Day Trips from Lisbon
Europe
Lisbon
Portugal
Popular day trips from Lisbon
March 10, 2020What are the most popular day trips from Lisbon and what to see? Whether you like to explore beautiful and mysterious palaces or you plan on staying by the beach, a day trip from Lisbon might be a good option if you have extra days to visit. Discover the top attractions and what to do in Cascais, Sintra and Cabo da Roca..
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Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.
Most people book a flight to this city looking for a sunny getaway, with good food, warm weather and friendly people. But, did you know that Lisbon has a lot more to offer outside of the city center?
When planning out your trip to Lisbon, there are some locations you should not miss, and you probably heard a lot about them already if you have been doing some research.
These are the most popular day trips from Lisbon:
1) Cascais
Known as a popular resort town, Cascais has all sort of activities and family friendly beaches. It can be a small town, but you will find plenty to do:
- Visit the popular Santa Marta Lighthouse Museum and the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum, right next to it. Finish with a walk along Marechal Carmona Park
- Admire the beauty of the fairy tale looking Seixas Palace
- Hear the waves crashing against the cliffs at Boca do Inferno
- Spend a relaxing afternoon at one of the most popular beaches in the area: Rainha, Conceição or Duquesa.
2) Sintra
Probably my favorite destination in the area for many reasons, Sintra is UNESCO World Heritage and it's popular for it's fairy tale palaces and narrow streets with handmade art crafts, wine and cheese, all located in a stunning green area surrounded by an amazing forest. This is probably the most enchanted place in all country, and you will quickly understand why this was a perfect escape for the Portuguese royalty.
You can easily spend three days in this place, but if you're limited in time, make sure you visit for at least one day. Highlights will be:
- Visiting Pena Palace - you cannot visit Sintra without exploring the fairy tale palace that has many stories to be told (some spooky ones actually!) and it's surrounding park
- The historic center is the perfect place to absorb the Portuguese culture, while going on a hunt for the best gift
- Another unmissable site is Quinta da Regaleira. With Gothic buildings, tunnels and hidden sites along it's enchanted gardens, Quinta da Regaleira is full of myths and interesting sites, some of them believed to have been used in the past for cults.
- If you have extra time, add Sintra National Palace to your list, including the museums nearby: Natural History Museum of Sintra, News Museum and Anjos Teixeira Museum (MAT). Not far from them, you can spend some time at Liberbade park and explore the exteriors of the interesting Vila Sassetti.
- Monserrate Palace and it's park are often missed by tourists, due to the overwhelming amount of attractions in the area. Not only that, but this palace is a little further away from the other popular ones. The interiors and the green outdoors make this site a truly hidden gem in Sintra
- Finally, if you would like to explore further, you can visit the Convent of the Capuchos to feel like you have gone back in time, and continue further towards Peninha Sanctuary for a great viewpoint.
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| The popular Initiation Well in Quinta da Regaleira. This was taken during the Winter, but during Spring/Summer, it becomes prettier because of the greens that pop among the colours of the well. |
3) Cabo da Roca
Cabo da Roca is the most western point of mainland Europe and it's still located in the municipality of Sintra. This site has become popular not only because of it's location in Europe, but also for it's amazing views over the ocean at West, Louriçal beach at South and Ursa beach up North.
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| Aeral view from Cabo da Roca. Taken on my drone. |
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| Beautiful views from Cabo da Roca towards Ursa Beach. |
I truly hope that this was helpful when planning your next trip to Lisbon, and stay tuned for a following post on lesser known Lisbon day trips! Have a great week :*
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