Lisbon & Costa da Caparica – two weeks between the city, dunes and the Atlantic

Our Lisbon tips start on the other side of the Tagus: in a beach house on the Costa da Caparica instead of the old town.

May 2025. We had two weeks, a dog in tow and no desire for a room in the old town where you hear wheelie cases rattling over the cobbles from seven in the morning. So we did Lisbon from the other side of the Tagus: Costa da Caparica, a white beach house with a wooden deck in the middle of the dunes, fifteen minutes by car to the 25 de Abril Bridge. Looking back, the best decision of the whole trip.

Where we stayed

A small wooden house right behind the first row of dunes, booked through Airbnb. A deck with a view of nothing but sand, beach grass and sea. In the morning the fishermen come with a tractor and pull the boats out of the surf – we got up at six twice just to watch. Price-wise we were well below a mid-range hotel in Lisbon, with room for the car, the dog and the laptop. If you’re looking for the area: Fonte da Telha, at the southern end of the Costa da Caparica. We book almost all our accommodation through Airbnb – the link below gives you starting credit.

Lisbon itself

Praça do Comércio in the early morning, before the cruise ships disgorge their passengers – from a miradouro we watched two of those ships tower over the roofs of Alfama. Then Alfama on foot, not by Tram 28 (it’s packed, expensive and you see nothing). Our tip: the Igreja de Santa Luzia with its azulejos, then down to the river and the ferry to Cacilhas – the cheapest view of the city there is.

The coast

The Costa da Caparica is a 15-kilometre beach with dunes, boardwalks and beach bars that are still half empty in May. We walked a different way every day: north to the beach bars with loungers, south until there were no people left. Sunset from the crest of the dunes, a barbecue on the deck, kitesurfers in the background. For kids: flat sand, but strong waves – don’t let them in the water unsupervised.

What it cost (roughly)

• Beach house, 14 nights: around €1,300 (Airbnb, off-season)
• Rental car, 14 days: about €350 through Discover Cars, deposit covered by their full protection – we had a parking dent, no drama
• Food: fish restaurants on the beach €15–25 per main course, supermarkets very cheap
• Bridge/toll roads: a few euros a day – take the toll transponder from the rental company

Mistakes we made

On the first day we drove into the Baixa. Never again. Park by the river, or just take the ferry. And: on Sundays many restaurants in Caparica are full of Lisboetas – reserve or arrive before noon.

Internet and money

We didn’t bring Starlink; the eSIM (Airalo, 20 GB) was enough for navigation and working from the beach house. We paid for everything with our Wise card – Portugal has hardly any fee traps, but withdrawals at Euronet ATMs cost extra. The banks’ Multibanco ATMs are free.

Would we go again?

Immediately. Only in June instead of May, when the water is warmer. And we would take three weeks straight away and add the south as far as Sesimbra and Arrábida.

Lisbon tips: our verdict

Our verdict on these Lisbon tips: if you travel with a dog or for longer, staying on the Costa da Caparica is quieter and cheaper, and you still get into the city quickly. The ferry across the Tagus is also worth it, because it’s faster than any traffic jam on the bridge. You’ll find more places we have been to ourselves on our destinations page; background on the city is on Wikipedia.