Cascais
Cascais was a fishing village that became a royal retreat in the late 19th century and has stayed upscale ever since — think manicured gardens, a yacht marina, and seaside mansions rather than the rougher edges of a working port town. The old town's narrow streets and small squares are pleasant without being especially dramatic, and the appeal here is really the coastline: a string of small sandy beaches inside town, and past them the dramatic cliffs of Boca do Inferno, a blowhole where the Atlantic crashes into rock.
Cascais makes an easy, low-effort base for exploring this stretch of coast — Guincho's wide, wind-battered beach a few kilometers further is popular with surfers, and the road toward Cabo da Roca, continental Europe's westernmost point, runs right past it. Compared to Sintra's palaces or Lisbon's density, Cascais is a genuinely relaxed, moneyed seaside town, closer in feel to a resort than a historic sight.
Cascais FAQs
The train from Cais do Sodré station runs directly along the coast and takes about 40 minutes, no car needed.
The in-town beaches are calm and pleasant; nearby Guincho is better for surfing and windsurfing than swimming due to strong wind and surf.
It's possible but tight; a bus connects the two towns directly, though most visitors find splitting them across two days more comfortable.
A dramatic cliff and blowhole just outside Cascais where Atlantic waves crash into rock formations, reachable by a short walk or bike ride.
It's one of the pricier towns near Lisbon, reflecting its upscale, resort-like character.
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