The Lisbon South Bay area comprises three districts: Almada, Seixal and Barreiro. These three are known for their close historic connection to the Tagus River. From the ancient industries in Barreiro that fed the naval expeditions to África and Índia in the 16th century, to the amazing long sandy beaches of Caparica, Lisbon South Bay welcomes hundreds of thousands of tourists in summertime and surfers all through the year.
Seixal, the district between Almada and Barreiro, was where Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer, built his expedition ships with the help of his brother and father. The Tagus river’s presence greatly affects the region’s economy and the professions that the locals choose. In this sense, this region saw a surge of professions like fishermen, sailors, millers, caulkers, ax carpenters, which, for years, constituted the main way of life of the populations.
Surrounded by the urban tissue of Almada city, this park is a leisure and quiet space. In its 60 acres of green grass, there is an artificial lake where swans slide above the pond. This park is considered to be the lungs of the city. It was designed to be an ample space for Almada’s inhabitants, where they can enjoy nature, peace and quiet, while also enjoying the company of the new fauna and flora that naturally develops here.
This catholic monument is located in Almada and overlooks the city of Lisbon. It was inspired by Christ the Redeemer, the Rio de Janeiro statue, after the Cardinal Patriarch of Lisbon at the time, visited the Brazilian monument and thought it would be good for Portugal to have a similar construction. The Sanctuary of Christ the King is 110 meters high, summing the 82 meters of the base and the 28 meters of Jesus Christ’s image, and was erected on a 133 meters high cliff, overlooking the Tagus River left bank.
This non-permanent water park located in Seixal is a fun option for families. With ticket prices from 6€ and several attractions for children of all ages, this unique space in Portugal allows you and your family to stay fresh in the Portuguese hot summertime and enjoy a beautiful River Tagus landscape. Beyond the aquatic attractions, you can also find resting areas in the shade, with street food and music.
With its incredible riverfront, Seixal is a natural destination for every nautical recreation fanatic. The Seixal Recreational Nautical Centre features several structures that allow for all types of nautical activities, such as a place for mooring through a buoy system, which has 43 mooring places for leisure vessels up to 15 meters. The access is conditioned to the existing number of places for mooring, so this service must be previously required to the Sailors Support Service. There is also a 140 meters wide docking pier. The Hauling Ramp is berthed to the bridge pier and gives access to small-sized leisure and sport vessels.
Weather The weather in this region is typically Mediterranean, with mild and rainy winters, and warm to hot, dry summers. The hot summer temperatures are somewhat balanced by the proximity to the sea and the Tagus river. The coldest month is January typically ranges from the highest of 19º to the lowest of 3º. January and February are usually the wettest months of the year. During summer, the hottest month is usually August and the temperatures range from the highest of 33º to the lowest 14º.
Shopping The Lisbon South Bay region is heavily populated, so you’ll find plenty of shopping centres spread throughout Almada, Seixal and Barreiro. The major shopping centres are: Almada Forum, Alegro Montijo, Forum Barreiro, Rio Sul Shopping (Seixal), and the Freeport Outlet.
If you like to rise up early in the morning to buy the freshest goods and local products, the local markets, called Mercado Municipal in Portuguese, are an excellent choice for you. Visit the Mercado Municipal da Caparica, Mercado Municipal de Almada or the Mercado Municipal Abastecedor for the freshest local goods and fish.
Restaurants & Bars Thanks to its location bathed by the Tagus River, it makes the riverside area very interesting for those who pass by. Several restaurants take advantage of the fantastic view over Lisbon and offer typical cuisine based on fish dishes. The Cacilhas area, a boarding point for those travelling by boat between Almada and Lisbon, is also an important restaurant in the municipality. There are several bars and restaurants that offer the best of the local cuisine, not only along the coastline but also along the riverside.
- Bar & restaurante da Mundet Factory
- Atira-te ao Rio
- Lisboa à Vista
Airport The closest airport is the Lisbon Airport. If you’re in the Caparica, Almada and Seixal regions, the better option to cross the river while travelling to the airport is the 25 de Abril bridge, but if you’re departing from Barreiro or Montijo, you might want to take the faster Vasco da Gama bridge.
Distances to the Lisbon Airport:
- 22km from Caparica
- 17,5km from Almada
- 28km from Seixal
- 45km from Barreiro
Beaches The extensive beaches of the municipality of Almada (from Costa de Caparica to Fonte da Telha) which cover about 13 km of coastline, have excellent conditions for the practice of sea sports such as Surfing, Kit-Surf, Windsurfing, Bodyboard. The beaches of Costa da Caparica are the best known and most frequented.
There are several beautiful beaches throughout the Costa de Caparica, but we can advise to start discovering the region’s beaches with the following:
- São João da Caparica beach
- Riviera beach
- Praia do Castelo
- Fonte da Telha
Transportation The region is well supplied with public transport options, from busses to tram and train, the network is vast and very well equipped. MTS is a modern tram network that connects the cities of Corroios, Almada and Monte da Caparica.
The TST bus network covers the majority of the Tagus river’s south bank, so you will have always available options to take you from any of the Lisbon South Bay locations to any of the major transport connections, with the ferry boats and train stations for instance. The TST busses network also have direct busses to major cities like Lisbon and Setúbal including Setúbal and Lisbon.
If you wish to cross the Tagus River, from the south bay to Lisbon, there is also the ferry boat public network that ensures transport for everyone that lives there but works in Lisbon. You can catch any one of these ferry boats to Lisbon departing from Montijo, Barreiro, Seixal, Cacilhas, Trafaria and Porto Brandão. If you're interested only in sightseeing and cruising the river, you can ride any of the small private recreational boats or the Yellow Boat Lisbon Sightseeing Cruise Tours, by the company CarrisTur. There is also an option where you can combine the Cruise with a Bus tour in the city as well.
