Marinas in Lisbon: arrival, harbour info and destinations

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Lisbon lies on the north bank of the Tagus, shortly before the river flows into the Atlantic. Yachts berth here in several harbour basins along the river; the largest are the Doca de Alcântara, the Doca de Belém and the Marina Parque das Nações. Here you can read how to arrive for your trip start in Lisbon, which marina is where, where you shop, what weather and current to expect, which destinations are nearby, and what skippers should know when entering and leaving.

Which marinas are there in Lisbon?

In Lisbon yachts berth mainly at three places: in the Doca de Alcântara, just upstream of the 25 de Abril bridge, in the Doca de Belém, around three kilometres further downstream by the Monument to the Discoveries, and in the Marina Parque das Nações in the east of the city, just under nine kilometres upstream from Alcântara on the former Expo site.

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Alcântara and Belém belong, together with two smaller basins, to the Marina de Lisboa of the port authority APL (Administração do Porto de Lisboa): the Doca de Santo Amaro lies directly beside the bridge between Alcântara and Belém, the Doca do Bom Sucesso just west of Belém in front of the Tower of Belém. Together the four docks have around 900 berths. The Marina Parque das Nações is operated by a separate company.

Arriving in Lisbon for the start of your trip

For the journey from the airport, what matters most is whether your boat is in the west of the city at Alcântara or Belém or in the east at Parque das Nações.

From Lisbon Airport to the marinas

Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) is in the north of the city, a good four kilometres as the crow flies from Marina Parque das Nações and around nine kilometres from Doca de Alcântara. Taxis wait outside the arrivals and departures areas. A journey to the centre costs around €10 to €15 depending on traffic, including luggage (as of October 2026). Only take taxis or ride services from the official rank or via an app, not from drivers who approach you inside the terminal.

Aeroporto metro station is right by the arrivals area; red line trains run from 06:30 to 01:00. To Marina Parque das Nações you travel around ten minutes to Oriente. From there it's around a kilometre and a half as the crow flies to the marina; with luggage a taxi is more convenient. By car the marina is only about five minutes from the airport.

To Doca de Alcântara and Doca de Belém, take the metro to Cais do Sodré, changing at Alameda to the green line, and continue on the suburban train towards Cascais. The train takes around five minutes to Alcântara-Mar and around eight minutes to Belém. On weekdays it runs approximately every 20 minutes during the day. You can find the current Cascais line timetable on the Portuguese railways website.

By car, train or bus

By car you reach Lisbon from the north via the A1 motorway, from the south via the 25 de Abril Bridge or via the Vasco da Gama Bridge, which leads directly to Parque das Nações in the east of the city. Long-distance trains from Porto and the Algarve stop at Oriente station, where the metro also stops. City buses also run from the airport and from Oriente station. Bus line 728 stops around 100 metres from Marina Parque das Nações and runs through the centre to Belém.

Which marina is mine?

If you're arriving as a cabin charter guest: which marina and which pontoon it is will be stated in your trip documents. The exact name is important, as the basins are spread far apart along the river. Doca de Alcântara and Doca de Santo Amaro lie close together at the 25 de Abril Bridge, Doca de Belém and Doca do Bom Sucesso further west in the Belém district, and Marina Parque das Nações right in the east. So give the taxi driver the full name of the dock, not just "Marina Lisbon".

Parking

At Doca de Alcântara you park in public car parks in the district. For Doca de Belém there is a car park at Largo dos Jerónimos, around 400 metres away as the crow flies, and for Marina Parque das Nações at Passeio do Báltico around 800 metres away.

Showers and sanitary facilities

All three marinas have sanitary facilities with showers. Marina Parque das Nações also has a laundry.

Shopping for the trip

From Doca de Alcântara it's around 700 metres to the Pingo Doce on Rua Cascais and to the Continente Bom Dia on Rua Prior do Crato (daily 08:00 to 21:00), around one kilometre to the Lidl on Rua Leão de Oliveira. From Doca de Belém you can reach the Lidl on Avenida do Restelo in around 850 metres and the Pingo Doce on Avenida da Torre de Belém in around 950 metres.

At Marina Parque das Nações, Pingo Doce and Lidl on Avenida Fernando Pessoa are around 500 metres away. For a big shop by car, the Continente in the Vasco da Gama shopping centre at Oriente station is open daily from 08:00 to 24:00 and has its own car park.

Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services

From Doca de Alcântara it is around 800 metres as the crow flies to Farmácia Nogueira (Rua de Alcântara) and around 500 metres to Hospital CUF Tejo (Avenida da Índia). From Doca de Belém it is around 700 metres to Farmácia Estádio Restelo (Rua dos Jerónimos) and around a kilometre and a half to Hospital de Egas Moniz (Rua da Junqueira). From Marina Parque das Nações you reach Farmácia Vila Rio (Alameda dos Oceanos) after around 400 metres, and Hospital CUF Descobertas after around 600 metres.

The European emergency number applies in Portugal:

• 112: Police, emergency medical services and fire brigade
• At sea: VHF channel 16. Sea rescue off Lisbon is coordinated by the Portuguese Navy's maritime rescue coordination centre (MRCC Lisboa), telephone +351 210 984 450.

