The Lisbon region packs into a few dozen kilometres almost everything that makes Portugal special. At its heart is the capital, spread over hills along the Tagus estuary, with the medieval quarters of the Alfama and Mouraria, the Baixa rebuilt after the 1755 earthquake, the Manueline monuments of Belém and the nightlife of the Bairro Alto and Cais do Sodré.
To the west, the hills of Sintra hide fairy-tale palaces and romantic estates among the woods, a UNESCO site, and slope down to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe. Along the coast, the Cais do Sodré railway runs to the resorts of Estoril and Cascais, and further north the waves of Ericeira and the huge palace-convent of Mafra complete the picture.
South of the Tagus, across the 25 de Abril and Vasco da Gama bridges, lies the Setúbal peninsula: the beaches of Costa da Caparica, the fishing port of Sesimbra, Cabo Espichel, the vineyards of Azeitão and Palmela, the Serra da Arrábida with its turquoise coves and the city of Setúbal, overlooking the Sado estuary and its dolphins.
Getting around
Lisbon is served by Humberto Delgado airport, a few kilometres from the centre. Sintra, Cascais and the coast are reached by suburban train, while for the Setúbal peninsula and the Arrábida a car is best, or the ferries and buses across the river. Below you will find all the region's destinations on the map, our guides and the full list of municipalities in Lisbon and Setúbal districts.
Destinations on the map
Guides to the region
Almada and Costa da Caparica
The best view of Lisbon, from across the river, and a very long Atlantic beach half an hour from the capital.
Cascais
The old fishing village that became Lisbon's elegant riviera, with beaches, villas and cliffs.
Comporta
Endless beaches, rice fields and fishermen's huts: the stretch of coast that became a chic retreat an hour from Lisbon.
Ericeira
White houses trimmed with blue on the cliffs and some of Europe's best waves, half an hour from Lisbon.
Estoril
The Portuguese riviera of exiled royals and spies, with a casino, villas and Atlantic beaches.
Lisbon
The capital on the Tagus, a city of hills, yellow trams, azulejos and fado, facing the Atlantic.
Mafra
Portugal's grandest Baroque monument, built with Brazilian gold to fulfil a king's vow.
Palmela
A hilltop castle, vineyards as far as the eye can see and one of the widest views in the Lisbon region.
Queluz
A pink Rococo palace, French gardens and a canal lined with azulejos, a quarter of an hour from Lisbon.
Sesimbra
A fishing village in a sheltered bay below the Arrábida hills, with one of the country's most spectacular headlands.
Setúbal
A lively seaside city south of Lisbon, between the dolphin estuary and the beaches of the Serra da Arrábida.
Sines
Vasco da Gama's birthplace, with a major Atlantic port, a world music festival and wild beaches.
Sintra
Byron's "glorious Eden": fairytale palaces among woods and mist, forty minutes from Lisbon.
Torres Vedras
The town of the fortifications that stopped Napoleon, famous for the country's most irreverent carnival.