Carcavelos Beach

Carcavelos Beach is a popular day trip for locals and city-break travelers, located just 20 minutes west of central Lisbon by train. The beach is known for its exceptional leisure and water sports opportunities, particularly surfing, with a nearly two-kilometer beachfront of immaculate sand.

Surfers and bodyboarders flock to the area because of the high waves and surf schools, and volleyball and beach soccer players appreciate the almost 1km of sand, which is lined with nets. Even in the winter, the promenade attracts skaters and joggers, and there are pull-up bars and other workout equipment. There are wicker parasols for rent and massage services available from May to September. Many of the popular restaurants and bars that have outdoor seating are open all year. This is where many people gather on New Year's Day for the first dive of the year.

This isn't the most tranquil beach on the Lisbon coast, but its size, amenities, and accessibility make it a popular tourist attraction. It now competes with Praia do Conceiço in Cascais as the most popular tourist destination, thanks in part to its surf schools (where equipment can be rented). It is overseen by lifeguards throughout the spring-summer bathing season, and the swimming and surfing zones are divided. The 16th-century Forte de So Julio da Barra, an enormous military bastion still in operation and located at the eastern end of Praia de Carcavelos, provides a historical setting.

The esplanade provides a beautiful vista and is a great place to wander at any time of year. The beach is busiest throughout the summer, especially on weekends and holidays, when young people, families, and visitors flock here to escape the city heat.

Location: Lisbon, Portugal