Cascais and its surrounds have a lot to offer. Located where the Tagus River meets the Atlantic Ocean, human settlement dates back to the paleolithic period and the Romans, but the town itself was constructed in the 12th century. It has always been a fishing village and was a defensive port in the middle of the 16th century, but turned to more of a resort area (it is still an active fishing village), late in the 19th century.
You can explore the main squares of the village, its museums and restaurants and bars, amble through narrow cobblestone streets and becos above the village, take a walk down the oceanfront walkway from Cascais to Estoril (home of the casino, since remodeled, which inspired Ian Fleming to write Casino Royale) or wander up the coastline to the Boca do Inferno (good for sunset) or Praias (beaches) of Cresmina and Guincho.
It’s a great beach town with lots of spots to rent a beach chair under an umbrella for a day (quite affordably), lie on the many little strips of beach lining the coast or rent SUP boards to paddle around the harbor. There are also plenty of options to hire a sailboat at the marina for a sunset cruise (we like these guys).
For the golfers, there are many nearby courses. Quinta da Marinha is my local favorite but Oitavos Dunes is a ranked course and a must-play for the golf opportunists (prepare for wind), the golf course in Estoril has an odd layout but has some beautiful holes and is affiliated with the Palacio hotel in Estoril. Penha Longa resort near Sintra is a hilly track with old ruins dotting some of the holes. If you’re visiting the Cascais area for golf and want to try several courses, check out the Cascais golf passport.
We’ve published several posts on Cascais, which you can find here:
1. Our first impressions and second return trip posts.
2. Our post on the museums of Cascais.
3. Our favorite restaurants in Cascais.
A bit away from Cascais, if you want to explore the area up the coast in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park there are many things to do and places to visit:
- There are many beaches and beach towns north of Cascais in the park. One of them (Praia da Ursa), near Cabo de Roca, is harder to find and involves a steep descent, but is worth it if you have proper footwear and aren’t afraid of descending and then ascending a short cliff with a rope.
- We spent a long weekend in Ericeira, a surf-town about an hour north along the back roads (estradas nacionais). We’ve since returned again to Ericeira where I tested my skills (or lack thereof) in surfing.
- From Ericeira, it’s a short hop over to Mafra where you can visit the National Palace.
- Closer to Cascais, check out the cool town of Colares where you can taste the wines (hearty, heavy ones mostly) at the wine collective there. There’s also a cool little microbrewery right across the street from the winery.
- If you have a car, or don’t mind a bus ride, check out Sintra nearby where you can visit the Pena Palace at the top of the hill, the National Palace in town or the Quinta de Regaleira just out of town.
The Traveling Ridleys 