South of the Tagus, on the other side of Lisbon, the coastline changes character. This point lies near Charneca de Caparica and Costa de Caparica, on the Atlantic side of the Setúbal peninsula, and the landscape here is sand, pine and fishing boats rather than the walled town of the ride's name.
Costa de Caparica is a beach town on the edge of the ocean, with a long strip of fine sand, about fifteen kilometres of it, backed by low cliffs and dunes. Lisboners come on summer weekends in large numbers, and a little narrow-gauge train runs along the beach, taking people to the different beach bars. Behind the town, the protected landscape of the Arriba Fóssil, the fossil cliff, runs for many kilometres, a line of crumbling sandstone full of marine fossils that testify to an ancient sea. Pine forest covers the hills behind, and the smell of resin and salt is distinctive.
Up on the hill, on the Almada side, the statue of Cristo Rei stands with open arms above the river, a hundred and ten metres tall including its base, inspired by the one in Rio de Janeiro and completed in 1959, in thanks for Portugal being spared the worst of the Second World War. A lift takes you to the viewing platform, and the view of Lisbon, the bridge and the estuary is superb. Charneca de Caparica is a residential town farther back.
Riding here is straightforward, along coastal roads through the pines, with gentle bends and little relief. The traffic can be dense in summer, with queues to the beach, and sand blows across the road in places. Wind from the Atlantic is common, and the sea mist sometimes rolls in during the afternoon. The ride's destination, Óbidos, lies about a hundred kilometres north, with a lagoon, a castle and narrow cobbled streets that tolerate bikes poorly.
Fuel and services are abundant, with stations in both Costa and Charneca, and fish restaurants line the seafront. Grilled sardines in summer are a fixture. Eat well, then ride.
Go in late spring or early autumn, when the beach is quieter and the light is lovely.