LisbonLisboaPortugal.com

The best independent guide to Lisbon

LisbonLisboaPortugal.com

The best independent guide to Lisbon

The Praia da Ribeira beach, Cascais

The Praia da Ribeira beach was historically the fishermen’s beach in the centre of Cascais.

This pretty beach overlooks the fishing harbour and was traditionally where the fishing boats were moored and unloaded. Today the boats are moored in the harbour, and the beach is popular with tourists, due to its central location.

Praia da Ribeira beach cascais

Praia da Ribeira sits in the centre of Cascais and is backed by the Hotel Baía

The Ribeira is a convenient beach if you want somewhere close to relax for a couple of hours, and don’t want the hassle of travelling by train to one of the larger beaches of the region. The only downside of the Ribeira beach is that it is on the main tourist routes around Cascais, and you will be constantly gazed at by visitors wandering past…
Related articles: Cascais guide - Cascais beach guide - Lisbon beach guide

Praia da Ribeira beach cascais

The view over the beautiful Cascais coastline

Praia da Ribeira tourist information

The Praia da Ribeira is a small beach, with a shoreline of only 120m. On one side is the coastal wall that leads to the fishing harbour, and on the other is the old fishing pier. The beach is one of the most sheltered of the Lisbon coastline, and there are no waves, currents or sea breezes. The water quality is clean and monitored, but it is very close to the fishing harbour.

Ribeira beach busy summer

Expect the Ribeira beach to be busy in the summer months!

Being such a small beach, there is no lifeguard supervision, and there are no parasols or sun lounger rentals. There are many bars, restaurants, and shops close by.

Due to the small size of Praia da Ribeira, it can get crowded at the weekends. The Praia da Ribeira is fine for a couple hours of relaxing, but there are much better beaches both to the east and north. There is a volleyball pitch at the rear of the beach, which is free to use.

Ribeira beach sea water

The water is fine for splashing around in but not for serious swimming

Praia da Ribeira Cascais further information

The Praia da Ribeira was historically the beach where the fishermen would haul the boats onto the sands, either to ride out storms or for repairs. The Ribeira beach is frequently referred by locals as the Fishermen’s Beach, the Praia dos Pescadores. Today the boats are no longer brought up the beach, and the fishing fleet is significantly diminished, with the population of Cascais mainly working in the tourist trade.

To the east of the Ribeira Beach is the Casa Seixas, a magnificent 20th-century villa that was constructed on the site of the old Fort of Santa Cata (Fort of Saint Catherine). A section of the old fort can be seen on the sea-facing side. The Casa Seixas was sold to the Portuguese navy and is presently used as the Mess Hall for naval officers.

Casa Seixas cascais

The Casa Seixas

The Aos Descobrimentos Portugueses statue

The Aos Descobrimentos Portugueses is a 3m high bronze statue that is on the edge of the Praia da Ribeira. The statue of a young woman scanning the horizon, commentates 500 years since the Portuguese voyages of discovery along the western coast of Africa.

Aos Descobrimentos Portugueses cascais

The Aos Descobrimentos Portugueses looking for distant lands

Discover more of Cascais and Lisbon with our guides

cascais Portugal guide
cascais beaches
day trip to cascais
sintra portugal
lisbon Portugal guide
top 10 lisbon
Secret Lisbon
Where to stay which district lisbon
lisbon beaches
48 hours lisbon
Lisbon day trips
3 days in Lisbon
1 week in lisbon
24 hours in lisbon
Baixa district lisbon
belem distrcit lisbon
alfama district lisbon
Lisbon sunsets
Parque das Nações district lisbon
Costa da Caparica
lisbon airport guide

A complete list of all of our Lisbon articles

uk - es fr it

LisbonLisboaPortugal.com

The best guide to Lisbon

lisbon Portugal guide
top 10 lisbon
Secret Lisbon
Where to stay which district lisbon
48 hours lisbon
lisbon food and meals
Lisbon day trips
lisbon beaches
3 days in Lisbon
1 week in lisbon
24 hours in lisbon
lisbon for families
Baixa district lisbon
belem distrcit lisbon
lisbon shopping
alfama district lisbon
Lisbon sunsets
Parque das Nações district lisbon
Alcantara district lisbon
sintra portugal
Costa da Caparica
cascais portugal
Lisbon viewpoints
lisbon airport guide
Cost of a holiday to Lisbon
wet day in lisbon
Lisbon museums

Please help us
The digital landscape has shifted, squeezing small publishers like us. Between search engine biases and AI plagiarism, we're feeling the heat.
All we ask is that you bookmark us for quick access and share the articles you love.
Spotted an error? Let us know - with over 1,600 pages to maintain, we always welcome your vigilance.
Please contact us at: [email protected]

lisbon Portugal guide
top 10 lisbon
Secret Lisbon
Where to stay which district lisbon
48 hours lisbon
lisbon food and meals
Lisbon day trips
lisbon beaches
3 days in Lisbon
1 week in lisbon
24 hours in lisbon
lisbon for families
Baixa district lisbon
belem distrcit lisbon
lisbon shopping
alfama district lisbon
Lisbon sunsets
Parque das Nações district lisbon
Alcantara district lisbon
sintra portugal
Costa da Caparica
cascais portugal
Lisbon viewpoints
lisbon airport guide
Cost of a holiday to Lisbon
wet day in lisbon
Lisbon museums