Top destination Cascais, Portugal!

Cascais is located about 30 km from Lisbon, the capital of Portugal.

Cascais is one of those places that it is impossible not to fall in love with and which today is a destination for many foreigners who want to live a quality life.

In addition to the many attractions to visit, this is a village that combines a cosmopolitan atmosphere, tradition and nature.  Its enchanting bay, full of palaces and beaches, has attracted tourists from all over the world for many years.

A bit of history!

Rich in history from the time of the Roman Empire, still with traces that have survived through the Arab presence, through its support of the discovery movement, as an important logistic pole, with Spanish and French invasions testifying to the 1755 earthquake, which it was devastated in 19  and 20 centuries and turned into a tourist pole when Estoril became the Portuguese Riviera.

But Cascais has always managed to keep its traditions of a fishing village with real furnishings and modern fashion.

In the 19th century, King D. Carlos and the royal family settled in Cascais.  It is not possible to resist the beauty of Cascais.  The emergence of a rail link between Lisbon and Cascais has become a major event for the entire Cascais region, especially Estoril.

In 1914, when Cascais became a national tourist destination, the Estoril tourism revolution began, aiming at the internationalization of the region.  It owes its existence to the entrepreneur Fausto Cardoso de Figueiredo, who built a “tourist resort” – an ambitious project with collective leisure equipment with a focus on medical and climatic aspects.  This project included the construction of three hotels, spas, a casino, a theater, a sports palace, a swimming pool, shopping facilities, covered galleries and a large garden set on a plot overlooking the sea.

Thus, the brand of the Portuguese Riviera was created!

After World War II, Cascais was in the spotlight, given Portugal’s neutral position in the conflict, which allowed Cascais and Estoril to become a refuge for Calouste Gulbenkian, Vinicius de Morais, Antoine de Saint-Exupery – screenwriter for The Little Prince, Thomas Mann, John Maynard  , Edward Murrow, Leslie Howard, Alexander Alekhine, Indira Nehru, Robert Rothschild, Isabelle D. Orleans and Sarah Guggenheim, King of Italy Umberto II, Counts of Barcelona, ​​Queen of Bulgaria Jeanne, Romanian Charles II, Admiral Horthy, and later – Archdukes  Hungary.  It was also a spy center with Allied spies based at the Palácio Hotel and German spies at the Atlântico Hotel, which was the inspiration for British writer and secret agent Ian Fleming, the author of the James Bond stories.

Cascais is a place where you want to come back again and again!

The presence of the sea, the natural beauty of nature and the traditional and cosmopolitan environment makes us feel comfortable and welcome!  You can find many great hotels and restaurants here for all tastes.

You can have a wonderful time visiting Cascais! 

I usually start the day with a walk by the ocean.  As you walk, you can feel the energy of the ocean and a refreshing breath.

While walking, you can also see the most beautiful buildings in Cascais: the old House of Santa Marta, now renamed the House of Santa Maria, the Museum of the Counts of Castro Guimaraes, Casa da Guia and several fortifications.  Don’t forget to visit Boca do Inferno.  A mesmerizing sight!  But even on calm days, it offers stunning views of the cliffs and the ocean with boiling water.  There are wonderful fish restaurants nearby with stunning ocean views.

A little further from the center is the famous Guincho Beach.  This is the favorite beach of all Cascais residents.  It is like a scene from a movie where the Serra de Sintra and sand flow into the sea.  Waves and winds, often strong here, windsurf championship venue, kitesurfing.  Guincho -?  Enjoying the sunrise or sunset at Guincho is something out of the ordinary …

A few steps from the Bay of Cascais is the Museum Quarter.  There are over ten museums and parks worth visiting!  Many of the palaces included in the daily pass were the summer residences of the Portuguese aristocracy.  As is the case with the Museum of Condes de Castro Guimaraes and the Palacio da Cidade.  In addition, the House of Histories is undoubtedly one of the museums that is one of the museums, both because of the unusual architecture and the incredible work of the artist.

Very close, going up the right side of the bay, looking at the sea, we come out to the Citadel of Cascais.  The history of the palace-citadel of Cascais is connected with the history of the heads of the Portuguese states – from the Monaria.  From 1870, the palace was used as the summer residence of Casa Real and was transferred to the presidential administration.

Next to the Citadel is the Cascais Marina, which has shops, restaurants and bars, as well as several sailing activities given its privileged position.

You can also visit the Cascais Cultural Center and Casa Sommer.

Don’t miss to visit Parque Marechal Carmona.

But let’s not forget that walking the streets of the center of Cascais, they all end up near the ocean.

Estoril is charm combined with passion

One of the sites built in the early 20th century that inspired the construction of a tourist, recreational and health resort.  In addition to hotels, spas and gardens, a casino was built here, which is now considered the largest casino in Europe and which served as the inspiration for Ian Fleming’s first James Bond book, Casino Royale.

Estoril’s mild winters and warm, sunny summers make this an ideal destination.  Here you can find one of the most beautiful beaches, Praia do Tamariz.

Estoril was and always will be a brand of quality tourism, in which the European nobility has always wanted to live and where many have built their homes here.

Estoril will also always be associated with the race track and the Formula 1 circuit where Ayrton Senna celebrated his first victory.  Despite being taken out of the event today, the track remains the other’s fast lane.  In Estoril you can find hotels, restaurants and bars.  in Estoril, in the summer in Praia do Tamaris, there are discos and open-air bars on the ocean.