10 Best Things to See and Do in Cascais, Portugal
ONLY FORTY MINUTES FROM LISBON, CASCAIS IS A SLEEPY, SALT-AND-SUN SOAKED SEASIDE TOWN. TRY SAYING THAT TEN TIMES FAST.
Cascais, a peaceful 40 minute train line from Lisbon, manages to be both a sleepy fishing village as well as a sophisticated beach town without losing its authentic charm.
Logistics: Take the metro green line from Lisbon, then the 40 minute suburban train from Cais do Sodré station, getting off at the last stop, Cascais Station. Then, use the Via Viagem cards to pay for both the metro and train, about €2.25 each.
I cannot recommend Cascais (pronounced kash-ki-sshh) enough! There is so much to do in this little seaside town outside of Lisbon, including kayaking at Boca do Inferno, lounging on stunning beaches, and shopping along its cobbled streets at Mercado da Villa. There’s even a museum here called Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães! Cascais’s history is as old as the 1870s, when King Luís I of Portugal and the Portuguese royal family would spend their summers at this popular seaside resort.
Our Story
My grandmother has a painting in her kitchen, an azure watercolor of a gentle sea, tiny brushstrokes planting the idea of sailboats bobbing on the water. She used to tell me of spending hazy sunsets out on the waters of Cascais, gentle Atlantic waves lapping the shore. She bought the painting on the docks there, half a century ago, and carried it safely home, where I could look up at it as a baby.
I tried not to think of her fond memories as we stood in the rain, dampening our moods. I lifted my button up over our heads, eyes scanning for an open building, and lighted upon our golden ticket: a bakery, glowing with warmth. Door jingling gently, I felt determined to accomplish what I had set out to do: bring her memories back to life again.
Huddled for warmth in our breezy summer clothes, we wiped the rain from our eyes and looked around us to gather our bearings. The bustle of the workers behind the counter, the steamy scent of fresh bread, and the chatter of locals filled our senses.
Gathering my confidence, I strode forth to the counter, excited to practice my meager Portuguese on any willing victim. “Bom dia! Posso tomar um café com leite?” I said, robotic enough to make Google Translate jealous. The woman behind the counter smiled, and spoke to me in what seemed to me like rapid fire fashion. I nodded with unearned confidence, and proffered my credit card. I ended up getting us two coffees and two muffin-like pastries for a couple of euros.
Turning back around, glowing with pride at my successful social interaction, I spotted my grandmother admiring the rainy scene outside on the cobbled roads. The room was tiny, and I realized there were no seats to be had. Every table was filled with Portuguese locals, who seemingly had the same idea as us in rushing in here to stay dry.
Suddenly, I felt the absence of my charge by my side, another bolt of anxiety shooting through me. Eyes glued to the screen, I hadn’t noticed my grandmother approaching a table by the window, round and occupied by a single young man with scruffy curled hair. I stared as my grandmother chatted with him, a little stunned.
It’s funny, now, looking back on it, how I felt so protective of my grandmother. Despite being freshly 80, she was not fragile. Her first time out of the country in more than fifty years, and here she was, chatting with a stranger in his broken English. Time and time again on our journey together, I realized we complimented each other so well.
There were times I felt so confident, easily following the colored line on my phone’s map, taking the shortcuts through the metro, speaking the correct Portuguese phrases to locals as if they were incantations to our success, all due to my dedicated research before coming here.
And then, there were times like these. While I, daunted as ever by a conversation with a stranger, watched as my grandmother deftly took the lead and navigated us out of a tricky situation, no map necessary.
I felt my shoulders relax. I pocketed my phone. Collecting our coffees at the counter, I stepped over, and took a seat next to my grandmother and the satyr-like man. They were talking about his life in Cascais, and things to see and do here. The man smiled warmly. I smiled back.
And So, We Continue Our Journey:
By this point, it had really settled in that we were really, truly in Portugal. The locals had been so kind, and we shared a table with a younger gentleman where we communicated almost entirely with gestures. While most locals spoke a bit of English, what helped above all else was their willingness to try to communicate with us. A smile and an “ola!” goes a long way. Cups emptied and rain dissipating, we set out again to explore this little seaside town.
After a nice pastry and some coffee, have a leisurely stroll through Cascais’ historic center. The cobblestone streets wind between colorful buildings housing boutiques, cafés, and little art galleries.
Strolling along the beach is enough of an activity to keep you busy all day, but Cascais holds a lot more! Coming south from the town center, you’ll soon find yourself walking along the Citadel of Cascais closer to the beach.
Explore this bit of history before walking to Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães, a large castle looking structure built in 1900 that you don’t have to enter to admire. Portugal is full of surprising bits of history like this, wonderous structures built hundreds of years ago and preserved to this day. We had no idea what to expect in Cascais, but were pleasantly surprised by all there is to see here.
Midday: Beach Hopping
The Cascais Marina provides stunning views of boats bobbing in the azure waters against the backdrop of elegant 19th-century architecture. From there, make your way to the Museu do Mar (Maritime Museum), housed in the former royal residence of King Carlos I. The museum showcases Cascais’ deep connection to the sea through fascinating exhibits on fishing traditions and maritime history.
Praia da Conceição and Praia da Duquesa offer golden sands and calm waters perfect for swimming. If you’re feeling adventurous, follow the coastal path to the dramatic Boca do Inferno (“Mouth of Hell”), a unique cliff formation where powerful waves crash through a small cave creating impressive water displays.
By this point the sun had finally come out, just in time as we curved around the path west by the beach. Smell the salt water, feel the coolness of the ocean breeze, and walk amongst the coastal greenery of this natural place.
Even simple things like road signs throughout Portugal are beautifully displayed in classic azulejo style. What fun to find all the little pieces that makes Portugal unique!
Following along the trail, pretty soon you’ll find yourself taking a stroll along Marechal Carmona Park. Like most parks in Portugal, this was well landscaped, huge, and best of all, free.
Benches and seating areas abound, and we were wishing we had purchased a sandwich at the bakery we were just in for a picnic lunch! But little did we know, the lunch we were about to have would be our absolute favorite in Portugal, so it worked out that we didn’t stop to eat here.
Chickens, roosters, and hens are all over Portugal!
The purple wisteria was not in bloom just yet, but private seating areas like this are still beautiful!
Peacocks are abundant here as well!
Feeling pretty hungry by this point, we decided to head back into town to get some lunch.
While walking back, stop to admire all of the street art along the way!
WOW! Our favorite place to eat in Portugal, A Nova Estrella in Cascais. We arrived as soon as it opened, and sat outside.
We ordered sangria, a thinly sliced Portuguese sausage appetizer, Bacalhau with potatoes, and an Indian curry. The food was so good and fairly priced.
Even though they were busy, our server came by our table and dropped off the Amendoa almond liqueur and Port wine. She said, “on the house”! and to drink as much as we’d like. While neither bottle was full, my grandmother and I had to double-take. Can you imagine a restaurant in the US just dropping off alcohol for customers to taste? When we got our check, she also gave us a couple of little chocolates. Talk about a warm welcome!
It was only lunchtime, and neither of us are heavy drinkers, so we gave each a fair taste and lingered over our dishes for a little while.
After that wonderful experience, we headed deeper into town to explore what else Cascais had to offer!
We stopped into this cute gelateria, grabbing lemon basil ice cream that was simply divine. Ice cream and beach weather is the perfect combination!
There is still more to Cascais, as we did not see Mercado da Vila or Boca do Inferno, but we still had a full day experience without those! If I were to return, I would definitely stay the night in Cascais, or at least visit again the next day from our stay in Lisbon.
Cheers, and goodnight!
