Cascais

Natural beauty and outdoor activities
Cascais lies on the Atlantic shoreline within the Sintra‑Cascais Natural Park, offering a varied landscape of sandy beaches, rugged cliffs, and pine‑covered hills. Praia da Rainha and Praia do Guincho are popular for swimming, surfing, and windsurfing, while the adjacent dunes provide space for kite‑boarding and beach‑combing. The coastal trail that follows the cliffs from Cascais to the westernmost point of continental Europe, Cabo da Roca, is suitable for hiking and cycling, with several marked routes that pass historic watchtowers and scenic overlooks. Golfers can use the Oitavos and Quinta da Marinha courses, which are integrated into the natural terrain.

Cultural attractions and experiences
The town’s maritime heritage is displayed at the Museum of the Sea, which houses artifacts related to fishing, navigation, and shipbuilding. The Cascais Citadel, a 16th‑century fortification, now contains a cultural center and small museums. Art enthusiasts can visit the Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, a contemporary museum dedicated to the work of the eponymous Portuguese painter. The former royal summer residence, the Palace of the Counts of Castro Guimarães, offers guided tours of its eclectic architecture and period furnishings. Weekly markets in the historic centre provide locally produced food, crafts, and textiles, while the annual Cascais Jazz Festival brings international musicians to the town’s concert venues.

Cascais, Portugal blends a maritime legacy, diverse natural settings, and a compact yet varied cultural program, giving the town a distinctive coastal character that is both historically rooted and actively contemporary.