Beach Costa Caparica Lisbon, gay Beach 19, famous beach train & how to get there

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 Caparicabut just away from the village, tens of kilometres of white, unspoilt beaches are at your disposal!

Lisbon Costa da Caparica

Costa da Caparica beach in summertime.

Transpraia train

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Transpraia was taken out of service in 2020.

UPDATE August 20, 2024: Famous Transpraia da Caparica was bought by a French investor and may resume connection soon 🙂 🙂

The Costa da Caparica beach train stopped running in 2020 but the business was bought by a French investor. Next year the connection between Costa da Caparica and Fonte da Telha may return, with official authorizations still lacking (SIC NOTICIAS)

Portugal Costa da Caparica train

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.

Costa da Caparcia trans praia train

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

Lisbon Costa da Caparica Beach 19 1

Beach 19

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.

Lisbon Costa da Caparica Beach 19 2 men near the sea

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!

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 Lisbon Tagus River Martijn Kramers

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.

Praia da Fonte da Telha

Beach Fonte da Telha

Beach 19 is just a short walk from the centre of vilage Fonte da Telha. (‘Fountain of the roof’). This little fishermen’s village is the real Portugal, with some trendy beach cafés added to it. Fonta da Telha can also be reached by bus from Cacilhas harbour.

MECO Beach

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

Lisbon Arraial Pride 2010, the biggest Gay & Lesbian event in Portugal (LGBT)

Lisbon Pride information

Arraial Pride has been, since its start in 1997, the biggest and most nationwide participated lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) event in Portugal. Arraial Brides, Queer games, a welcome center, Gay Village and Expo Arraial.

Gay Pride Lisbon June 2010 Praca do Comercio

Famous Palace Square Praça do Comércio  (Terreiro do Paço) Lisbon, June 26, 2010

A free-access fesitivity with diverse events, activities, music performances, (video), happenings, delicious food and bars.

Gay Pride Lisbon June Praca do Comercio 2

Feijão Preto – restaurant in Lisbon

Following in the footsteps of five other European countries — Belgium, The Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, and intensely Catholic Spain — Portugal recently legalized gay marriage (January 2010). Two Portuguese women, Teresa Pires and Helena Paixão, were the first couple to wed in Lisbon.

Gay Pride Lisbon June 2010 Praca do Comercio3

Labyrinto Lisbon, Gay cruising club

More than 20 party tents filled the enclosure and defined the space for public performances. About 25 bars, restaurants and terraces offered a wide range of catering services to its customers and visitors.

Gay Pride Lisbon June 2010 Praca do Comercio4

Website Lisbon Arraial Pride 

Arraial Pride is a free party open to all people, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identity, that see themselves as a part of a more democratic and non-discriminating Portugal; an ‘open mind night’ with no homophoby, in the heart of a Lisbon free of prejudices and willingly to integrate and respect all kinds of people and recognizing their rights and full citizenship.

Gay Pride Lisbon June 2010 Praca do Comercio7

Finalmente

This popular gay nightclub in the Bairro Alto, caters to the late night. Finalmente (video) opens at 1am.  Drag performances on the small stage and dance until dawn

Gay Pride Lisbon June 2010 Praca do Comercio5

Designed to please a veried audience, the Arrial Pride festivities started at noon and ended at dawn, after a party set list with the best dance music in charge of well-known DJ’s, like Lara Soft, Nuno Galopim and Rui Murka.

Gay Pride Lisbon June 2010 Praca do Comercio6

A celebration of diversity, alike what happens in the main European capital cities and which could also put Lisbon along with the other destinations in the LGBT travel routes.

Gay Pride Lisbon queer Lisboa

Queer Lisboa is, for the first time, present at the Arraial Pride. Lisbon’s Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is in this way associated with Lisbon’s oldest LGBT party. The profits from the Queer Lisboa Bar will revert to the Festival’s film programme

Gay Pride Lisbon June 2010 Praca do Comercio9

The Memorial Bar in Bairro Alto is also a well-known entertainment center for the gay and lesbian community of Lisbon. Women patrons outnumber the men here. The bar features a wide variety of live entertainment acts twice a week – including comedy, cross-dressing, or live Portuguese musicians.

Gay Pride Lisbon June 2010 Praca do Comercio11

The beautiful welcome center’s entrance of the Pride Festival, available for all information concerning the event like maps, accreditation, registration for games and activities, the program, a bar, exhibitions and a store.

Associação Ilga Portugal          Facebook
Rua de São Lázaro, 88
1150-333 Lisboa – Portugal
Phone: [351] 218 873 918

Portugal’s most popular gay beach: Beach 19 Costa da Caparica & how to get there