In this blogpost we are visiting Cascais in Portugal. Cascais is a picturesque coastal town in Portugal, located west of Lisbon. We drove here from Lisbon and it took around 35 minutes. Don’t miss our blogpost from Lisbon, click here.
Cascais is known for its stunning beaches, historic architecture, and vibrant life, as it has evolved from a traditional fishing village into a popular tourist destination.
The town’s charming streets are filled with shops, cafés, and restaurants, offering a blend of traditional Portuguese culture and modern attractions.
Cascais’s history as a popular seaside resort originated in the 1870s, when King Luís I of Portugal made it his summer residence every September. Cascais is known for the many members of royalty who have lived there, including King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, King Juan Carlos I of Spain, and King Umberto II of Italy.
1. Santa María Lighthouse viewpoint
First on our list is the Santa María Lighthouse Viewpoint. It’s a beautiful viewpoint where you can see the blue and white coloured lighthouse, built in the 17th century, together with Casa Santa Maria which is an ocean-side villa from the early 20th century. It’s also popular as a beach during the summer. The water levels changes with the tide.
Close-by you also have Casa de São Bernardo which was owned by King Carlos private secretary and The Palácio dos Condes de Castro Guimarães, which was built in year 1900 as an aristocrat’s summer residence.
2. The Tasting Room
Next up as number two on our list we have The Tasting Room. Located on one of the main streets of Cascais, it has a great selection of Portuguese wines. We tried two local wines to this region, one white and one rose. As a snack we choose these fish croquettes. Everything was really tasty. Highly recommended with friendly service and fair prices for the quality provided.
3. Marechal Carmona Park
We are here in the middle of the summer and to relax and cool down we head to number three on our list, which is Marechal Carmona Park. It’s a bit of a hidden gem in the middle of the city, nice and calm, away the busy streets. The park is really well maintained. It has lots of shade and places to sit. There are also plenty of animals to see. Peacocks and roosters are walking around freely.
In this pond there are ducks and a lot of turtles swimming around or sunbathing on the rocks.
4. Praia do Guincho
There are many nice beaches in and around Cascais. We travel 15 minutes northwest of Cascais to this amazing sandy beach. Number four on our list is Praia do Guincho. Lying at the foot of the Sintra hills and facing the Atlantic, this superb beach is not only ideal for wind surfing but also board surfing due to the large breakers.
There are also sunbeds and umbrellas, changing rooms, toilets and a café.
5. Restaurant Somos Um Regalo
It’s getting late and we head back into town for dinner. On our first day here, we walked by this restaurant and it became our very favourite. Number 5 on the list is Restaurant Somos Um Regalo.
They specialize in grilled piri piri chicken, a Portuguese old school dish that came to Portugal hundred of years ago. It is believed that it was created by Portuguese explorers in Mozambique in the 15th century who discovered the African bird’s eye chilli pepper and made a marinade with garlic, red wine vinegar, paprika, and other European ingredients. We tried the local fresh cheese, piri-piri chicken and a tomato salad, together with a Portuguese green wine (vino verde). It was all super tasty and I would really recommend this place!
6. Boca do Inferno (Hell’s Mouth)
It’s a new day and we are going to visit a natural phenomena. Number 6 on our list is Boca do Inferno, Portuguese for Hell’s Mouth. There is a really nice seaside walk-path to walk here from the city. Impressive rock formations and stunning nature. It’s more impressive when the waves are bigger are slam into the rock walls.
It’s also seems to be a popular spot for local fishermen. I would say you can spend a nice 30 minutes here, enjoying the sea breeze and the spectacular rock formations.
That’s all from Cascais, I hope you got some inspiration and enjoyed this blogpost!
See our YouTube video from Cascais here:
