Estoril Holidays
Estoril Holidays – A resort of luxurious leisure.
During a stay at the famous Palácio Hotel in Estoril, Orson Wells apparently expressed amazement at the number of monarchs also in residence, and this elegant resort has always been a favourite of the elite. This is the resort for luxurious leisure; the casino is the largest of in Europe, and as well a spending a decadent evening playing the wheel until the early hours, there are also concerts, dancing and cabaret to entertain you.
Estoril Tennis Club has more than twenty courts, and in early May hosts the Estoril Open. For golf try the Clube de Golfe de Estoril, which was established in the 40s and has a nine-hole course as well as a full 18-hole. Penha Longa is a few kilometres in the direction of Sintra and is highly regarded by golfers.
The grand hotels at the mouth of the River Tajo are the ideal places to take a drink and languish in the lavish atmosphere created by the elegant villas with their beautifully tended gardens. There are also so excellent bars and restaurants nearby.
When to go
A holiday in Estoril isn’t what you would really consider a ‘beachy’ sort of holiday, although safe and lovely beaches nearby and in Cascais are definitely worth whiling a couple of days away on during the summer months. A lot depends on the type of holiday you enjoy as to when is the best time to visit. Sports holidays or anything very active are probably best avoided during the summer months because even though the breezes from the Atlantic Ocean give an impression of coolness, the sun can be pretty baking.
If you are a tennis fan you could plan your holiday for early May, during the Estoril Open, when the temperature will be warming up nicely to be able to spend a day on the beach – although perhaps not a dip in the ocean. The Oceans Festival in mid-august is a feast of rowing races, fireworks, a food fair, theatre and film.
The weather in Estoril
Comfortable almost year-round, although it can get a bit chilly and windy during the winter. Even so, with temperatures of around 15º during daylight hours it can still be a pleasant time of year to visit. Between May to September you will have eleven hours of bright blue skies a day and temperatures averaging around 25º, peaking at 28º in August, with only a couple of days a month from June to August showing a sprinkling of rain.
The balmy days of autumn are the most delightful, mid-20ºs lowering to high-teens. Shorts and T-shirts during the day and a comfy sweater in the evenings.
Get the best deal
Start looking early. Far better to pay slightly more than to find that all the flights and accommodation are gone because you left it too late waiting for a deal. Having said that, if you can pick and choose your holiday dates, try going out of high season. The further you get from either side of July and August to avoid the school holidays (and Easter) the better deals you will get.
Christmas is often busy, with people spending time away from home instead of indulging in a traditional family ‘do’, and in early May you might find it difficult to get a deal because of the Estoril Open tennis competition. Have a look below to see what excellent deals are currently available, and check our late deal offers.
Airport and traffic need to know.
EasyJet is the main budget airline flying into Lisbon Airport, with flights from Bristol (BRS), Edinburgh (EDI), Liverpool (LPL), and London’s Gatwick (LGW) and Luton (LTN), although not all of these are year-round service. BA and TAP fly from Heathrow (LHR), and TAP also flies from Gatwick (LGW) and Manchester (MAN).
There are plenty of metered taxis running from the airport (make sure the driver switches the metre on) but if you are travelling as a family or a group it could be worth booking a transfer on-line from the airport to your hotel. Expect to pay around 56€ (£45) for a 4-seater. Metered taxis charge 20% for hires between 9pm and 6am, and at weekends. Check if this is applicable if you are hiring on-line.
AeroBus runs a shuttle service that will take you to the station at Cais de Sodré in Lisbon for 3.50€ (£3), where you can catch a train for the twenty minute, 2€ (£1.60) ride to Estoril. Buy your ticket on the train.
Best beaches in Estoril
Tamariz beach is in front of the gardens of Estoril Casino, behind the railway station. It is one of the larger and better local beaches, with golden sand and calm water, so it is perfect for families with small children. There are restaurants, bars, clubs, shops and discotheques, and has toilets, showers and facilities for disabled persons. You can rent parasols and sun beds, as well as pedal-boats, but with it being ‘Lisbon’s beach’, along with Cascais, it can get pretty crowded at weekends.
There is a salt-water swimming pool next to the promenade which has temperatures slightly warmer than the chilly Atlantic Ocean.
At 800 metres long, Praia do Guincho is one of the largest beaches on the Lisbon coastline. The lack of protection from the shore means that the beach is pretty exposed, and while strong winds and big waves make it an excellent venue for surfers, wind surfers, body boarders and kite surfers, it isn’t recommended for casual swimming. There are some excellent fish and seafood restaurants nearby if you just want to take a ride out for the day.
A couple of kilometres walk along the promenade from Estoril, Cascais has two small but lovely beaches, Praia da Rainha, (Queen’s Beach), and Praia da Ribeira. Both have golden sand and calm water so are excellent for families with small children, particularly Praia da Ribeira, where a harbour wall shelters the beach, meaning that there are few waves, almost no currents, and the water is shallow for a considerable distance from the shore.
