Cascais
is a summertime playground
Welcome to Cascais
Cascais (kush-kaish) has rocketed from sleepy fishing village to much-loved summertime playground of wave-frolicking lisboêtas ever since King Luís I went for a dip in 1870. Its trio of golden bays attracts sun-worshipping holidaymakers, who come to splash in the ice-cold Atlantic. Don’t expect to get much sand to yourself at the weekend, though.
Top experiences in Cascais
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Cascais activities
Lisbon to Sintra and Cascais Small-Group Tour with Pena Park
Just a short trip away from Lisbon are the beautiful towns of Sintra and Cascais. Start your tour with the journey to Sintra. Visit Pena Park, where you will be amazed by the variety of trails, trees and other plants. Head to the Queen's Throne for an amazing view of the Pena National Palace (Palacio da Pena) and the Atlantic Ocean. Next, feel like Portuguese royalty as you enter the romantic Pena National Palace at the top of Sintra Mountain. See the Great Triton, the guardian of the palace, inspired by Manueline art. Inside the palace, admire the attention to detail in the bedrooms of the king and queen and the Arab Room. Leave the palace and follow your guide to the historical center of Sintra, where you’ll have free time to explore the town, to visit Sintra National Palace (where the Portuguese royalty of the 15th and 16th centuries used to spend the summer months) or have some lunch (own expense). For dessert, try a travesseiro or a queijada, two delicious local pastries. Next, admire the landscape of Sintra Natural Park on the way to the next stop. Enjoy a photo opportunity at the cliffs of Roca Cape (Cabo da Roca), the westernmost point of Europe, and visit the surfer's paradise of Guincho Beach. Pass the cliff at Hell’s Mouth (Boca do Inferno), before stopping to stretch your legs along Cascais’ bay. Wander around the center of Cascais, a former fishing village and today a popular holiday spot. Follow your guide through narrow alleyways and see the traditional Portuguese white houses or enjoy some time relaxing at the beach. On the drive back to Lisbon where your tour concludes, soak up the scenic views along the Atlantic coast and in the town of Estoril.
Sintra and Cascais Small Group Tour from Lisbon
Departing from Lisbon, head toward the rippling and dewy Sintra. Start the day with a visit to the amazing Pena Palace. The palace's history started in the Middle Ages when a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Pena was built on the top of the hill above Sintra. The current palace dates back to 1839, when King Ferdinand II bought the ruins of the Hieronymite Monastery of Our Lady of Pena and started to adapt it for use as a residence according to his romantic taste. Today, the palace constitutes one of the major expressions of 19th-century romanticism in the world.Next, you will be ready to explore Sintra, a UNESCO world heritage site since 1995. You will have some free time to explore the village that the Greeks named the "Mountain of the Moon," a true fairy tale village that is also full of Muslim influences. Here, you will have free-time for lunch. Also, you will have the opportunity to enjoy some famous travesseiros (pillows), which are light puff pastries that are turned, rolled and folded seven times, then filled with delicious almond-and-egg-yolk cream and lightly dusted with sugar. You can also enjoy the famous Sintra cheesecakes, whose origins date back to the 13th century.Next, it is time to cross the mystic mountain of Sintra towards the Atlantic Ocean. Along the way you will have the opportunity to see the quaint Colares village and to learn more about local wines dating to the 13th century. You’ll also see Praia das Maçãs, a small and popular local beach. Upon reaching the coast, you'll make a stop in one of the most picturesque seaside towns, Azenhas do Mar, which has a stunning view overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.It is now time to leave the beautiful and magical Sintra Mountain and head in the direction of Cascais. At midpoint, you'll make a stop at the wild Cabo da Roca, a sheer 150m (500ft) cliff that forms the most western point of continental Europe. Afterwards, visit Cascais, a former fishing village that gained fame as a resort for Portugal's royal family in the late 19th century and early 20th centuries. Nowadays, it is a popular vacation spot for both Portuguese and foreign tourists, as well as a village with small museums, picturesque gardens, a shiny marina and a pedestrianized old town.During your stay here, you'll get to try the most famous ice cream of Portugal, Santini’s Gelati, which you may then consider the best ice cream in the world. It is truly a gift from the gods. Santini’s has been tantalizing Portuguese tongues since 1949.
