Silver Coast Portugal: A Town-by-Town Travel Guide

Portugal’s Silver Coast (Costa de Prata) is the Atlantic coastline between Lisbon and Porto, about 240 km from the Santa Cruz area of Torres Vedras north to Esmoriz, just south of Porto. For visitors based in Lisbon, the part that matters is its southern end: Óbidos, Caldas da Rainha, Foz do Arelho, Peniche and Nazaré, about one to one and a half hours away by car.

Most pages that rank for “Silver Coast Portugal” are about buying property. This one is a travel guide, written by Luís Perloiro, a professional surfer and Sea & See’s surf instructor. It takes the towns in the order you reach them from Lisbon, with how far each one is, what it is best for, and how many you can realistically see in a day.

Where is the Silver Coast in Portugal?

The Silver Coast is the stretch of Atlantic shore between the Lisbon Coast and the Green Coast of the north. It is a tourism name, not an official region, so its edges move depending on who draws the map.

Why maps and guides disagree

The Costa de Prata is usually given as about 240 km, from the Barrinha de Esmoriz in the north to Santa Cruz in Torres Vedras in the south, but some sources end it at Peniche. Guides that add Ericeira (on the Lisbon Coast) or inland Coimbra and Tomar are stretching it.

The part within reach of Lisbon

For a visitor in Lisbon, the Silver Coast means the coastal towns of the Oeste, the “West” region of 12 municipalities whose seat is Caldas da Rainha, plus the monastery towns of Alcobaça and, just inland, Batalha. Here they are by distance from central Lisbon.

Silver Coast vs Algarve vs the Lisbon Coast

The Algarve is Portugal’s southern coast; the Silver Coast is the cooler, wilder Atlantic shore north of Lisbon, with history close to the beaches. The Lisbon Coast, with Sintra and Cascais, sits in between and is the closest to the city.

If you are deciding between Sintra and somewhere quieter, our guide to Sintra alternatives puts Óbidos in context.

Silver Coast towns, in the order you reach them

Each town is good at something different. Use this to match them to what you want, then read the town sections below.

Óbidos: the walled town of the queens

Óbidos is a whitewashed town still enclosed by its medieval walls. It was taken from the Moors in 1148, given by King Afonso II to Queen Urraca in 1210 and by King Dinis to Queen Isabel in 1282, and in 2015 it was named a UNESCO Creative City of Literature. Walk the walls, then try ginjinha, the cherry liqueur, in a chocolate cup.

• Getting there: about an hour by the Rápida Verde express bus from Lisbon’s Campo Grande, or on the A8
• Time needed: half a day
• Don’t miss: the walls, Rua Direita, the castle terrace, ginjinha
• In December: the Óbidos Christmas Village runs from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027

Read more in our guides to Óbidos Castle, ginjinha and the Óbidos Christmas Village.

Caldas da Rainha: spa town and Bordallo Pinheiro ceramics

Caldas da Rainha, 15 minutes from Óbidos by bus, grew around the thermal hospital Queen Leonor founded in 1485. It is a working market town: its open-air fruit market fills Praça da República every morning, and the Bordallo Pinheiro factory still makes the green cabbage-leaf ceramics the town is known for. It has been a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art since 2019.

Our tour does not stop in Caldas; it is an easy extra morning on your own. See our Caldas da Rainha guide for the market hours and the ceramics trail.

Foz do Arelho and the Óbidos Lagoon

Foz do Arelho, a parish of Caldas da Rainha, sits where the Óbidos Lagoon meets the Atlantic. The Óbidos tourism office calls the lagoon the most extensive coastal lagoon system on the Portuguese coast. One sandbar gives you calm lagoon water on one side and open-ocean waves on the other, and both beaches held the Blue Flag in 2026.

Our Foz do Arelho guide helps you pick your side and covers the cliff boardwalk.

Peniche and Baleal: surf, a fortress and the Berlengas

Peniche is the Silver Coast’s surf town, with Supertubos and the beaches of Baleal on either side of its peninsula. Its fortress has housed the National Museum of Resistance and Freedom since 27 April 2024. Offshore, the Berlengas islands became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2011; boats to them run seasonally.

Our Peniche guide covers the town, the surf and the Berlengas, and our guide to the biggest waves in Portugal puts Supertubos alongside Nazaré.

São Martinho do Porto: the sheltered bay

São Martinho do Porto, a parish of Alcobaça, wraps around an almost enclosed bay, sheltered from the open Atlantic swell. It is a quiet beach stop between Foz do Arelho and Nazaré, and an easy add-on if you are driving.

