On the south bank of the Tagus, opposite Lisbon, the municipality of Almada is for many Lisbon residents simply "the other side": a populous, largely residential city that nevertheless offers visitors two unmissable things. The first is the view of Lisbon, the finest of all, from the Cristo Rei sanctuary and the quays of Cacilhas; the second is Costa da Caparica, an Atlantic beach about thirty kilometres long, half an hour from central Lisbon.
Cristo Rei
The Cristo Rei sanctuary, inaugurated in 1959, was built in thanks for Portugal being spared the horrors of the Second World War, inspired by Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro. The statue, 28 metres high, stands on an 82-metre pedestal: 110 metres in all, and a lift goes up to the viewing terrace at the statue's feet, from where you can see the 25 de Abril bridge, the river, Belém and the whole of Lisbon.
Cacilhas and Ginjal
The best way to reach Almada is the ferry that crosses the Tagus in about ten minutes from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas, a trip that alone offers a superb view of the city. Cacilhas is famous for fish and seafood restaurants, cheaper than Lisbon's. From the pier a riverside walk leads to Cais do Ginjal, an old quay of abandoned warehouses and murals, with a few restaurants on the water, up to the Boca do Vento panoramic lift, which climbs to the upper old town. In the historic centre, Casa da Cerca, an eighteenth-century palace with a garden, houses a contemporary art centre with a magnificent terrace over the river. Almada is also home to the museum ship frigate Dom Fernando II e Glória, the last ship of the India route.
Costa da Caparica
West of the city stretches Costa da Caparica, an almost unbroken beach running from the town of Costa da Caparica, with its urban beaches and bars, to Fonte da Telha, at the foot of the Arriba Fóssil, a cliff of sedimentary rock protected as a landscape reserve. In summer a little train, the Transpraia, runs along the dunes linking the beaches, each with its own character: some for families, others for surfers, some naturist. Waves and wind make Caparica a favourite for surfing and bodyboarding.
Getting there
From Lisbon: ferry from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas, then bus to Cristo Rei or Costa da Caparica; or direct buses from the Praça de Espanha area. By car you cross the 25 de Abril bridge, but on summer weekends traffic to the beaches can be heavy.