Cascais is a town with a Cinderella story. It went through a long way before becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in Portugal.
Cascais was nothing more than a small fishing village at first. Although you can still add fishing to your to-do list in Lisbon, there are many other activities here. It has a spectacular beach that became a magnet for Portuguese and European royalties in early 20th century. After the era of monarchs and royal families was gone, simple travelers like you and me received the chance to discover this town for themselves.
It’s actually located outside of Lisbon, but a few minutes on train will be enough to reach the final destination. After the busy capital, this place seems to be a quite heaven with cute and small pedestrian streets, pretty luxurious houses and boutiques. An oasis of elegance in the middle of a tourist crowd.
Where else can you found a Museum of the Sea? Sounds exotic, doesn’t it? Unfortunately, the exhibitions of the museum are not that exotic, they mainly tell about the story of the town, there are lots of photos, postcards, and so on.
Castro Guimarães Museum is another option. This museum is really a huge manor, which used to belong to the counts of Castro Guimarães. The rooms feature the lifestyle and interior design of late 18th and 19th centuries. Some rooms haven’t changed at all.
Cabo da Roca is the most western continental point of Europe, so if you stand there, you’ll literally be at the edge of Europe. This are surely small details that don’t make a significant difference in your travel, but they add some spices to remember later. Don’t forget to have a photo from this spot, because this also happens to be one of the most beautiful coastlines in the continent.
Don’t forget to grab a swimsuit, a towel, and a sun block, because it takes unthinkable efforts to resist to the Guincho temptation. Lots of soft and warm sand, waves of the Atlantic Ocean, absolute relaxation, that’s what Guincho beach is all about. If you’re a fan of surfing, you’ll find many friends here, if not, grab an iPod or your cellphone and listen to Fado music while sunbathing. By the way, the beach often hosts World Surfing Championships, which provide a good deal of show and entertainment. Ladies, you’ll definitely have fun watching the championship!
Finally, you can conclude the visit with the Church of Nossa Senhora da Assunção, it’s a modest one, not too much luxury, crowd or noise, but the architecture, which dates back to 17th century is worth a notice. The architect of the church was Josefa de Obidos.
Cascais is a nice place to organize a vacation within a vacation. After you’re done with Lisbon attractions, reserve a weekend for a little sun and beach. Stay for a night to enjoy the evenings and the starry sky of Cascais.