Nazaré: Sítio, the canyon and the giant waves

Nazaré has three parts: Praia, the beach town; Sítio, on the clifftop above it; and Pederneira, the old hilltop village. North of the headland, Praia do Norte gets the biggest surfed waves in the world, because the deep Nazaré Canyon offshore funnels Atlantic swell toward it. The big-wave season runs from October to March, though no wave is guaranteed on a given day.

Our Nazaré big waves guide explains where to watch and when the swells arrive.

Alcobaça and Batalha: two UNESCO monasteries

Two of Portugal’s great Gothic monasteries sit a short drive inland from Nazaré, and both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The Monastery of Alcobaça (listed in 1989) holds the carved tombs of King Pedro I and Inês de Castro. The Monastery of Batalha (listed in 1983) was built after the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385 and holds the tombs of King João I and his English queen, Philippa of Lancaster, with their son Henry the Navigator; UNESCO attributes its design in part to an English architect, Master Huguet.

Fátima, the pilgrimage town, is near Batalha but inland and not part of the Silver Coast; see our Fátima guide if you plan to combine them.

How to get to the Silver Coast from Lisbon

A car gives you the most towns in a day; the bus covers Óbidos and Caldas well; a private tour is the easy way to do Óbidos and Nazaré together.

Driving

Take the A8 toll motorway north from Lisbon. It runs past Óbidos and Caldas da Rainha toward Leiria, with exits for each town. In Óbidos, park outside the walls.

Bus and train

The Rápida Verde express bus runs from Lisbon’s Campo Grande to Óbidos in about an hour (€9.45 adult single) and on to Caldas da Rainha in about 1 hour 15 minutes (€9.55), on the timetable in force from 6 October 2026. Express coaches also serve Peniche and Nazaré from Lisbon; check the operators’ timetables. The train is slower: the Oeste line involves a change, and CP says trains return between Torres Vedras and Caldas da Rainha on 15 November 2026. Our Lisbon to Óbidos guide compares the options in detail.

On a private day tour

Our private Óbidos and Nazaré tour takes about 8 hours, with pickup at 9:30 from your hotel or Airbnb, or the Hard Rock Café on Restauradores. Francisco guides, the group is private with up to 8 people, and a ginjinha tasting in Óbidos is included; lunch is not, and Nazaré’s waves depend on the swell.

Three day trips along the Silver Coast

One day comfortably covers two towns. These three plans start and end in Lisbon.

1. Óbidos and Nazaré, the classic

1. Morning: Óbidos, the walls and Rua Direita, with a ginjinha.
2. Drive: about 40 km, around half an hour, north to Nazaré.
3. Afternoon: Sítio, the fort above Praia do Norte, and the beach town.

2. Monasteries and the sea (self-drive)

1. Morning: Batalha Monastery.
2. Drive: about 24 km to Alcobaça Monastery.
3. Afternoon: about 15 km to Nazaré or São Martinho do Porto for the coast.

3. Lagoon and surf (self-drive)

1. Morning: Óbidos.
2. Midday: about 18 km to Foz do Arelho for the lagoon.
3. Afternoon: Peniche and Baleal for the surf beaches; the Berlengas need a separate day.

For more options, see our roundup of the best day trips from Lisbon.

When to visit the Silver Coast

Summer is for beaches, winter for waves, and December for Óbidos at Christmas. The coast stays mild: in December, Peniche averages 15.3°C by day on IPMA’s official 1991 to 2020 averages.

What to eat and drink on the Silver Coast

• Ginjinha: the sour-cherry liqueur, best in a chocolate cup in Óbidos
• Fish and seafood: in the fishing towns of Nazaré and Peniche
• Lagoon clams: a speciality of the Óbidos Lagoon
• Fruit: the Oeste grows Rocha pears, Alcobaça apples and the sour cherries used for ginja
• Cavacas: the glazed pastry of Caldas da Rainha

Is the Silver Coast worth visiting?

Yes, if you want history and coast close together, an hour or so from Lisbon. It is not a warm-sea beach holiday.

Frequently Asked Questions

Two towns a day, the whole coast in a long weekend

The Silver Coast starts an hour from Lisbon: Óbidos and Caldas for history and markets, Foz do Arelho and Peniche for beaches and surf, Nazaré for the waves and the monasteries just inland. In one day, pick two. To see Óbidos and Nazaré without the driving, join Francisco on our private tour.