We rented a house in the Sesimbra area for five days in August to celebrate my brother's 42nd birthday. We arrived on Friday, August 15th, and left on August 19th, and it was fantastic!
Hosting
The house we rented through Airbnb is in Alfarim – see more details in this link – and is 1 hour from Cascais, on the way to Sesimbra.
It has four bedrooms on the upper floor, no suites, a full bathroom upstairs and another downstairs, an integrated kitchen and living room, and a pleasant outdoor area with a good-sized and deep pool. It also has a shower and a barbecue grill, which was used extensively on Monday—my brother's birthday.
It's a simple house, no frills, but it's served us well. I think they could improve the outdoor area's coverage to make sitting and lying in the shade more comfortable, but other than that, I think it's great.
Our Itinerary
Day 1 – Friday – 08/15/2025
We left Cascais in the morning, got stuck in some traffic on the 25th of April bridge – after all, it was a holiday in Portugal – and arrived in the region of Tile Fountain, in Caparica, close to lunchtime. We had reserved a table at the restaurant Leblon We were supposed to be late (2 p.m.), but we managed to get there early and eat really well while the place was still empty. I love this beach spot! Afterward, we set up our tent on the sand and were lucky enough to have several natural pools with sun-warmed water, which was a joy for us for a few hours. We left there, and I quickly stopped in Caparica to meet a coworker, while my brother and his grandparents drove to the supermarket and then home to check in. We prepared dinner in the fully equipped kitchen and went to bed early to enjoy the next day.
Day 2 – Saturday – 08/16/2025
We woke up early, had breakfast, and went to the Sesimbra marina to meet the crew from the boat we had booked for 9 a.m. We took another tour with the boat's lovely family. Grandpa is leaving – we know them on this tour here – and it was wonderful! That day we headed towards Troy, because Celo and I wanted everyone to see the wonderful natural pools we saw on this trip here, but the wind and high tide didn't help us get there, so we just had fun on the Arrábida beaches – Galapos, Galapinhos, Creiro, etc. Each one was more beautiful than the other! The cool thing is that this time the boat had two SUP boards, which we used a lot during the snorkeling stops, and the four-hour tour flew by, leaving us wanting more. Oh, and they offered drinks and snacks on the boat, but we also brought our own things, and the half-day tour cost 300 euros for all of us (5 adults and 2 children). It was worth every penny.
We left the tour and went to have lunch at the same restaurant from our first trip to Sesimbra, but now the name is Land of Fish. We ordered the fresh catch of the day and absolutely loved it. It's a traditional, family-run restaurant with fair prices and excellent service. It was recommended by the boat owner, and I'll pass that recommendation on. 🙂
We spent the afternoon at home relaxing by the pool, had a simple dinner, and went to dinner excited for the next day with another boat trip.
Day 3 – Sunday – 08/17/2025
Another day of boating, baby! We arrived at 9 a.m. sharp, and our dear Patrícia and Vitor were soon docking to pick us up. We started the day searching for dolphins in an area near the marina, and luckily, we saw LOTS!!! We spent a long time admiring these incredible animals and then headed to the beaches on the other side of Sesimbra—Praia do Inferno, Ribeira do Cavalo, Mijona, etc. On the way to the beaches, to everyone's surprise, I spotted a shark's fin (!!!!)—and my husband thought it was a bottlenose—and obviously, that's when the trip got a little more tense for me. According to Vitor, it was a non-aggressive shark, but sightings aren't that common. Lucky for us, huh? Alas... The first snorkeling stop was certainly one of the most difficult of my life, because I couldn't stop thinking about the damn thing, but after that, I calmed down. Everyone except Dad jumped in the water—he had undergone surgery to remove skin lesions and couldn't dive—and enjoyed the SUP boards again at every beach we stopped at. It was amazing! Ribeira do Cavalo is truly the most impressive and beautiful, but because it was very crowded and the water was choppy with people, it wasn't our favorite. My brother even hiked the trail to see the beach from above and thought the view was stunning, but I thought it was better to stay in the quiet of the waves. Celo and Paddy had a little SUP adventure that ultimately worked out, but it was another tense moment of the trip. We finished the four-hour trip happy and fulfilled, having had the most complete experience we could have imagined. A gift from above for us!
We left the boat around 1 pm and decided to have lunch in a different place, away from Sesimbra, and we went to Villa Meco. The atmosphere was cool, the service was a bit confusing, but the food was simply delicious. They later explained that there had been a party the night before and everyone was very tired, so they were quickly forgiven for the lackluster service... poor things, they really looked exhausted.
We returned home, enjoyed our afternoon at the pool, playing basketball and soccer, among other games, had dinner and went to sleep still in disbelief at our trip.
Day 4 – Monday – 08/18/2025
Birthday of my first Marcelo and my only beloved brother! 🙂
We spent the day at home, enjoying the pool, having a barbecue, filling Ninho with treats and improvised cakes, and we had dinner there too. It was a happy day! 🙂
Day 5 – Tuesday – 08/19/2025
We packed our things, checked out of the house, and tried to visit Meco Beach, but unfortunately, it was a terrible wind, so we turned around. We headed to Albufeira Lagoon, which we already knew from a winter trip, and were pleasantly surprised to find the water not so cold. We set up the tent on the sand, and Dad and I rested in the shade, while everyone else enjoyed the lagoon's water meeting the sea. From the videos and photos I saw later, it seemed like a really cool place to be, and now I want to go back and do what they did too. Hahahaha
We stopped for lunch at the restaurant The Lakekeeper And at the end of the day, we returned to Cascais with the kids sleeping in the car. A perfect trip with my loves by my side.
Thank you, God!!!!
