Things to Do Around Quinta da Boa Esperança: A Guide to Portugal's Silver Coast
Beaches, medieval castles, surf reserves and vineyard country — all within easy reach of your room at the Quinta.
Most people discover the Silver Coast by accident. They come for Lisbon, take a day trip north, and realise too late that the stretch of coast between the capital and the cliffs of Peniche is where Portugal keeps its quietest pleasures — empty Atlantic beaches, a walled town straight out of a fairy tale, and some of the best surf in Europe, all without the crowds.
Staying at Quinta da Boa Esperança puts you in the middle of it. From our seven rooms among 13 hectares of vines worked since 1914, you're roughly 45 minutes from Lisbon airport and a short drive from the coast, the castles and the countryside. Here's how we'd spend the days.
Surf and beaches on the doorstep
The coast here is wide, sandy and refreshingly uncrowded — the kind of beach day where you can still find your own patch of sand in August.
Santa Cruz is the closest stretch, a relaxed seaside town with long beaches and reliable Atlantic swell. Praia da Física is a gentle, forgiving spot favoured by surf schools, so it's a good place to take a first lesson; the main Santa Cruz beach has multiple peaks for more confident surfers. Don't miss Penedo do Guincho, the dramatic sea arch just along the cliffs.
A little further south, Ericeira is the headline act: Europe's first World Surfing Reserve, with a cluster of celebrated breaks and a whitewashed fishing town built for lingering over coffee and grilled fish. Even if you never get in the water, it's worth the trip for the village alone.
If you want to actually get on a board, Lapoint runs its long-established surf camp on the clifftops above Ericeira, with lessons for every level from complete first-timer to advanced. It's an easy drive south from the Quinta — let us know before you arrive and we can help you line up a session.
Óbidos: a medieval town behind castle walls
A short drive north brings you to Óbidos, and it's the one excursion we'd insist on. The entire town sits inside its medieval walls, crowned by a castle that now looks much as it did centuries ago. You can walk the ramparts for views over the terracotta rooftops and surrounding countryside, wander cobbled lanes lined with whitewashed houses and bougainvillea, and stop for a ginjinha — the local sour-cherry liqueur, traditionally served in a small chocolate cup.
Time your visit with one of Óbidos's seasonal festivals if you can: the town hosts a celebrated chocolate festival in spring and a medieval market in summer, when the streets fill with period costume and music.
Wine country and long lunches
You're staying on a working vineyard, so it would be a shame not to lean into the region's food and wine. The surrounding Torres Vedras countryside is serious wine territory, and the local restaurants do the unfussy, generous Portuguese cooking the area is known for — fresh fish from the coast, slow-cooked meats, and bread, olives and wine that arrive before you've finished sitting down.
Closer to home, the town of Torres Vedras itself is worth an afternoon: a working Portuguese town rather than a tourist set-piece, with a hilltop castle, the historic Napoleonic fortifications known as the Lines of Torres Vedras, and one of the country's most famous Carnival celebrations each February.
Day trips a little further afield
When you want to range wider, several of Portugal's best-known destinations are within comfortable reach:
Mafra — the vast 18th-century National Palace and Convent, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with its astonishing baroque library and the wild deer park (Tapada) behind it.
Sintra — the fairy-tale hill town of palaces and gardens, a longer day trip but an unforgettable one.
Peniche and the Berlengas — a fishing port with a sweep of surf beaches, and seasonal boats out to the Berlenga island nature reserve.
Lisbon — around 45 minutes away, close enough for a day in the capital and easy enough to be back at the Quinta for dinner.
Coming home to the Quinta
The best part of basing yourself here is the return: after a day on the coast or in the castle town, you come back to the vines, the infinity pool and the quiet of the estate, with views across the vineyard to the hills beyond.
Days out are easiest with a car — most of the coast and the castle towns are a short drive away — and we're happy to point you toward our favourite beaches, restaurants and routes when you arrive.
Rooms start from €260 per night including breakfast. Check availability and book your stay
