In the foothills of the Serra da Arrábida along the azure Atlantic Ocean in what’s known as the Setúbal district, you’ll find what amounts to a hidden treasure of Portugal: Sesimbra.
It is so very worth your while to bother going to this quaint fishing village meets relaxing beach town. Yes, it’s not on the train from Lisbon, but you can take a public bus there in about an hour or you can take a Bolt/Uber (for under $15, which I highly recommend!) and get there in about 40-minutes. This was my family’s favorite place on our first visit in 2025 and this year, when I lived in Lisbon for three weeks while teaching a study abroad class, I took the bus here and back three more times, as I just really love the relaxing vibe. 20-out-of-10-stars recommend! Here’s 5 of the reasons…
#1 European Blue Flag Beaches
The praias of Sesimbra are of the highest quality – crystal aqua-teal water laps clean golden sands everywhere you look. This cute town is situated along sprawling beaches with a gently sloping promenade to stroll from Praia do Oro to Praia da Califórnia. Both these beaches are rated European Blue Flag, i.e. top of the line. There’s three other beaches the town claims plus many more (what used to be known as “secret beaches” – like Ribeiro do Cavalo and Praia da Mijona) in the area, accessible by hiking or boating up (by water taxi or guided boat tour).
#2 Get out on the Water
Sesimbra gives you an opportunity to leave the cruise crowds and enjoy the local take on Atlantic life. Case in point, doing a small guided boat tour with a little local company. I picked (and highly rec) Day Dream Experience and had the pleasure of relaxing in the perfect size boat (fits 10 max) learning about the geology and history of the area, snorkeling, exploring coastal caves by boat, and swimming up to “secret” beaches in Parque Natural da Arrábida. Catarina and Andre are locals who love where they live and share great stories of the area (in English and Portuguese). There are also lots of SCUBA diving adventures for all levels and dolphin and whale watching boat excursions. We had an amazing time! We booked via Get Your Guide.
#3 Castle of Sesimbra
This feels like a hidden secret, but instead of paying to get in the ruins of Sintra’s crowded Moorish Castle, check out the free Castle of Sesimbra, perched high above the town where it’s kept watch since the 1100s! There’s a church with blue and white azulejos, medieval ruins, turrets, a tower, a sun gate and more. Listen to the 5-minute free audio guide ahead of time here.
You can drive up from town and park in the lot or take a Bolt/Uber. The other option involves a hike, which is what I did. On the map to a first-time visitor it looks like just do a short hike up the hillside of town. It’s just above the truly amazing Four Points hotel, so even closer if you stay there like we did. But the reality is, that footpath up is pretty steep.
Instead, do what I did this summer. On my bus trip from Lisbon, I got off two stops before the terminal downtown Sesimbra. This put me pretty close to the top of the mountain. You have to walk along the side of the road with no sidewalk for a short part of this, so no little kids on this hike. Pretty quickly you’ll find yourself at the start of the trail, not marked that great in person, but Apple Maps did a great job in guiding me from the bus stop to the top of the peak. The trail is pretty good but pretty steep. After maybe 15 minutes you’ll find yourself at the sun gate that was historically the entrance. This is the payoff: views over the town and of the bright blue Atlantic as far as the eye can see.
Make sure to wear a hat, trainers, and sunscreen and bring a full water bottle. Yes, there’s a cafe and restrooms up in the castle. But, that summer sun beats down hard and the olive tree-lined path still doesn’t provide enough shade.
Hiking down into the town when you’re done is much easier, but your knees will feel it. There are steps cut into the mountain side when you get closer to the town, which makes it more manageable. You will have earned a good meal and a nice long time sitting on the beach and playing in the ocean after this!
#4 Fabulous Food
Being from Texas (21 years) and living in Arizona (15 years), I didn’t have tacos on my list of things to try in Portugal. (I’ve been burned by Euro-takes on tacos before.) Luckily, I didn’t keep my preconceived notions and went for the “baja fish tacos” (made with the local fish of the day) and “Portuguese mojito” (tho the Jesus Juice almost won out) at Tacos Pexito. This is a hole-in-the-wall without walls – tables are on wide platform steps looking out to sea. At sunset, trust me -chef’s kiss! I loved this place so much in 2025 that I went back in 2026 again, got the exact same order and can truly say, I will be back every year.
We also enjoyed Sushi Mood for a lunch in town near the beach too: come for the authentic sushi (even authenticated by the Japanese government!), stay for the pizza?!?! Yes, they have two kitchens – one for each specialty. So if you happen to travel with boring eaters who don’t like fish or even vegetarian California rolls, this place serves up the goods for everyone. Everything we ate here was really great! Try the cêviche made with local catch of the day, the takoyaki, the GODzilla… and yes, also the pizzas, if you can believe it.
We ate breakfast at our hotel –Four Points– and I’ve never had a better free breakfast anywhere in the world I’ve stayed, and I’ve stayed in a lot of excellent places in my travels. So many local favorites, espressos, fresh orange juice press, and even pastéis de nata. Mmmmmmmm!!!!!
#5 Fortress of Santiago & Maritime Museum
Explore the area’s history and culture at the city’s maritime museum. It has artifacts that date back 5000 years up to present day that teach you all about the fishing heritage still celebrated today. It’s located in the Fortress of Santiago, which has spectacular views of praias do Oro and da Califórnia, as it sits right between the two. At night it’s lit up and feels like you’ve somehow escaped time, crowds, and life’s hustle and bustle all at once. Plus, hello, going into the fort is free (and they have great free bathrooms when you need some relief while at the beach). The museum does charge an entrance fee and is closed Mondays, but the fort is still open.
This article was originally written in summer of 2025 and updated after a second visit in summer 2026.
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