Private tours in Lisbon & surroundings
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Program
We leave Lisbon passing by the scenic harbour and the estuary of the river and its seashore.
The Estoril coast, incorporating holiday hotspots offers great beaches and a choice of historic sights.
Cosmopolitan seaside town of Carcavelos is popular for its long stretch of sandy beach and its XVII century fortress - the
biggest in Tagus river.
Other beaches on Estoril's include Parede. Waters here are rich in iodine and have therapeutic qualities. Around Sao Pedro, Sao
Joao and Santo Antonio do Estoril the beach scene gets more cliff like, but there are small beach bays with aristocratic palaces,
manor houses and deluxe villas, a safe haven of exiled kings and politicians.
The cosmopolitan casino town of Estoril boats pretty Tamariz beach which is good for bathing and the biggest casino in
Europe, its gardens, cafes and esplanade.
Cascais fishing port swiftly expanded to an elegant, cosmopolitan, coastal resort. Once stop of navigators like Columbus and
Vasco da Gama. From the harbor there’s a nice view of Estoril bay and one can watch the typical fishing boats, a flash marina
and a castle.
Continue by the seaside with rocky and sandy beaches and the picturesque cliff - the Mouth of Hell - where high waves crash
into gigantic caves carved out of the rock by the sea.
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Next is Guincho beach, backed by dunes and with some of the best rollers in Europe, it is a true paradise for surfers.
Go up the mountain by twisted roads with breathtaking views of the coastline and arrive to Cabo da Roca - the westernmost point of continental Europe, a
promontory of Sintra Mountain, a granite cliff, 472 feet (144 m) high - for a fantastic view of the seaside.
We then cross “25 Abril” bridge over Tagus river and have a superb view.
As we approach the countryside we will be pleasantly surprised by a unique scenery of huge pine forests, eucalyptus and cork trees.
We go up the hill to visit the XII century castle of Sesimbra, lying at the foothills of Serra da Arrábida. Stop to enjoy the beautiful view over the ocean,
Sesimbra beach and scenery of this picturesque fishing town. Sightseeing of Sesimbra, seaside resort with crystal clear water and where we can have a
glimpse of the fishing port, to see fishermen unloading the catch.
Not far we have Espichel cape. Tourists are drawn there due to breathtaking views on its cliffs facing the Atlantic Ocean. The location is famous for a
sanctuary complex built extremely close to the edge of the tall cliffs.
We then go up to Arrabida mountain - a unique nature reserve on the highest cliffs of the Portuguese coast, providing splendid panoramic views over
Lisbon, Setubal, Sado river estuary, Troia peninsula and the ocean. Arrábida Natural Park is a beautiful
protected area covered with pine trees and rich Mediterranean vegetation, including many rare species. Down below, the crystal-clear waters of the
sheltered snow-white sandy beaches.
This promenade will let us see from the road the old farms, once the dwelling of noblemen from Lisbon.
Stop at Setubal, an important fishing harbour, where once again we can watch the typical Portuguese fishing boats. On the Rio Sado waterfront are the
docks, the marina and the fishing harbor, where brisk auctions take place every morning.
Travel back to Lisbon by Vasco da Gama bridge, 12 km long, for another unforgettable view of the city and one of the widest estuaries in the world.
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...One of the most beautiful parts of the Estoril Coast is a succession of hills dotted with pine trees and houses, sweeping
down to the sea and the local villages with their typical houses and the old palatial villas along the sea front. Villas from
the Roman period have been excavated and inscriptions found of family names, names of the Gods they worshipped and
names chosen for their sons. Cascais became a lookout for Lisbon in the great maritime era of discovering new worlds.
It was the first place the navigators saw when they returned from long and adventurous voyages seeking their homeland.
It was in Cascais during the latter part of the XIX century, that the Royal Family first began to bathe. It was a custom
which was becoming popular in Europe and Cascais was an ideal place owing to its mild climate. Over the years, many
important families have made Cascais into a cosmopolitan town...
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...The forest-clad, elongated hummock of the Serra da Arrábida is a veritable oasis of natural vegetation amid
the suburban sprawl of the Setúbal peninsula, with an incredibly diverse wildlife to match. Along the shore of the
Sado estuary, its sheer flanks drop sharply into a turquoise sea, the pale limestone cliffs eaten away at the base to
form small sandy coves. Although the 50km-long ridge of the Arrábida attains a maximum of only 501m (Alto do
Formosinho), the views from the top are truly spectacular, giving the impression of much greater altitude. More
than 1,000 species of vascular plants have been recorded from the Arrábida natural park. Situated to the south
of the peninsula is the hub Setubal, actually Portugal's third largest port after Lisbon and Porto. Renowned for
both its fishing and fish restaurants and its many historic buildings and museums, Setubal makes a superb
Portugal holiday base or indeed a day trip. To the west of Setubal centre are stunning beaches backed on by the
Arrabida Natural Park. To the south is the natural reserve of the Sado estuary, home to numerous birds and
wildlife including bottle-nosed Dolphins...
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