Being one of the oldest cities in the world, the Portuguese capital city is one of the top destinations for city trips, thanks to its location right by the Atlantic Ocean and its multicultural and metropolitan flair.
There’s a lot to discover in this vibrant city, from a busy and unique nightlife in “Bairro Alto” over architectural jewels spread all over town to beautiful beaches just outside of the cosmopolitan capital.
Boat tours in Lisbon are especially popular to discover the most important spots. You can choose from relaxing sailing tours or go on a wild boat party in Lisbon.
Whatever boat ride in Lisbon you choose to do, we guarantee you a great experience and the most fun way to discover the main landmarks of the capital without getting too hot. Because with 290 sunny days on average, you have to be very unlucky to visit Lisbon on a cloudy day!
- Our favorite beach: Costa da Caparica
- Our favorite restaurant: Ponto Final - Cacilhas
- Our favorite boat tour in Lisbon: Sunset tour on a vintage boat in Lisbon
- Our favorite watersport in Lisbon: Coasteering in Sesimbra
Getting around in Lisbon
The best way to discover Lisbon, in our opinion, is on foot! Lisbon’s a rather small city and you can do almost everything by foot.
If you want to go a little quicker or further, you can always rent one of the many electric bikes and kick scooters that you can simply find on the street and unlock using their apps.
The metro and bus lines in Lisbon work rather well, but did you know that most of the times, for two or more people, using an app like Uber or Bolt will end up cheaper and quicker?
To go to Belém or Alcântara, where most of the boat cruises in Lisbon depart from, we recommend the train or tram (or Uber). Also for the watersports and boat tours in Cascais, the train is the best option. It’s actually a very nice ride, along the River and the Sea.
Best things to do during your holidays in Lisbon
Bo, one of SeaBookings founders lives in Lisbon and she’s totally in love with the Portuguese capital city. If she has friends coming over, she mainly recommends wandering around town and simply enjoy the vibe of the narrow streets, colorful buildings and incredible viewpoints. This is the best way to experience Lisbon.
Bairro Alto is one one of the districts to visit, but not for dinner, as most places are way too touristy and expensive, but rather a drink after dinner on the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara (the viewpoint next to Bairro Alto).
If you head down from Bairro Alto, along Chiado or Restauradores, you’ll reach the emblematic central square of Rossio. From the Santa Justa Lift, you’ll get a great 360º view over downtown. To avoid the lines, you can also reach the top of this famous elevator from the upper town - Largo do Carmo, next to the Carmo Convent - for free!
Regarding Museums in Lisbon and other things to do in Lisbon on a rainy day, for families with kids, we recommend the
Oceanário de Lisboa (even though we’d prefer to observe some marine life in their natural habitat on a
dolphin watching tour from Lisbon).
At the
Centro Cultural de Belém (CCB), you can find very good exhibitions of Portuguese and international artists (and the building itself is unique).
Day trip to Sesimbra or Setúbal
If you want to go to
Sesimbra for a day-trip and enjoy one of the
many sea experiences there, you can book a transfer with most of the experiences, or by your own means. All ways on how to get from Lisbon to Sesimbra are explained in
this article.
If you’d like to see
dolphins in their natural habitat,
Setúbal is the place to be. There are boat tours in Lisbon to the dolphins too, but you might prefer a day-trip to escape the busy city and venture on an
amazing catamaran tour. More about how to get from Lisbon to Setúbal can be
read here.
And if you want to travel a bit more, you can also
go from Lisbon to Benagil, a very famous sea cave in the
Algarve.
Once you’ve reached the coastline of the Algarve by car, bus or train, we recommend hopping on one of the many
boat tours to Benagil.
The best boat tours in Lisbon
Of course, we suggest you enjoy one of the many boat trips in Lisbon when you visit Lisbon. Actually, the boat tours on the Tagus River are a great alternative to tick some of Lisbon’s highlights from your checklist.
In fact, you’ll cruise by the famous Tower of Belém (Torre de Belém) and the Padrão dos Descobrimentos. Both monuments are located in the district of Belém, from where the majority of the boat tours in Lisbon depart from. You might want to use the opportunity of being in Belém to visit the emblematic Jerónimos Monastery (Mosteiro de Jerónimos), before or after your boat tour in Lisbon.
There are sea experiences for all tastes. There are experiences from
1 hour to full-day tours. There are boat tours on the Tagus River, for sightseeing, to go
dolphin watching in Lisbon, to sunset cruise along the coast to Cascais or even to
party on a boat!
On the sightseeing boat tours, you get a very privileged view over the city, in particular over Praça do Comércio, also known as Terreiro do Paço, the big square by the River with its beautiful Arco da Rua Augusta (Arch of Rua Augusta, the main shopping street).
When you decide to sail in Lisbon, you also get to see Cais do Sodré, the Ponte 25 de Abril (25th of April Bridge), the National Sanctuary of Christ the King in Cacilhas( Cristo Rei) , the National Pantheon and the Lisbon Cathedral in Alfama.
Sunset sailing is one of the most
popular sailing trips in Lisbon. It's usually done in a small group up to 12 people or you can go for a
private sailing tour. The views of Lisbon are even more magical during sunset! You can discover Lisbon on a
sail boat, luxury yacht, motor boat or catamaran. There are many options to have fun while on holiday in this amazing city.
The best watersports in Lisbon
For the most active travelers visiting Lisbon, we recommend the SUP tours and SUP Yoga in Cascais. If you have more time available, a visit to Sesimbra to do some snorkeling, kayaking or coasteering is a great idea.
And did you know that Lisbon has become the place to be for
surfers in recent years? Join us on a
surf trip in Lisbon and we’ll show you why!
Whatever you decide to do during your days in Lisbon, we promise you will love this unique capital city in Europe! Sunshine and a lot of fun are guaranteed! For any further tips or requests, feel free to contact us anytime.
