Florida, USA. Plan to check out Beach 19 on Friday, August 25. Staying in Bairro Alto and will take bus to the beach
I’m in Lisbon now a days straight Male and I’m very highly interested to go to nudist beach for fun, if any straight girl/bi couple are interested to take me with please I’m waiting!
Tsaintl460@gmail.com
Any girl and any couple from anywhere can contact each to take with to beach 19 without any hesitation, I’m ready to go with anytime ! Tks
Tsaintl460@gmail.com
I’m going to fonte da telha praia 19 for the first time would like to find friends also go to praia 19
Leodavidlondon21@hotmail.co.uk
Would polentinha find male friend to go to praia 19