Posted on June 10, 2010 by Fiona Hilliard

Distance from Lisbon: 35km

It may just be just a 40-minute drive from the Portuguese capital, but Cascais is a world away from the frenetic buzz and clanging trams of Lisbon. From the moment you clap eyes on the sun-scorched terracotta rooftops and hypnotic black and white cobbles you can’t help but feel that you are being lulled into summer holiday mode.

As evening falls, a fairy-lit book market and open-air jazz performances on Largo Luis de Camões Square only add to this sense of gentle calm.

The rich local architecture is proof enough that Cascais has a long and fascinating history, but echoes of the town’s fishing village heritage can also be heard at Cascais’s lively fish auction, which takes place each afternoon close to the beach. 

Interested in learning more about the town’s maritime heritage? Visitors can dive into the history of Cascais at the “Museu do Mar”, (Museum of the Sea) or sample the catch of the day in person at the town’s many top seafood restaurants.

Safe, old-fashioned and elegant are just some of the adjectives that come to mind when describing Cascais, ‘boring’ definitely isn’t one.

Behind the refined white and beetroot coloured facades of the café-bars and swaying palm trees of the promenade, there’s a palpable joie de vivre.  Sunset quickly turns to sunrise on these music-filled terraces. 

With all of this to offer, it’s no wonder Cascais was recently voted one of Europe’s top 10 charming towns by TripAdvisor.

The surrounding scenery deserves a mention too.  It is both dramatic and spectacular.  Lisbon car hire means you are free to discover the many local attractions including romantic Sintra, dramatic Boca do Inferno and the surfers of the sandy dunes of nearby Guincho. If you’re feeling adventurous, you might even take a drive to Cabo da Roca, Europe’s most westerly point.

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