We visited this popular seaside resort on the Portuguese Riviera via a train from Rossio station in Lisbon. It is a wealthy community originating from when the King of Portugal made his summer residence there in the 1870’s. Also, due to its neutrality in World War II and the town’s elegance, Cascais became home to many of the exiled royal families of Europe.
We learnt all about its history by visiting the town museum, which is located on the ground floor of the Palacio dos Condes da Guarda. The facade of the building is embellished with decorative tiles depicting the saints and this is considered to be the largest collection in the world on a single property. I really appreciated visiting the museum. It has been excellently created using innovative multimedia techniques to show the history of a seaside resort. (The resulting display contrasts sharply with my local heritage centre where I volunteer, which is of course run on a shoestring! This is not surprising as Cascais is now so prosperous and New Brighton is nowadays a shadow of its former grandeur!)
The town has a number of museums and art galleries including the Palacio dos Condes de Castro Guimaraes, which has furniture, porcelain, jewellery, a neo-Gothic organ and paintings of international significance.
Cascais Marina hosts the America’s Cup and other sailing or surfing international events. For the more active visitor there are golf courses and walking tours. From the Marina, you can join on a dolphin watching tour where you can see these marine mammals in their natural environment. You can even see more of the coast from above by taking a helicopter tour.
Throughout the year a number of events are held from shows to festivals. The Casino was once a meeting place for spies and this inspired Ian Flemimg to write his James Bond novel “Casino Royale”. Naturally there is a great variety of places to eat and drink, one of the best being Esplanada Maria Pia, which is in the centre of the town on a terrace with beautiful views. There are of course a number of hotels in the area, but we were staying in Lisbon and just visiting for the day.
If you are staying in Lisbon or Estoril, Cascais is a great place to visit as there is so much to see.