Sesimbra is a charming coastal town in Portugal, known for its stunning beaches, fresh seafood, and laid-back atmosphere. Nestled between the Arrábida mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, this lovely town is less than an hour drive from Lisbon. We visited Sesimbra for the first time in late 2024 because a friend of our suggested we do a dolphin watching tour there. The dolphin tour was wonderful! We booked with this company and had a really great experience!
It wasn’t until a weekend in early July 2025 that we finally went back to Sesimbra. We had friends visiting and we were staying in a villa in Caparica with them. Part of our plans for our time there was to drive over to Sesimbra to hike up to the castle, and to check out the town. This turned out to be a perfect family outing, and we are already making plans to go back very soon!
What To Do in Sesimbra
Castelo de Sesimbra
We drove to Sesimbra early in the morning and headed straight to the castle. You can drive up to Sesimbra Castle, or you can hike the 1km trail up to the castle. We chose the latter and parked our car at this parking lot near the trail head. The trail was half stairs and half cobblestoned road. It was very easy to follow, and the views from there were wonderful (especially after the fog cleared!).
Entrance to the castle is free. The castle hours are: Summer: Every day from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Winter: Every day from 7 am to 7 pm. Fun fact: This is the last remaining castle by the sea in Portugal!
Once inside it’s very easy to follow a route that will take you all around the castle perimeter and the walls. The views of Sesimbra, the beach, and the port are beautiful from up there! Make sure you visit the church too! Built in the 12th century, the Church of Our Lady of Consolation of the Castle features stunning 18th century azulejo panels inside. Overall, we spent about 2 hours exploring the castle grounds.
Walk To Town
The walk from the castle down to town is about 2.5km long. We opted to leave the cars parked where they were and simply walk down to town to get lunch. I enjoyed seeing the old buildings and narrow streets as we got closer to the center of town. There were also some fun murals in the area. Also, we enjoyed seeing the outside of the Fortress of Santiago. We didn’t have time to visit the interior this time, but it’s on the list for our next visit!
Enjoy A Seafood Lunch
Our visiting friends told us they wanted to eat seafood while in Sesimbra, and we delivered! We chose a waterfront restaurant called O Velho e o Mar, and it was delicious! We arrived on the earlier side to make sure we’d find a table to accommodate all 9 of us, and it worked great. Otherwise, it is recommended that you make a reservation in advance. The restaurant has a kids menu for pickier eaters too.
Praia Da California
The first time we visited the beach in Sesimbra, we didn’t have much time to spend there. After our seafood lunch we went for a quick walk on the waterfront promenade, and then went for a quick dip in the ocean at Praia da California. The water felt warmer than in Costa Caparica, and it reminded us of the beaches in Greece where there are no waves, and you gently float in the water. It was super refreshing and very pleasant at the same time!
UPDATE: We recently went back to Praia da California and spent the day swimming and playing there. We parked our car at this lot, and then walked a short distance onto the beach. This area of the beach is definitely more active with umbrellas and chairs for rent, as well as beach cafes and restaurants. There are areas marked for people to setup in between the spaces that are commercially operated. We had no problem finding a spot to pitch our umbrella, even on a super warm day. The beach here was also blissful! We spent the day floating on boards on the water. There is basically no current here, so it’s perfect for kids to swim and for parents to enjoy!
Final Thoughts
We absolutely loved the day we spent in Sesimbra! I’m already planning on going back to explore some of the hikes in the nearby Parque Natural da Arrábida. Honestly, we visited Sesimbra with the only intention of hiking up to the castle, and we were pleasantly surprised to see there’s so much to do and see in town, as well as in the surrounding area! It left us all wanting more!
I think this would be the perfect beach to go to on days when Lisbon gets extremely hot as it seems to be slightly cooler on the South facing beaches there.
To learn more about our adventures in Portugal, visit this page. For all of our other travels, visit this page.
