Where to Stay for a Day Trip to Lisbon

Lisbon is the most popular destination in Portugal. The city’s Belém Tower and Jerónimos Monastery are both UNESCO World Heritage sites. Castelo De São Jorge (Saint George’s Castle) overlooks the city and river, and is a perfect stop if you’re in the centuries-old neighborhoods of Castelo, Alfama, or Mouraria. For sports fans, soccer clubs SL Benfica and Sporting CP both offer stadium and museum tours (each stadium seats over 50,000 people). Then there’s Lisbon’s cuisine, with a range of restaurants serving classic Portuguese dishes, new-wave inventions, and fusion foods.

But it’s not necessary to stay in Lisbon itself to enjoy the city’s treasures. Nearby coastal towns and villages are in driving distance, with Comporta and Cascais two outstanding choices.

Comporta

On Portugal’s Alentejo coast, the fishing village of Comporta is just over an hour’s drive away. The picturesque area is known for its rice fields, flamingos, white sand beaches and local seafood. A villa Comporta, with its modern design inspired by traditional fishing huts, is available to rent for a holiday and will sleep up to 10 people. Beach houses can be found on the edge of the village’s traditional rice fields and are within walking distance from restaurants and the beach.

Praia da Comporta (Comporta Beach) is the closest beach and there is always enough space to relax, even during peak times. Though its name has grown in recent years due to several celebrities making it their home, Comporta is still relatively undiscovered and offers a more peaceful, nature-filled stay than Lisbon. 

Alentejo’s cuisine is simple yet flavorful, with local seafood, grilled fish, and pork are all enjoyed. Gazpacho, a cold tomato soup, is a staple. Pastéis de bacalhau, a traditional Portuguese mixture including codfish and potatoes, and empadas de galhinhas, turnovers with chicken, are also popular. 

Cascais

Cascais is on the Riviera and known for its sandy beaches. The town is around half an hour’s drive, or a train journey away from Lisbon. It was traditionally a popular summer retreat for the country’s nobility, and today signs of its fishing traditions are still evident. The cobbled streets dotted with highly rated restaurants mean there’s plenty to do outside of your time in Lisbon. The Cascais to Estoril promenade is a beautiful coastal pathway that gives you a chance to visit another coastal town; Estoril offers similar warm weather to Lisbon and is known for its high quality of living. 

Getting to Lisbon and planning

A car rental from Lisbon or Setubal may be a good choice if you’re staying in Comporta. From Cascais, you can hop on a train. Try to plan your time in Lisbon to maximize your time there. Tickets for major attractions are best booked in advance. Both Comporta and Cascais work well as bases for Lisbon day trips, as well as more relaxing days on the beach or admiring the nature on your doorstep. Comporta provides a more peaceful, rural setting, while Cascais may be the better choice if you want a livelier coastal town.