Lisbon marinas compared

All docks have electricity and water on the pontoons. The APL docks' reception desks are staffed daily from 09:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00, closed only on New Year's Day, Easter Sunday, 1 May and 25 December.

Feature	Doca de Alcântara	Doca de Belém	Marina Parque das Nações
Location	West, at the 25 de Abril Bridge	West, Belém district	East, former Expo site
Operator	APL (Marina de Lisboa)	APL (Marina de Lisboa)	Sociedade Concessionária da Marina Parque das Nações
Berths	420	185	400
Maximum boat length	20 m	15 m	25 m
Special feature	Access via a movable bridge, opening every half-hour from 7 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.	no reservations possible	Access through a lock, generally open from 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
VHF channel	9	9	9
Phone	+351 213 922 048	+351 213 922 203	+351 218 949 066

Doca de Santo Amaro has 180 berths for boats up to 20 metres, Doca do Bom Sucesso 160 berths for boats up to 15 metres. There are fuel stations in Belém, Bom Sucesso and Parque das Nações. Doca de Belém also has a travel lift and a workshop, Marina Parque das Nações a travel lift, a crane and a boatyard.

Where is Doca de Alcântara?

Doca de Alcântara lies in the Alcântara district just upstream of the 25 de Abril bridge, sheltered behind an outer basin.

Facilities at Doca de Alcântara

The dock has 420 berths for boats up to 20 metres with electricity and water, as well as showers.

Where is Doca de Belém?

Doca de Belém lies right beside the Monument to the Discoveries, around one kilometre upstream from the Belém Tower.

Facilities at Doca de Belém

The dock has 185 berths on floating pontoons for boats up to 15 metres with electricity and water, showers, a fuel station at the quay, a travel lift, a slipway and a workshop.

Where is Marina Parque das Nações?

Marina Parque das Nações lies in the east on the former Expo site; its basin is separated from the river by a lock with two gates.

Facilities at Marina Parque das Nações

The marina has 400 berths for boats up to 25 metres with electricity, water and Wi-Fi, as well as showers, a laundry, a fuel station, a pump-out facility, a slipway, a 32-tonne travel lift, a 3-tonne crane and a boatyard.

What is the sailing weather like in Lisbon?

From May to September the weather is often dominated by the Nortada, a wind from north to north-west along the west coast. It develops between the Azores High and the heat low over the Iberian Peninsula and blows strongest in the afternoon. In winter, low-pressure systems move in from the Atlantic, with wind from west to north-west or south-west, strong winds and high seas. Fog often forms along the west coast, with visibility poor especially at night and in the morning.

The Tagus is a tidal sailing area. At spring tides the difference between high and low water is around three and a half metres, at neap tides about one and a half. The current then runs strongly, with ebb tide stronger than flood. When the water is ebbing and the wind blows from south to west-north-west, i.e. against the current, the sea at the bar off the river mouth becomes steep, especially with Atlantic swell.

Which sailing destinations lie near Lisbon?

From Lisbon you can reach the coast as far as Cascais in a day's sail, and round Cabo Espichel to Sesimbra and Setúbal, and northwards to Peniche. The distances are rounded water distances on the usual course from Doca de Alcântara; for precise planning refer to the chart. From Marina Parque das Nações add around 5 to 6 nautical miles.

• Cascais: around 12 nm
• Sesimbra: around 30 nm
• Tróia: around 40 nm
• Setúbal: around 42 nm
• Peniche: around 58 nm
• Funchal on Madeira: around 525 nm

Cascais lies at the end of the estuary in a bay. In summer the wind there usually blows from the north, in winter wind from south to south-west brings high swell into the bay. Fishing nets often lie off the coast north of Cascais, so keep about a nautical mile offshore there.

Sesimbra lies south of Lisbon beyond Cabo Espichel; the harbour is protected by a 900-metre breakwater. In the afternoon the north wind often freshens. Setúbal and the marina of Tróia face each other at the mouth of the Sado, with a view of the mountains of the Serra da Arrábida.

Peniche you reach heading north past Cabo Raso and Cabo da Roca. The marina lies on the south side of the peninsula and is well protected from northerly winds.

To Madeira Madeira Marina Quinta do Lorde.

Marina do Funchal

What can you do on a harbour day in Lisbon?

• From the docks in Belém you can reach the city's best-known monuments on foot, from Parque das Nações the Oceanário. You can get to the centre from all the marinas by train, metro or bus.
• Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower: King Manuel I had the monastery built from 1502, the monks were to pray for the seafarers who set out from Lisbon. The Belém Tower was built around 1514 to defend the harbour. Both are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. The monastery lies only a few hundred metres from Doca de Belém, the tower around a kilometre further west near Doca do Bom Sucesso.
• Praça do Comércio: The large square by the river in the centre is called Terreiro do Paço by Lisbon residents because the royal palace stood there until the 1755 earthquake. From the triumphal arch of Rua Augusta you can see across the old town and the Tagus. From Alcântara and Belém take the train to Cais do Sodré, from where it's not far.
• Oceanário: The large aquarium at Doca dos Olivais is around 800 metres as the crow flies from Marina Parque das Nações and is open daily from 10am to 8pm.

