There’s no mistaking that Lisbon is an incredible food city, but some of Portugal’s most memorable meals can also be found outside the city limits. Within an easy drive (or train) from the capital, you’ll find fishing towns stuffed with great seafood, wine villages with sandy soils, a UNESCO city with its own regional cuisine, and food markets worth the detour.
I used to be a restaurant critic, and I’ve lived in Lisbon since 2018, so these destinations are genuinely my favourite day trips from Lisbon that I highly recommend for food and wine lovers – like myself!
My definition of a day trip is anywhere I can reach by car in 20 to 90 minutes. Public transport might take slightly longer, and I’ve also included the best options for each location.
Which of these Lisbon day trips can you do without a car?
If you’re visiting town or don’t have a car, the easiest Lisbon day trip for food lovers would be to Setúbal, as it has a fast, direct train from Lisbon. While the other places on my list aren’t impossible to reach, they might require a slow public bus. My suggestion would be to join a private wine and food tour or this tiles and wine history tour.
Setúbal: historic port city & market town
How to reach Setúbal – 50-minute drive or easy commuter train south of Lisbon.
I adore the underrated port city of Setúbal. Set on the Sado River, Setúbal is a small and historic city where life revolves around the sea and the fishing industry. Setúbal has one of the best local mercados in Portugal. Drop into the Mercado do Livramento to see fishmongers slicing up whole tuna or swordfish, tuck into local oysters from the producer, and pick up some fruit.
From there, you could head up to the castle-like fort for views over the city (and a coffee) or trot around the historic centre with its cobbled laneways and charming streets. Stay in town to try choco frito (fried cuttlefish), the local speciality. Then head for a day at the beach in Arrábida Natural Park. Return later for oysters and wine at the Ostras Sobre Rodas food truck.
Read next… My perfect day in Setúbal & Arrábida Natural Park
Things to do in Setúbal
- Visit the Mercado do Livramento, one of the best produce markets in Portugal.
- Taste Setúbal’s famous local specialty, choco frito (fried cuttlefish), which you must try at Adega Leão Petisco or Casa Santiago.
- Explore the Old Town, and enjoy the genuine, non-touristy atmosphere of the city.
- Visit the Forte de São Filipe for impressive, castle-like architecture and panoramic views over the city, the Sado River estuary and the Tróia Peninsula.
- Drop by the popular food truck, Ostras Sobre Rodas, for fresh oysters and local wine later in the afternoon or evening.
- Discover the beautiful beaches of the UNESCO World Biosphere Arrábida Natural Park. This incredible natural reserve, where you can swim, hike, boat and more, is right next to the city.
More Lisbon day trip ideas
- 18 best Lisbon day trips
- Lisbon’s best beach day trips
- Lisbon’s best history day trips
- Sintra 1 or 2-day itinerary
- My perfect day in Setúbal & Arrábida Natural Park
Azeitão: wine, cheese & artisan azulejos
How to reach Azeitão – 30-minute drive south of Lisbon, or 50-minute public bus.
On my first visit to Azeitão, we drove past a shepherd and his flock roaming freely through an open grassy field. It’s certainly not a scene I expected to see 20 minutes’ drive from my Lisbon apartment, but given this town is famous for its gorgeous, gooey sheep’s cheese, perhaps I should have.
In 2025, the village was recognised as one of the ‘Best Tourism Villages’ by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. If you’re visiting for the day, come for three things: wine, cheese and tiles – and keep an eye out for the monthly market.
Day trip tip: Azeitão sits on the inland side of Arrábida Natural Park. You can combine Azeitão with Setúbal, Sesimbra, Palmela or Arrábida.
Things to do in Azeitão
- Book a wine tasting at the two wineries in town: Bacalhôa and José Maria
- Try the local queijo de Azeitão. It’s a pungent, small round of sheep’s cheese that you slice the top off and eat with a spoon.
- Eat the torta de Azeitão, a local traditional sweet, at Sabores e Encantos de Azeitão.
- Learn tile techniques at Azulejos do Azeitão. You can book a tile-painting workshop ahead of time, or visit during opening hours to see the different methods of tile-making and walk through the actual workshop.
- Drop into the monthly market on the first Sunday in Brejos de Azeitão to people watch and shop for produce, baskets, ceramics, plants and live birds.
- Explore Arrábida Natural Park: either drive to one of the beaches, hike the mountain, or hire a boat for the day.
Go guided: Try this private wine and food tour, or this tiles and wine history tour.
Palmela: castle, windmills and wine
How to get to Palmela – 40-minute drive south from Lisbon; or take the train from Sete Rios to Palmela Station, then walk for 40 minutes; or take the ferry to Barreiro and catch a bus.
If you want a day trip with few-to-no tourists, the underrated castle-topped town of Palmela should be on your list. Wedged between Setúbal and Azeitão, on the fringes of the Arrábida Natural Park, this historic village winds up a steep hill to a vast, remarkably well-preserved castle complex.
Originally a Moorish fortress dating back to the 8th century and later expanded by the Portuguese after the Christian reconquest in 1147, Castelo de Palmela offers epic panoramas. From the ramparts, you can take in views of the Sado River estuary, the Serra da Arrábida, and on clear days even Lisbon and the Atlantic coast. The complex also houses the Church of Santiago, with its 15th-century Manueline doorway, and part of the structure now serves as a Pousada (historic hotel).
