Sesimbra Wild Beach Tour from Lisbon

This was one of the many highlights of my travel to Lisbon! I always like to plan one nature outing in an area where I am traveling to balance all the city hustle and bustle. At first I was a bit hesitant about the 5 hour time commitment, but the time was well worth it! The van ride, in and of itself, was a tour of sorts and the conversations with the other travelers brought so much enrichment to my experience. Our guide, Nessim, is such an intelligent man. He speaks 7 different languages!! All extremely well. The conversations I had with him were very inspiring. He is super knowledgeable about the history and culture of Portugal (and other countries as well) and his style is beautifully conversational, not at all "rehearsed canned speeches". He answered everyone's questions and really expanded my sense of Portuguese history and culture. He brought such lightheartedness and playfulness to the day and he was very encouraging during the hike. The hike down to the beach is somewhat tricky, but he managed it in Birkenstocks and I managed it in my Sanuks. Other travelers were wearing sneakers and that was probably the best option for sure-footedness. The beach was absolutely as pictured. The views from the cliff were stunning. The water was gorgeous and so inviting. To be able to float and snorkel and swim was just amazing!! We were offered masks, snorkels, and wet suits. We all carried our own gear on the 20 minute hike so be sure to bring an extra bag or have room in your backpack. No one ended up putting on the wet suits, just throwing that out there. It was a hot day so perhaps on a colder day you'd want to utilize them. If I did it again, I would choose not to have to haul the gear down and back up again. Bring your own towel and a way to clean off your feet for the hike on the way back up. You might want to bring a snack, but on the second part of the journey you do get to spend some time looking at the Santuário de Cristo Rei (The Sanctuary of Christ the King) and there is a cafeteria where you can buy food - either just coffee and pastries or other simple foods. Nothing fancy, but if you don't have time or the inclination to pack a picnic, you don't have to worry about that. The whole day wraps up around 2ish so you have time to either wander around that part of the city all salty and sandy, or go clean up and have plenty of time for all the evening fun that goes on and on and on in Lisbon. One thing to note is that the hostel sign is not very visible. It's in part of the train station and there is no door knob on the entrance so if you see the sign for the Sunset Hostel, you have actually arrived! Nessim thankfully kept his eye out for this confused traveler and called down to me from the hostel window above and was so kind and patient with me for arriving somewhat flustered and confused.