The Waterfront
Parque das Nações; Baixa; Cais do Sodré, Alcântara; Belém
You can walk for about 45 minutes from the "beach" of Ribeira das Naus to Belém along the waterfront, and find several cafés, restaurants and landscaped spots to sit in the sun. Many of them are at the Santo Amaro Docks , with warehouses-turned-restaurants under 25 de Abril Bridge. Those who want some time in the sun should simply follow the Tagus, and here we recommend the best spots: The 10 Best Spots on the Lisbon Waterfront
The Rooftops and the Terraces
The top of Lisbon’s seven hills offer postcard-worthy views of the city and allow you to catch some sun. See these lists of the best spots: The 10 Best Rooftop Bars, the 50 Best Outdoor Cafés and Restaurants, and the 30 Best Kiosk Cafés.
The Beaches of Cascais
The coast around Lisbon has beautiful beaches , and the ones that are easier to reach are in Cascais . The largest and sandiest of all is Guincho , which is also windy but beautiful and never crowded. It also has some of Portugal’s best restaurants, such as the Michelin-starred Fortaleza do Guincho, and Porto de Santa Maria which has attracted celebrities like Brad Pitt and Bill Clinton. They all face the ocean, as do several hotels, like the Albatroz Hotel , Hotel Baía , Farol Hotel and Fortaleza do Guincho .
Costa da Caparica
Almada
In order to get to the best beaches on this 15km coast south of the capital you’ll need a car. Costa da Caparica is one of Europe’s largest unbroken expanses of sand, and although you should avoid the overcrowded area around the town of Caparica, you'll find beautiful and wild beaches if you follow the dunes towards Fonte da Telha .
Estoril
Before reaching Cascais you pass by Estoril , home to Portugal’s most famous beach in the 1950s, when its castle illustrated countless postcards. Today it continues to attract a large number of tourists and young locals, as does Europe’s biggest casino behind it. Walking west down the boardwalk , past the bars, you eventually reach Cascais.
The Parks
Even locals don’t know many of the green paradises in their city. Just above the main central avenue is Edward VII Park which is much bigger than it looks at first sight, hiding a wonderful greenhouse by a lake. Then there are the secret gardens of Necessidades Park, usually mostly deserted and with plenty of space to lie in the sun. Even better is Europe’s largest urban forest on the edge of town, Monsanto. See the best green spots in the city here: 10 Beautiful Parks and Gardens
Parque das Nações
Lisbon's most modern district faces the waterfront and has many wonderful spots to enjoy the great outdoors. One of them is Parque do Tejo, created between 1995 and 1999 as a leisure area by Europe’s longest bridge, with the shade of over 15,000 trees and lots of space for sitting in the sun. It's perfect for a picnic or to rest after a walk along the waterfront, past the city’s best contemporary architecture. It's also used for working out, soccer games and open-air yoga.
Praça do Comércio
Baixa
Years of renovation gave Lisbon’s biggest square, Comércio Square , more pedestrian space and new café terraces. Opening to the river and a wharf, it’s also where tourists sit to admire the estuary and 25 de Abril Bridge, with some even getting their feet wet. For refreshments and prolonged meals in the sun there are the cafés and restaurants.
Pena Park
Sintra
When temperatures rise, cool down in the magical Pena Park in Sintra , home to Portugal’s most spectacular palace and to the haunting ruins of a Moorish castle. In between those two monuments are mansions and refreshing vegetation overlooking Europe’s westernmost coastline.
The Long Nights
Cais do Sodré; Bairro Alto
Because the sun doesn’t set until around 9pm in the summer, dinners in Lisbon often start at 10PM and drinks at way past midnight. The traditional nightlife neighborhood has always been Bairro Alto , but it now has serious competition down the hill in the seedy-cool Cais do Sodré district. Once the place where sailors met ladies of the night, it’s now where Lisbon meets for alternative music and lots of drinking on the street. The starting point for it all is Camões Square.
