Praia de Caxias

Praia de Caxias is a small beach in Oeiras, the first of the council’s four bathing beaches as you travel out of Lisbon along the Cascais line. Oeiras council places it between the Forte de São Bruno and the Forte da Giribita, right opposite Caxias train station, and says the station is what makes it so easy to reach.

That’s its main appeal for families. From Cais do Sodré, the Cascais line runs through Alcântara, Belém, Algés and Cruz Quebrada to Caxias, and you step out of the station almost onto the beach. For a short summer outing with children, without a car and without a long journey, it’s hard to beat.

The council marked the official start of Oeiras’s 2026 bathing season with a ceremony here on 1 June.

Caxias had lifeguards every day from 1 June to 30 September 2026, and on weekends and public holidays from 2 April. Oeiras increased its lifeguard team to 20 for 2026 and put a defibrillator at every beach. Watch the flag: red means nobody goes in, yellow means take care, and green means good conditions.

Here’s the honest part. The Portuguese Environment Agency (APA) classifies the water at Caxias as “acceptable”, a passing grade but the lowest of the three, compared with “excellent” at Santo Amaro and Torre further west and “good” at Paço de Arcos. Caxias doesn’t fly the Blue Flag. The latest analysis was marked suitable for bathing when we checked in September 2026.

In practice, that means it’s worth checking the APA’s info água site before a swim, especially after heavy rain, and choosing Santo Amaro or Torre if you want the cleanest water in Oeiras.

The APA’s beach profile lists lifeguards, toilets, showers, a beach support post, a beach concession, parking, daily cleaning and an information panel. There’s no first-aid post on its list.

Caxias is one of four Oeiras beaches taking part in “More Swimming Moments”, a project run with the association More Moving Moments. The beach concession keeps beach wheelchairs for children in two sizes, S for up to 26 kg and M for up to 40 kg, so that children with mobility difficulties or developmental delays can get across the sand to the water and join in with the family. Ask on the day; they’re lent first come first served, for a few hours or the whole day, and the lifeguard helps with using them.

The beach is small, so there isn’t much room on hot weekends. The water quality is the weakest of the Oeiras beaches. There’s little natural shade. We couldn’t find Oeiras’s dog rule on the council pages we checked, so look at the notices at the beach entrance.

The free Caxias skate park, in the municipal garden and reopened in July 2026, is a good add-on for children with scooters or skateboards. Further along the Cascais line, Praia da Torre has the seawater Piscina Oceânica de Oeiras next door.

How do you get to Praia de Caxias by train?

Take the Cascais line from Cais do Sodré to Caxias. The beach is right opposite the station.

Is there a lifeguard at Caxias beach?

Yes, every day from 1 June to 30 September in 2026, and on weekends and public holidays from 2 April.

Is the water clean at Caxias?

The APA classifies it as acceptable, the lowest passing grade. Check the latest analysis on the APA’s info água site before swimming, especially after rain.

Can a child in a wheelchair use Praia de Caxias?

Yes. The beach concession lends children’s beach wheelchairs in two sizes, first come first served.