Around Lisbon

You could easily make Lisbon a base for a week or two’s holiday, taking excursions out into the surrounding area. There’s no need to rent a car; you can see almost everything by public transport. The beach suburbs of Estoril and Cascais are just half an hour’s journey away to the west, while to the south, across the Rio Tejo, are the kilometres of dunes along the Costa da Caparica. Slightly further south lies the port of Setúbal, featuring one of the earliest Manueline churches, and nearby is the resort of Sesimbra – a popular day-trip for Lisboetas. To the north is the Rococo Palácio de Queluz and its gardens, which you can see en route to the beautiful town of Sintra, to the northwest, whose lush wooded heights and royal palaces make up Byron’s “glorious Eden”. Bear in mind that most of the Sintra palaces are closed on Mondays, and that Queluz is closed on Tuesdays.