An Enjoyable Easy Day Trip from Lisbon to Vila Franca de Xira
Vila Franca de Xira is a lovely town northeast of Lisbon in the Ribatejo area (river town). There is a nice paved walking/biking trail that follows the river and other fun activities include the local library, parks, market and exploring this typical Ribatejo town. This blog post is about what to do in Vila Franca de Xira, where to stay (if you decide to spend more time here) and other fun activities to do in the area. Vila Franca de Xira is a perfectly enjoyable day trip from Lisbon.
a little background about vila franca de xira
Vila Franca de Xira, located in the heart of the Ribatejo region of Portugal, is a charming town nestled along the River Tagus, just a short distance from the Atlantic Ocean. Known for its rich cultural heritage, the town is famous for its Lusitano horses and the legendary Ribatejo cowboys, or “campinos,” who wear their distinctive red waistcoats. Vila Franca de Xira is easily accessible via its train stations, making it a popular destination for locals and visitors eager to explore the vibrant history, stunning landscapes, and equestrian culture that define this picturesque town.
HOW TO GET TO VILA FRANCA DE XIRA
Take the Azambuja or Castanheira do Ribatejo train from Alcântara-Terra, Campolide, Sete Rios, Entrecampos, Roma-Areeiro or Oriente train station. The Oriente Train Station is the easiest one to take a train to Vila Franca de Xira! From Roma-Areeiro (where we live), the train takes approximately 40 minutes. We use our Family Navegante passes and the trip is included in our monthly fee. If you don’t have the Viva card or Navegante Familia that you pay monthly for, then you need to buy a paper ticket that you can reuse for all your public transportation needs in the Lisbon district and can add money as needed. OR you can rent a car and drive there.
renting a car in portugal
We use DISCOVER CARS for the best cars at the best rates. We have rented vehicles numerous times and have been extremely happy with this service.
WHAT TO DO IN VILA FRANCA DE XIRA
Once you arrive via the train, take a look at this beautiful train station covered in typical Portuguese blue and white azulejos that tell a story. What story are they telling with the tiles?
MARINA
Before you explore the town, go to the park right by the train station. Meander along the park trail and enjoy the views of the Tejo river and the sailboats. Once you pass the sculptures and walk west, you will see an adorable part of town that includes the library and a thinking sculpture of Alvaro Guerra.
FÁBRICA DAS PALAVRAS (factory of words aka library)
Vila de Franca Library – this is a modern masterpiece. The building has a clean, minimal style and has charming views of the town and bridge from the top floor windows. If we lived in this area, I would spend lots of time here.
CAIS DE VILA DE FRANCA (PAVED TRAIL)
If you walk further west from the library, you will come across a flat, paved bike/walking trail. I highly recommend a walk on this trail. There are colorful, thought-provoking murals behind every bench on the trail. This trail is alluring with stunning views of the Tejo river and cool murals to see along the way.
more fun things to do in vila franca de xira
NEO-REALISM MUSEUM
This museum is located right by the library and serves as a way to show Portugal’s incredible neo-realism talent stemming from the 20th century. They also hold frequent events at this location.
MIRADOURO DE MONTE GORDO
The view of Vila Franca de Xira and the river/bridge below are sublime. Disregard the less than picturesque trail to get to the viewpoint because the view is worth it!
LUIS CESAR PEREIRA PARK aka SANTA SOFIA PARK
This recently renovated park will give you a real sense of how life is lived in Vila Franca de Xira. It’s a great spot to roam around, seeing the local flora and fauna AND the local chickens sauntering about.
IGREJA DE MISERICÓRDIA
This historic church was built in the 1560’s and suffered greatly during the 1755 earthquake, but managed to survive. The interior azulejos are from 1760 and represent the 14 Christian works of Mercy.
MERCADO MUNICIPAL
This is another great spot to check out how locals spend their time. It’s a booming market with delicious and abundant fruits and veggies. The prices are great and you’re supporting local agriculture. The building is quite sublime and fun to look at the azulejos and come up with stories.
near vila franca de xira
PÓVOA DE SANTA IRIA TRAIL – TAGUS ESTUARY NATURE RESERVE (this is not in Vila Franca, but close by. Take the train towards Oriente and stop at Póvoa de Santa Iria)
This is the largest wetland in Portugal and one of the most important in Europe. It’s a sanctuary for fish, mollusks, crustaceans, and especially to birds that stop-over on their migration between northern Europe and Africa. It is the largest estuary in western Europe, with about 34,000 hectares, and regularly hosts 50,000 wintering waterfowl. This is a perfect place to bring your binoculars for an enjoyable day of solitude and birdwatching.
WHERE TO STAY IN VILA FRANCA DE XIRA
ALL PLACES TO STAY IN VILA FRANCA DE XIRA
- Lezeria Parque Hotel – affordable and comfortable stay
- Suites and Apartments DP – super affordable and right in the center of town
- Estacão Real – a little further away, but comes highly recommended
WHERE TO EAT IN VILA FRANCA DE XIRA
Sadly, Vila Franca de Xira has extremely limited vegan food. The only “restaurant” that has a vegan option is Telepizza. Other than that, you could get fruits/veggies at the Mercado or bring food from Lisbon. If you are coming from Parque das Nações (Oriente train station), there are lots of choices in that area for vegan food, such as Honest Greens, DaTerra, The Green Affair, Ohana by Naz and M Butterfly by Miss Saigon.
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THE 5 ITEMS WE WERE SO HAPPY TO HAVE FOR ALL OF OUR TRIPS:
- Merrell women’s light hiking shoes – these are amazing because they are lightweight, but are extra grippy and helpful! I also have this pair that I always get compliments on: Merrell Rainbow shoes. Fernando loves his Asics trail runners which are also grippy and perfect for walking on cobblestone streets.
- Thermoflask water bottle – like a Hydroflask, but more affordable! We don’t go anywhere without these water bottles full of purified water.
- North Face Aphrodite 2.0 capris – Seriously, I wear these pants every.single.day! I couldn’t live without these ultra-comfy, lightweight pants that dry so quickly. They are 100% worth the money!
- Osprey Day Pack – this is an awesome lightweight backpack! We easily put the belongings we need at hand for traveling around the city and on public transportation.
- Travel-friendly chewable toothpaste tablets – these are so fantastic for keeping your teeth clean on the go!
OUR FAVORITE EUROPEAN SERVICES:
- DISCOVER CARS – If you want to rent a car while you’re in Europe, our favorite car rental aggregator is Discover Cars. We frequently rent cars and they always have the best prices and great quality vehicles.
- iTalki – if you want to learn another language before traveling to Europe or while you’re there, we love iTalki. We highly recommend their language services.
- NORD VPN – perfect to use your technology in other countries!
- Airalo E-Sim – this let’s you use your phone anywhere in the world without having to get a physical sim! We use this all the time when we travel outside Europe!
- Big Bus Tours – the perfect way to see the city when you first arrive!
- Get Transfer – transfers between all of the airports and cities
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This blog post was all about a super easy and enjoyable day trip from Lisbon to Vila Franca de Xira. Have you been here? What do you think?
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