Lisbon, the capital city is located along the Tagus River. More precisely, the city is located where the Tagus River flows into the Atlantic. Watersports in Lisbon are great thanks to the unique location of the city.
In addition, the mild climate make watersports in Lisbon a pleasant thing to do, all year round. You can find many different kinds of watersports in Lisbon. In the region around Lisbon you’ll find outstanding beaches for surfing, canoeing, coasteering, doing SUP or kitesurf for example.
The most popular locations to practice watersports in Lisbon are “Linha”, “Costa” and “Sesimbra”. “Linha” refers to the train line that goes from Lisbon to Cascais. This trail line is about 30km long and along the line you’ll see the Tagus river turn into the Atlantic. Along this line, there are several beaches for surfing and stand-up paddle. For surf, our favorite is Carcavelos Beach and for stand-up paddle in Lisbon, we recommend Cascais.
“Costa” is short for “Costa da Caparica”, the very long beach on the south bench of the Tagus River. “Costa” is ideal for surf and windsurf. Sesimbra is a typical fishermen town about 40 min drive south of Lisbon. Sesimbra is a true paradise for nature lovers. Sesimbra is known for its stunning green mountains and light blue waters. You can imagine that these colors together make a beautiful scenery for the practice of watersports like canoeing or coasteering.
We’d like to share our top 5 watersports in Lisbon with you:
Stand-up paddle in Cascais
Stand-up paddle or SUP is easy to learn and is suitable for all ages. At Praia da Rainha in Cascais you will find the best instructors and a fantastic landscape to venture into this popular watersport in Lisbon. You can do a stand-up paddle lesson for beginners or go on a tour to explore the impressive coastline of Cascais. For the ones who like yoga, you can even do SUP-yoga, which is yoga on your paddle board! We went to try this out ourselves and it was amazing!
Surfing in Lisbon
Surfing in Lisbon is in vogue. In fact, surfing is one of the most popular watersports in Libson. The intense contact with the sea is delicious. Fortunately Lisbon has many different beaches within 30 min drive or by train. You’ll always find a beach with good conditions for your lever of experience. We recommend choosing a surf school that is associated to the Portuguese Surf Federation and has qualified instructors. We suggest this surf lesson if you’re looking for the opportunity to feel the waves accompanied by top surfers. Surfing in Lisbon is suitable for all levels of experience. You can also choose a surf day where you’re picked up at your accommodation in Lisbon and will be taken to the best beach. In the morning, you’ll have a surfing lesson and in the afternoon you can use the surf gear to grab some waves yourself. By the end of the day, you’ll be dropped off at home again.
Canoeing in Sesimbra
Canoeing is great if you’re looking for a watersports in Lisbon that is suitable for families. If you do not know the Serra da Arrábida, this canoeing trip in Sesimbra is a good opportunity to get to know the mountains from a different perspective. Canoeing is a very sporty, healthy and unique way to explore the amazing coastline of Sesimbra. This canoeing tour in Sesimbra takes about 4 hours. Canoeing is suitable for all ages and levels of experience. As there go two people in each canoe, the younger ones can join too! The length and intensity of the canoeing tour in Sesimbra will be adapted to the level of the group.
Coasteering in Sesimbra
Coasteering is one of the most unique watersports in Lisbon. Coasteering consists of progressing along the inter-tidal zone of the rocky coast of Sesimbra involving various modalities like swimming, climbing, rappelling, cliff jumping and hiking. The thrill of jumping into caves and climbing and doing rappel on the cliffs is unforgettable. The guides will take you to the best spots that only the locals know about and are only accessible this way. Do you dare?
Kitesurfing class in Guincho
Guincho is known for its excellent conditions for kitesurfing. Guincho is located near Cascais, at the end of the “linha”. This kiteboarding class is an original way to get to know the region better while learning a new sport. This is kitesurfing taster is a great introduction to kitesurfing as it’s designed for beginners. Kitesurfing can be done all year round, depending on the weather and ocean conditions.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding these watersports in Lisbon, please do not hesitate to contact us ([email protected]). And if you have more suggestions, we’ll be happy to know!