Sintra Full Day Small-Group Tour: Let the Fairy Tale Begin
Start your day at the Sintra Historical Center, with an introduction to this world heritage site. Wander the villa’s medieval streets, and feel like you’ve stepped into a fairy tale. Enjoy free time visiting the Village of Sintra and Sintra National Palace, once home of Portugal’s kings.Continue onto Pena Palace, where you can explore the palace and its gardens. Enjoy a stunning view over the Atlantic Ocean and Sintra National Park, one of Portugal’s seven wonders and one of the major expressions of 19th-century Romanticism. Travel through the park, glimpsing its rare fauna, distinctive trees, Moorish Castle, Monserrate Palace, and chalets.Next, stop into the famously mystic Quinta da Regaleira palace (optional). Discover its exotic gardens, masonic architecture, and the initiatory well and caves. Explore the grounds, which include not only lush gardens, but lakes, caves, and enigmatic constructions that draw upon alchemy, Masonry, Templars, and Rose-cross. Conclude your day by journeying to Continental Europe’s westernmost point, Roca Cape, and visiting the renowned beaches at Guincho. Embrace the Atlantic Coast, then enjoy free time in Cascais, once home to the royal family. Finish your tour back at your starting point.
Small-Group Day Trip to Sintra and Cascais from Lisbon
You will be picked up at your hotel in the early morning, and visit the Queluz Palace - the summer residence of the Portuguese Royal Family. Here you will have 45 minutes to look around and admire the beautiful architecture. Next, you will visit the historical center of Sintra (UNESCO). Here you can feel the romance in the air as you walk its very old streets, and you will have approximate two hours for lunch (at your own expense). After lunch, we will go to the Pena Palace (UNESCO). This is said to be the most beautiful and romantic palace in Europe. Here you will have 1.5 hours to explore its gardens and architecture. Then we will drive along the Atlantic Coast Line for the most amazing photos of the Coast and the Hell´s Mouth In Cascais see the beautiful elegant fishing village and learn of its importance as a refuge for many Royal European families. You can walk its magnificent streets, try the most delicious ice cream in Portugal, and take a walk on the beach for about an hour. Before returning to your hotel in Lisbon, stop in the Gardens of the Casino of Estoril for photos, and to see the church were «James Bond got married...»
Sintra and Cascais Private Tour
Itinerary - Pena Palace and Park You will be picked up at your Lisbon hotel towards the fairy tale Pena Palace and Park. Driven through Sintra's forested hillsides, you will learn how, in the 19th-century, the town became the first center of the European Romanticism architecture. At the top of the Sintra hills, where the Pena Palace and Park is located, your guide will escort you - choose between a guided tour only to the palace architecture or visit also the inside (different entrance tickets - own expense) . - Sintra Old Town Then you head to Sintra. Explore the Old Town by browsing the village handicraft shops, taste some local delicacies like the “Travesseiros” or “Queijadas”, or just soak up the old world atmosphere at a local café. - Cabo da Roca (Cape of Rock) Breathtaking views await at Cabo da Roca, a cliffside point overlooking the Atlantic Ocean which is the westernmost tip of Europe. - Cascais – Bay and Beach At the charming seaside town of Cascais, a summer playground on the Portuguese Riviera, you will have free time to have lunch (own expense), stroll around the bay or go for a swim at the local beach. Don't miss the best ice-cream of Portugal, 100% natural, at the iconic Santini! - Estoril coast return to Lisbon Your Sintra and Cascais private tour ends at Lisbon after a drive along the Estoril Coast.
Sintra, Cascais and Estoril Private Tour from Lisbon
Only 20 minutes from Lisbon, this is the best private tour to discover Sintra, one of the most romantic villages considered as Unesco World Heritage, Cascais and Estoril. You will have the opportunity to visit the Royal Pena National Palace (entrance fees not included), built on the ruins of an old monastery (16th century). You will also be passing by many other beautiful palaces and castle, which can also be visited if you wish, if not, you will enjoy free time to explore and visit the historical village and take some pictures on all locations.The stop for lunch will take place in Sintra or a nearby location like Praia Grande, Praia da Adraga or Azenhas do Mar (as per your preference). The tour continues to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of Europe. Down the hill, you will pass by Guincho Beach one of the best beaches near Lisbon and visit Cascais, enjoying some free time in Cascais bay. Towards the end of the tour, on the return, you will be passing by Estoril.