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Help Me Choose: Évora, Cascais, or Fátima for Day Trips from Lisbon?

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Hi all,
We’ll be spending 7 full days in Lisbon over Christmas. So far, I’ve planned:

  • 1 day to visit a winery near Lisbon
  • 1 day trip to Sintra
  • Christmas Day (Dec 25) will be a quiet day—we plan to stay in, relax at our Airbnb, and maybe find Chinese food or whatever’s open

That leaves me with 2 more day trips to plan, and I’ve narrowed it down to three options: Évora, Cascais, and Fátima. I’m trying to decide which two are most worth the visit.

We won’t have a car, so ease of access via train or bus is important.

Also: I know Porto is great, but due to flight schedules and logistics, we simply cannot include Porto on this trip. (Just saying that now because someone always brings it up!)

If you’ve visited any of these three places, I’d love to hear what you’d recommend and why. Thanks!

Posted by
16714 posts

Cascais is basically a seaside resort suburb of Lisbon that you can reach in 40 minutes from the Cais do Sodrè station.
I would say that Obidos (1h by bus) and Evora (1h20m) by train) would be my top choices for a short day trip, especially in winter when days are shorter. Fatima is basically a sanctuary. If that is your interest go, but it take a bit longer to reach.

Posted by
127 posts

Roberto summed it up well. Cascais has nice beaches and a few small sights, but winter would not be the best time to visit. Fátima is only a draw if you care about the religious aspect. Évora is more well-rounded with interesting year-round sights. (Be sure to check out the Chapel of Bones.) Óbidos is an interesting walled city, and it's also a great day trip suggestion.

Posted by
4 posts

I have not visited Cascais or Fátima, but I spent three nights in Évora in May, and I highly recommend. It's a lovely town, and the Alentejo countryside is a nice contrast to Lisbon. You can hit the main sights in a few hours (Chapel of Bones, Cathedral of Évora and the Roman Temple). It's an easy place to simply wander the cobblestone streets and get a bit lost, although you're never far from the main square. If you go to the Cathedral, definitely climb the spiral staircase to get to the roof - the views are amazing. Have a wonderful trip!

Posted by
3383 posts

I’d also recommend Evora (one of my 2 top sites in Portugal) and Obidos. Easy to get to either and great for day tripst

Posted by
1920 posts

I will add another vote to Evora. It has more historical sites and great food. The pork is amazing in the Alentejo.

I live in Cascais and love it. But, the historical sites are minor compared to Evora. However, a warm, clear day in the winter is pretty amazing with crystal blue skies and few tourists. Still, I’d say Evora.

Posted by
7808 posts

For the very religious Catholics, Fátima would be a must see. While the sanctuary is the main draw, there’s more to see than it. A couple miles from the sanctuary are the childrens’ houses as well as two locations where the Angel of Peace appeared, and the location where Mary appeared. That nearby location does require some walking, but it’s an easy walk. We had a rental car when we visited so getting to the additional sites from the sanctuary was easy. The sanctuary by itself can be seen in an hour or less.

Óbidos is a walled town that can be seen in a couple hours. I haven’t been to Évora or Cascais since 1979 so can’t intelligently speak to those.

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