Cascais Things To Do

 

Cascais has some lovely beaches, the Praia da Rainha and the Praia da Conceicao, both beautiful to look at with deep blue waters and bobbing yachts. The Praia da Ribeira is still a working fishing harbour and the local boats go out regularly to bring back wonderful fish to stock local restaurants. Head for the Pescadores (fishermen’s) beach, Queen beach or Marchioness beach, named because, in the distant past, Portuguese kings lived here. Or pick up your surfboard and enjoy a true surfer’s paradise.

 

If you’re bored of the beach but still want to just chill, the Parque do Marechal Carmona is a lovely spot. There’s a little zoo, a decent café and a lake with cool, shady places to sit and picnic overlooking the water.

 

Blimey… the Mouth of Hell sounds forbidding, and it is. The Boca do Inferno is a grotto worn out of the coast a mile west of Cascais. While it is an amazing place in cam weather, this place is most fun in a storm or at high tide. When the waves are high the walk along the exposed path, complete with vertiginous viewing platforms, takes on a whole new dimension! The beach below is secluded and accessible via a steep path.

 

This area is famous for wonderful leather goods and lace, and they’re hot on handicrafts. Many of the locals set up roadside stalls for the holiday season where they sell their wares, the perfect place to find unusual and unique souvenirs.

 

There are some marvellous opportunities for walking in the area and the coastal road between Cascais and the Boca do Inferno is a treat. Stop along the way at a roadside café – there are some great places for a cool drink including the scenic café-terrace Esplanada Santa Marta, particularly lovely because it directly overlooks Santa Marta Beach and lighthouse.

 

The Museu dos Condes Castro Guimaraes is home to a load of exciting archaeological finds from a nearby dig as well as fine examples of paintings, pottery and furniture from the 1700s and 1800s.

 

Fans of good architecture will love this Church, a wonderfully plain and elegant building complete with a fantastic golden altar and original oil paintings by female artist Josefa de Obidos who painted way back in the 1600s.

 

Cascais has an excellent modern Museu do Mar, or Museum of the Sea. If you’re interested in the development of fishing, fishing boats, fishing equipment and clothing over the centuries you’ll spend a few happy hours here rummaging amongst the exhibits.