Costa da Caparica: Beach and Fishing Tradition

Costa da Caparica combines a long sandy beach with a protected coastal landscape and a fishing tradition that is still practised here. There are also maritime activities at Praia da Mata and a cycle path along the urban beachfront. This gives you different ways to shape your holiday: around the beach, culture or outdoor activities.

Coast and protected landscape

Beyond Vila Costa da Caparica, an uninterrupted sandy beach begins, stretching for about 30 kilometres to Fonte da Telha. Much of this stretch of beach lies within the Área de Paisagem Protegida da Arriba Fóssil da Costa de Caparica. Its length makes clear that Costa da Caparica is more than a single stretch of beach.

Another way to describe the coastal landscape is the Paisagem Protegida da Arriba Fóssil da Costa da Caparica, classified in 1984. It extends for about 13 kilometres along the coast between the town of Costa da Caparica and Lagoa de Albufeira in the Concelho Sesimbra, and covers 1,599 hectares. The roughly 13 kilometres refer to the extent of the protected landscape, while the roughly 30 kilometres refer to the uninterrupted sandy beach as far as Fonte da Telha. This distinction helps put the two measurements into context.

The Posto de Turismo da Costa da Caparica is located on the urban beachfront. This also places the tourist information office within the urban coastal area.

Praia da Mata: beach and watersports

Praia da Mata is a supervised beach with concessions. Activities associated with it include surfing, bodyboarding and stand-up paddleboarding. The activities on offer and beach services may vary seasonally. If you are relying on lifeguard cover or one of these activities during your stay, check the conditions for your travel dates before visiting.

When choosing your accommodation, it may help to decide first whether watersports will be a focus of your holiday. Praia da Mata can then serve as a specific point of reference for your plans, without assuming that the various activities are available on the same basis all year round.

Arte-Xávega: a living fishing tradition

At the southern end of Praia de São João, you can observe Arte-Xávega, a traditional fishing technique and a defining tradition of Costa da Caparica. It is still practised on the Atlantic beaches of Costa da Caparica by fishing groups from Costa da Caparica and Fonte da Telha. Alongside beach activities, this brings a local cultural tradition into focus.

Arte-Xávega takes place mainly between March and October; some fishing groups now practise it year-round. Whether you can observe it at the southern end of Praia de São João depends on fishing activity and sea conditions. Both points matter when planning your visit: the usual seasonal period and the exception of individual groups that fish throughout the year.

Cycling and choosing your accommodation

The Costa-Atlântica cycle route includes a 4,100-metre cycle path along the Frente Urbana de Praias on Av. General Humberto Delgado. This adds another specific holiday option alongside the beach and fishing culture. If you would like to include cycling, you can make this route a focus of your travel plans.

When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to sort out your interests: is Praia da Mata and its watersports important to you, would you like to plan for the possibility of seeing Arte-Xávega, or would you like cycling to be part of your stay? Costa da Caparica offers a range of named points of interest spanning the beach, tradition and the cycle route.

Discover more destinations: Fernão Ferro, Portinho Da Arrábida, Abela, Zambujal de Cima, Sesimbra, Porto Covo, Almada, Trafaria.

See the broader travel overview: Setubal.