Lisbon & the Atlantic Coast

Hills, tiles, surf and the Estoril line

Lisbon is the anchor of everything between the Serra de Sintra and the Sado estuary: a city of seven hills, 28 trams, miradouros and a tech scene that pulled in international talent throughout the 2010s and 2020s. Around it stretches a coastline that runs from the sandy suburb beaches of Carcavelos through the resort towns of the Estoril line to the surf breaks of Ericeira — Europe’s first World Surfing Reserve.

The region concentrates an outsized share of Portugal’s economy and international life: the country’s main airport, its finance and startup sector, most embassies, and the largest international schools. Cascais, twenty-five minutes along the coast, grew from a royal summer retreat into the most international suburb in the country.

North of the capital, the landscape changes character completely: the romantic palaces and fog forests of Sintra, the walled town of Óbidos, the giant waves of Nazaré and the salt-marsh flats of the Sado where dolphins feed within sight of rice fields. This variety — capital city, surf coast, palaces, fishing towns — packed into one region, makes it the easiest first-stop introduction to the country.

As a place to live it is the most expensive part of Portugal, but also the one with the deepest job market, the densest transport network and the shortest relocation path for non-Portuguese speakers.

Best time to visit

March–June and September–November; August is busy but the ocean breeze keeps the city liveable.

Don’t miss

• Alfama, Bairro Alto and tram 28 in Lisbon
• Pena Palace and Sintra’s fog forests
• Ericeira’s surf beaches
• Cabo da Roca — mainland Europe’s westernmost point
• Nazaré’s big-wave canyon

Cities & towns in Lisbon & the Atlantic Coast