Cascais
Weave through the back alleys west of the câmara municipal to the palm-fringed square that is home to the whitewashed Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Assunção, adorned with azulejos (hand-painted tiles) predating the 1755 earthquake.
The church is open during mass (mass 10am and 7.15pm Monday to Friday, 7.15pm Saturday, 10am, 11.15am, 12.30pm and 7.15pm Sunday) and limited weekdays hours (from a side entrance on Rua Luís Xavier Palmeirim).
11.64 MILES
Belém’s undisputed heart-stealer is this Unesco-listed monastery. The mosteiro is the stuff of pure fantasy: a fusion of Diogo de Boitaca’s creative…
7.24 MILES
The star of Sintra-Vila is this palace, with its iconic twin conical chimneys and lavish, whimsical interior, which is a mix of Moorish and Manueline…
15.57 MILES
Towering dramatically above Lisbon, these mid-11th-century hilltop fortifications sneak into almost every snapshot. Roam its snaking ramparts and pine…
15.83 MILES
Wander downhill (to save your legs) through Alfama's steep, narrow, cobblestoned streets and catch a glimpse of the more traditional side of Lisbon before…
14 MILES
Set in a lemon-fronted, 17th-century palace, the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga is Lapa’s biggest draw. It presents a star-studded collection of European…
Museu Calouste Gulbenkian – Coleção do Fundador
14.72 MILES
Famous for its outstanding quality and breadth, the world-class Founder's Collection at Museu Calouste Gulbenkian showcases an epic collection of Western…
7.06 MILES
This magical villa and gardens is a neo-Manueline extravaganza, dreamed up by Italian opera-set designer, Luigi Manini, under the orders of Brazilian…
15.45 MILES
Don't leave the city without riding popular tram 28E from Largo Martim Moniz. This rickety, screechy, gloriously old-fashioned ride from Praça Martim…
0.08 MILES
Formerly a barefooted Carmelite convent, this centre hosts contemporary exhibitions and cultural events.
2. Palácio da Cidadela de Cascais
0.1 MILES
Commissioned as a summer palace in 1870 by King Dom Luís I, this captivating museum remains the official residence of visiting heads of state in Portugal…
0.1 MILES
This wild park provides a shady retreat from the seaside crowds, with a duck pond, birch and pine trees, palms and eucalyptus, rose gardens and flowering…
0.12 MILES
The citadel is where the royal family used to spend the summer. Today it houses a luxury hotel – the Pestana Cidadela Cascais – a courtyard restaurant,…
5. Museu do Mar Rei Dom Carlos
0.14 MILES
The small, brightly accented Museu do Mar spells out Cascais’ maritime history with costumes, tools, nets and boats, accompanied by quotes (in English)…
6. Casa das Histórias Paula Rego
0.15 MILES
This museum showcases the disturbing, highly evocative paintings of Portugal’s finest postwar artists. Biannually changing exhibits span Rego’s career,…
0.2 MILES
The modern Marina de Cascais houses a postcard-perfect lighthouse, sleek yachts and lounge bars.
8. Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães
0.22 MILES
This whimsical early-19th-century mansion, complete with castle turrets and Arabic cloister, sits in the grounds of the Parque Marechal Carmona.