We had been to MegaJesus and walked through the town of Cacilhas, but otherwise hadn't explored the area across the Tagus from Lisbon. So on one of our final days in Portugal, we took the ferry from Belém to Trafaria, to check out the town and its Atlantic-facing beaches.
On the way back toward Sesimbra from Cabo Espichel, we pulled over to check out the beach of Riberia do Cavalo. After realizing that reaching the beach would require a 30-minute walk through the brush, we almost bailed; this was the final activity of our five-day road trip, and we were both tired. But we decided to tough it out... and thankfully so, because this beach was worth it.
Stretching between the cities of Setúbal and Sesimbra, the National Park of the Serra de Arrábida was established in 1976. A lushly green region of mountains, cliffs, beaches, hidden convents and winding roads, the Serra de Arrábida is the perfect place for a scenic drive... if the weather is playing along. Or even if it's not.