Day Trips From the Margem Sul
Lisbon, Sintra, Évora, Comporta, Tróia — the best day trips from your south bank base, with practical timings and routes.
Updated April 2026The South Bank as a Day-Trip Base
One of the under-appreciated advantages of living in the Margem Sul is its position as a day-trip hub. Lisbon is across the river. Sintra is a 45-minute drive. Évora is just over an hour east, Comporta the same south. Tróia is a 15-minute ferry. The Algarve is two and a half hours.
Most south bank residents get out at weekends — the proximity to so much of Portugal’s best is part of the lifestyle. This guide covers the major day-trip options, with realistic timings and what to actually do when you arrive.
Lisbon — The Obvious One
Ten minutes by ferry, a different city.
The fastest way over
Cacilhas ferry to Cais do Sodé — 10 minutes across the Tagus, every 15–20 minutes. From the Cais do Sodé landing you’re a tram or short walk from Baixa, Bairro Alto, Alfama, Belém, Praça do Comércio.
Different days, different sides
Belém for the tower, the Jerónimos monastery, MAAT museum, pastel de belém. Alfama for the old quarter, fado, Castelo de São Jorge. Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real for shopping and dining. Parque das Nações for the modern eastern quarter and Oceanário.
Logistics
Ferry from Cacilhas (Almada) is fastest. From Seixal, Barreiro, Trafaria, Montijo all have ferries with their own landings in central Lisbon. Driving across the bridge works but parking in Lisbon is expensive and limited.
Why locals love it
The combination of having Lisbon as a day-trip city without paying Lisbon prices to live there. Many Margem Sul residents go in once a week without it feeling like a commute.
Sintra — Palaces & Forest
Romantic palaces, dramatic forest, an hour from the south bank.
What to see
Palácio da Pena (the iconic colourful palace). Quinta da Regaleira (the gardens with the initiation well). Palácio Nacional de Sintra in the village. Castelo dos Mouros above the village. The Cabo da Roca lighthouse 25 minutes west.
How to play it
Pick two main sites — Pena Palace + Regaleira is a classic combination. Park-and-ride or take the bus from the train station up the hill (parking near sites is brutal in season). Lunch in the village. Late-afternoon visit to a viewpoint or Cabo da Roca.
Logistics from the south bank
Easiest by car — bridge to Lisbon, then north and west. 45 minutes outside rush hour. By public transport: Cacilhas ferry to Cais do Sodé, then train to Sintra (40 mins). Total ~1 hour.
When to go
Avoid summer weekends — queues at Pena Palace can be 90+ minutes. Spring, autumn, and weekday mornings are far better. Book Pena Palace tickets online ahead.
Évora & the Alentejo
Whitewashed villages, Roman ruins, megalithic stones, big skies.
Évora
The UNESCO-listed regional capital. Roman temple, the Capela dos Ossos (chapel of bones), the cathedral, the historic centre. 1 hour 15 from the south bank by car. Excellent restaurants — the Alentejo is one of Portugal’s great food regions.
Cromeleque dos Almendres
Megalithic stone circle 30 minutes west of Évora — older than Stonehenge. Free, atmospheric, often empty.
Montémade
The walled hilltop village 30 minutes from Évora — one of Portugal’s most photogenic small towns.
Logistics
Easiest by car. Take the A6 from Setúbal — 1 hour 15 to Évora. Lunch and afternoon palette: a single Évora day works; combining with Montémade or the megaliths makes a longer day.
Why it’s worth the drive
The Alentejo feels different from any other part of Portugal — slower, drier, bigger. A reset from coastal life. Food alone is reason to go.
Comporta & the Sand
Long empty beaches, stylish rural Portuguese village.
What it is
A small fishing village turned discreet luxury destination. Long stretches of empty white beach, rice paddies, a stylish village with restaurants by the sand. Made famous internationally by the discreetly wealthy who buy summer villas here.
What to do
Beach walking. Lunch by the sand at Sublime Comporta or one of the village restaurants. Bicycles through the rice paddies. Sunset on Praia do Carvalhal.
Logistics
1 hour 15 by car from the south bank. Take the A2 south, exit at Setúbal/Tróia, follow the road south. Or take the Tróia ferry for a more scenic approach.
Why it’s worth it
One of the most distinctive Portuguese coastal experiences. Less developed than the Algarve, more atmospheric than Caparica. Best as a sunny day-trip destination — minimal infrastructure if it rains.
Tróia & Other Short Trips
The under-an-hour options.
Tróia Peninsula
15-minute ferry from Setúbal. White sand on the estuary side, wild Atlantic on the ocean side, restaurants and a casino in the modern resort area. Excellent year-round day trip.
Óbidos
The walled hilltop town an hour and a half north of the south bank. Cobbled streets, the famous ginja cherry liqueur in chocolate cups, a major literary festival in autumn. Combines well with a day exploring the Silver Coast.
Cascais & Estoril
Ferry to Lisbon, then 40-minute train to Cascais. The other side of the river coastline — quite different feel, more international. Worth a comparison day if you’re considering where to live.
Mafra & Ericeira
The enormous palace at Mafra (Portugal’s answer to Versailles) plus the surf town of Ericeira on the coast. A day-trip combination an hour and 15 minutes north.
Cabo Espichel
The southwestern tip of the south bank itself — lighthouse, sanctuary, dramatic cliffs. 30 minutes from Sesimbra. Sunset trip.