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.
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)
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
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.
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 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.
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
I set foot in Lisbon back in 2001 after 9/11, and how refreshing not to understand a word as I went from café to café drinking galão, with TVs blaring in the background. I overheard an eager tourist trying to sum up this city as he scrunched his eyes under the vivid Atlantic light and scanned his vocabulary for words that fit. Faded elegance, he said.