Sleep in the castle: Yes, you can sleep at the 4-star Pousada Castelo de Palmela and wake up feeling like
Things to do in Palmela
- Wander around the castle – it’s free to explore.
- Eat lunch at Taverna o Bobo da Corte inside the castle walls.
- Drop into Casa Mãe, the wine house, to taste the region’s local wines paired with regional snacks.
- Organise a winery visit to Quinta do Piloto or Horácio Simões, two of my favourite wineries in the area (must book ahead).
- Stroll through Parque Venâncio Ribeiro da Costa on your way to or from the castle.
- Drive through the stunning Arrábida Natural Park nearby.
- Organise a cheese factory tour in the nearby town of Quinta do Anjo at Quiejaria Simões.
Colares (Sintra): Atlantic wines & village charm
How to reach Colares – 40-minute drive from Lisbon, or take a short detour on a Sintra day trip.
When phylloxera spread across Europe in the 1870s, decimating vineyards and livelihoods, few places were spared from the devastating insect plague. Colares was one of them. How and why? Tucked in the mountains of Sintra, near the Atlantic Ocean, the vines here grow directly into sandy soil, with the roots going metres deep – too deep for phylloxera to reach and feed on. Visit the historic Adega Regional de Colares, one of the country’s oldest cooperatives, for a tasting of these rare Ramisco reds and Malvasia whites. Pair it with lunch at a local tasca or follow the winding roads to Azenhas do Mar for ocean views and grilled sardines.
Things to do in Colares
- Drop into the Colares produce market – the Mercado de Levante de Santo André / Almoçageme – to pick up locally grown and made produce, cheeses and regional products from the Sintra hills. It’s on every weekend at this corner in Colares.
- Every weekend, you can browse antiques and vintage stalls at the Feira de Velharias, which takes place in Largo António Rodrigues Caruna.
- Visit local wineries – such as Adega Regional de Colares and Viúva Gomes – to taste rare Ramisco wines grown in sandy coastal vineyards.
- Pop into HopSin BrewPub to sample Portuguese craft beers in a village.
- Take a short drive to Sintra’s wild Atlantic beaches, including Praia Grande, Praia das Maçãs and Azenhas do Mar.
- Combine Colares with Sintra’s historic village, where you’ll find the famous palaces and Moorish castle.
Ericeira & Mafra: seafood, surf & sweets
How to reach Mafra and Ericeira – 45-minute drive northwest of Lisbon.
Ericeira is one of the best foodie day trips from Lisbon, especially for seafood lovers. The charming fishing town has a cool, laidback atmosphere and is known for its surf scene, Atlantic-fresh produce and oceanfront restaurants. It’s a place for slow, long lunches and afternoons by the beach or in a vineyard.
Things to do in Ericeira & Mafra
- In Ericeira, try the local sweet Ouriços da Ericeira at my favourite spot, Casa da Fernanda.
- Stretch your legs with a wander through the blue-and-white streets, then go for an ocean swim or join a surf lesson along the coast.
- For lunch, seafood is non-negotiable. My top pick is Costa Fria, a chic seafront restaurant that blends Portugal’s produce with modern Middle Eastern flavours — easily one of my favourite places anywhere for a long, treat-yourself lunch.
- For something more classic, Esplanada Furnas is perfect for grilled fish by the ocean, or choose one of the many marisqueiras, serving prawns, crab and other shellfish.
- In the afternoon, head inland to visit the monumental Mafra National Palace.
- Or skip straight to Quinta de Sant’Ana, a ridiculously beautiful family-run vineyard, where you can taste wine while wandering the property and its organic flower farm.
Évora: Alentejo food, wine and pace
How to reach Évora – 90-minute drive or train east of Lisbon.
Cross the Tagus and head deep into the Alentejo – a landscape of golden plains, olive groves, rolling vineyards and cork trees. Regional Alentejo gastronomy might be my favourite expression of Portuguese cuisine, and there’s no better place to taste it than in Évora, a UNESCO World Heritage city and the regional capital. Drop into a cellar door within the old town walls, or visit a winery on the city fringes. Stop for lunch at an institution or small tavern to eat black pork with migas and dishes you won’t find in the capital.
Things to do in Évora
- Start with conventual sweets from my favourite bakery in Évora’s old town, Pastelaria Conventual Pão de Rala.
- Sit down for lunch at a traditional Évora institution or small tavern; I have a whole guide covering where to eat in Évora here.
- Visit a winery just outside the city, such as Fitapreta, to taste expressive Alentejo wines and see the vineyards that surround the small city.
- Wander the UNESCO World Heritage city’s historic centre, which is almost entirely encircled by old walls.
- Stop by the Roman Temple of Évora and the Cathedral. I like to sit in a nearby square at the quiosque (kiosk) and just soak up the vibe.
- Visit the Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of Bones), one of Portugal’s most unusual and thought-provoking sights.
- End the afternoon with a glass of Alentejo wine at a cellar door (Cartuxa or Adega da Herdade do Esporão) or wine bar inside the old town before heading back to Lisbon.
Let me know in the comments if you did any foodie day trips from Lisbon – I’d love to hear about your highlights!