For skippers: Berthing and sea weather in Lisbon

All marinas in Lisbon can be reached on VHF channel 9. In the Port of Lisbon you must also monitor channel 13 continuously, the channel for the safety of navigation.

Registration and Berthing

For visiting yachts, Doca de Alcântara is the first choice as it lies in a sheltered basin away from the current. Its approach passes under a lifting bridge which opens every half hour from 7am to 8.30pm. The docks at Belém and Bom Sucesso are heavily occupied; in Belém there is no reservation system. Berthing in the docks is at floating pontoons.

At Marina Parque das Nações you call up under the call sign "Marina Parque das Nações". An inflatable from the marina will collect you before the entrance and escort you through the two lock gates to your berth. The lock is 9.60 metres wide and has 2.40 metres water depth at chart datum; for deep-draught yachts the water level therefore matters. Outside opening hours you wait outside. There is some current during passage.

Harbour rules

The regulations of the port authority Capitania do Porto de Lisboa apply from the bar between the São Julião fortress and the Bugio. From there on, monitor VHF channel 13 continuously; leisure craft transmit on channel 9.

Current at the entrances

Off the entrances to Santo Amaro, Belém and Bom Sucesso, the tidal stream at spring tides runs at four to five knots across the entrance. The entrance to Doca de Santo Amaro is also narrow.

Approach

The Tagus estuary opens between Cabo da Roca in the north and Cabo Espichel in the south. Off the entrance lie the sandbanks Cachopo do Norte and Cachopo do Sul; between them two channels lead into the river: the narrow north channel with around 5 metres water depth close to São Julião fortress, and the wider south channel with around 9 metres which is used by large vessels. In rough seas and winds from south to west-north-west, wait for a favourable tidal state to cross the bar. In heavy seas the harbour master of Lisbon can close or restrict the bar.

In the river, ferries and cargo ships cross; watch their movements. The 25 de Abril bridge has a clearance height of 70 metres, so no obstacle for sailing yachts.

Encounters with orcas off the coast should be reported to the maritime rescue coordination centre MRCC Lisboa on channel 16 or via the Portuguese Navy reporting form. This allows other yachts to be warned.

Which sea weather forecast applies in Lisbon?

The authoritative forecast is the sea weather report from the Portuguese weather service IPMA. For coastal waters up to 20 nautical miles it divides the mainland into three zones; Lisbon lies in the Zona Central between Cabo Carvoeiro near Peniche and Cabo de São Vicente at the south-western tip.

The report begins with warnings of strong winds, poor visibility and rough seas, followed by the weather situation and forecast for wind, visibility and wave height. For longer offshore passages, for example to Madeira, IPMA also issues offshore reports. You can read the current report on the IPMA marine weather page.

Trips from Lisbon on Törnfinder

In October 2026 there are 15 trip dates on Törnfinder in the next twelve months with departure or destination in Lisbon. Most depart in May, November and August; typically they are 12 days.

An overview of offers throughout the country can be found under Sailing in Portugal, trips around the flower island under Cabin Charter on Madeira. Atlantic crossings are listed at Cabin Charter for a Transatlantic Crossing, all offers at Trips.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get from Lisbon airport to the marina?

Easiest by taxi; into the centre costs about 10 to 15 euros. To Marina Parque das Nações the red metro line also runs in around ten minutes to Oriente; to the docks at Alcântara and Belém take the metro to Cais do Sodré and continue by train towards Cascais.

Which marina is closest to the airport?

Marina Parque das Nações in the east of the city, a good four kilometres as the crow flies from the airport.

Where do I park at the trip start in Lisbon?

For Doca de Belém at Largo dos Jerónimos, around 400 metres from the dock; for Marina Parque das Nações at Passeio do Báltico, around 800 metres away. At Doca de Alcântara there are public car parks in the district.

Are there showers in the marinas in Lisbon?

Yes, Doca de Alcântara, Doca de Belém and Marina Parque das Nações have sanitary facilities with showers. At Marina Parque das Nações there is also a laundry.

Where do I shop in Lisbon for the trip?

In supermarkets which are within walking distance from all three marinas: from Doca de Alcântara around 700 metres to Pingo Doce and Continente Bom Dia, from Doca de Belém around 850 metres to Lidl, from Marina Parque das Nações around 500 metres to Pingo Doce and Lidl. For a big shop by car, the Continente in the Vasco da Gama shopping centre is open daily until midnight.

How strong is the current in the Tagus?

At spring tides it runs at four to five knots across the entrances to the docks at Santo Amaro, Belém and Bom Sucesso. Doca de Alcântara lies sheltered behind an outer basin. The water level varies by around three and a half metres at spring tides.

How far is it from Lisbon to Madeira?

Roughly 525 nautical miles to Funchal, measured as the route across the water from the Doca de Alcântara. That's several days on the open Atlantic.