The Lisbon region is the capital and the country around it, on both banks of the Tagus estuary. Most trips are built on three bases joined by suburban trains: Lisbon itself, Sintra in the wooded hills to the west, and Cascais at the river mouth, where the Lisbon coast turns into the open Atlantic.
Beyond them the region keeps going. North of Sintra, Mafra hides one of Europe's largest Baroque palaces and Ericeira has a stretch of coast protected for its surf. South of the river, the Arrábida hills drop to sheltered coves, and the Sado estuary at Setúbal is home to a small resident group of bottlenose dolphins.
This page helps you choose and combine. Lisbon, Sintra and Cascais each have their own page.
Look for the resident dolphins of the Sado from Setúbal
Setúbal (Sado estuary)
Half a dayBook ahead
Look for one of only three resident bottlenose dolphin populations known in Europe, in an estuary south of Lisbon.
What it is
The Sado estuary at Setúbal, across the Tagus, is home to the population, which the nature agency ICNF has monitored for about 40 years and put at 25 animals in July 2025. Boat trips leave from Setúbal to look for them in the estuary and the bay beside it.
How to do it
Rules decide the route. In August 2025, for the third summer running, the ICNF banned dolphin watching and lingering boats at the mouth of the estuary and, all that month, dolphin watching between 13:00 and 15:00 across the estuary and the sea beside it. Check the current year's rules before you book.
Good to know
Pick a licensed operator that approaches the animals with care and does not promise a sighting, since nobody can.
See the Baroque library of the Mafra National Palace
Mafra
2 hoursNo booking needed
Walk a long Rococo hall of wooden shelves holding about 30,000 books, which the palace calls Europe's largest single-room library.
What it is
King João V commissioned the palace-convent of Mafra in 1711 and building began in 1717, paid for with Brazilian gold; the basilica at its centre was consecrated in 1730, and UNESCO listed the whole complex in 2019. The basilica has six historic organs, and its two towers hold carillons of 92 bells cast in Flanders, the largest of their time.
How to do it
The visit leads through royal apartments and friars' quarters to its two showpieces, the library and the basilica. Tickets cost €15. It opens Wednesday to Monday, 9:30 to 17:30, last entry 16:30. Mafra lies inland from Ericeira, so the palace and the surf coast make one day.
Good to know
It closes on Tuesdays and on Ascension Thursday, among other holidays.
Surf or watch the waves in the Ericeira World Surfing Reserve
Ericeira
A dayBook ahead
Watch a long right-hand point break from the cliff road, on Europe's first World Surfing Reserve.
What it is
Ericeira, a whitewashed fishing town on the coast north of Sintra, became the reserve on 14 October 2011, protecting a stretch of about 4 km with seven named breaks. Among them are Ribeira d'Ilhas, the point break, where international contests are held, and Coxos, a heavier reef wave for experienced surfers. On a big day, watching Ribeira d'Ilhas is a show in itself.
How to do it
Beginners should leave both to locals and learn with one of the town's surf schools on a gentler beach. Ericeira pairs with the Mafra palace, a short drive inland, and its harbour restaurants serve the day's fish.
Good to know
In must30's view, the swell is most consistent from autumn to spring, while summer brings smaller waves and crowds.
Lisbon for museums, neighbourhoods, food and nightlife. Sintra for palaces and gardens in the hills, from Pena to Monserrate. Cascais for an easy beach town with museums, the seafront walk to Estoril and the surf beaches of Carcavelos and Guincho. Mafra and Ericeira for a Baroque palace and serious surf, Setúbal and Arrábida for dolphins and calm coves.
Combining them
Base yourself in Lisbon and make Sintra and Cascais day trips: trains leave Rossio for Sintra and Cais do Sodré for Cascais. Carris Metropolitano bus 1624 links Sintra and Cascais via Cabo da Roca, so one long day can loop Lisbon, Sintra, the cape and Cascais. Mafra and Ericeira pair well in one day, and Setúbal with a dolphin trip in another.
Getting around
Trains and buses cover Lisbon, Sintra and Cascais well, and a Navegante card works on all of them. A car is useless in Lisbon and a burden in Sintra, where private cars cannot drive up to Pena or the Moorish Castle. Hire one only for Arrábida's coves, Mafra and Ericeira, or the coast north of Cascais.
When to go
April to June and September to October suit sightseeing in the city and hills. July and August bring beach weather and crowds, strong winds at Guincho and an August ban on dolphin watching at the mouth of the Sado. Winter is mild in Lisbon, but the Sintra hills are often misty and the Atlantic beaches belong to surfers.
Questions travellers ask
What are the best day trips from Lisbon?
Sintra for the palaces and Cascais for the coast are the classics, both by direct train. Mafra and Ericeira make a third, with Europe's largest single-room Baroque library and a World Surfing Reserve. South of the river, Setúbal offers dolphin trips on the Sado and the coves of Arrábida.
Sintra or Cascais if you only have one day?
Sintra if you want palaces and history, Cascais if you want the sea and an easy walk. They are close enough to combine in a long day using bus 1624 via Cabo da Roca, but you will only see one palace that way.
Where can you see dolphins near Lisbon?
In the Sado estuary at Setúbal, home to a small resident population of bottlenose dolphins, one of the few in Europe. Boat trips leave from Setúbal. In August the authorities ban watching at the estuary mouth and between 13:00 and 15:00 in the estuary, so trips change route.
Do you need a car in the Lisbon region?
Not for Lisbon, Sintra or Cascais: suburban trains and buses serve all three, and driving in Lisbon or up to Sintra's palaces is harder than taking the bus. A car helps for Arrábida, Mafra and Ericeira.
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