In a nutshell
- Cascais is one of the most popular destinations around Lisbon and is just a 30-minute drive away.
- As the town is right by the sea, it is perfect for mixing a long weekend in Lisbon with a beach vacation.
- The top attractions in Cascais are the narrow streets of the city, the beaches and the Boca do Inferno.
- Our tip for staying in Cascais is the boutique hotel Westlight Cascais Chalet.
- That was a first overview of what to see in Cascais. Let’s continue with all our tips for things to do in Cascais.
Top 10 Attractions in Cascais
We love Cascais! Especially because of its cool flair and beautiful beaches, a trip to Cascais is a very cool thing to do in Lisbon. Here are our ten favorite highlights in Cascais.
Stroll Through the Alleys of Cascais
Cascais was once one of the summer residences of the Portuguese royal family and the rich upper class. That’s why you’ll find a lot of magnificent buildings in the old town. At the same time, Cascais was able to maintain its charm as a small fishing village.
The small streets are definitely one of the most beautiful attractions in Cascais, with small colorful houses lined up next to each other and blooming flowers hanging from the balconies.
In between, you’ll also find some charming boutiques, traditional restaurants, parks and even street art.
Port of Cascais
We particularly liked the cute fishing port of Cascais. You can watch the small fishing boats bobbing in the water in front of the promenade, the locals casting their nets and hear the seagulls screeching all around. You’ll also find a lot of cool street art at the harbor, similar to Lisbon.
Close by is also the Citadela fortress. You can walk along its walls with a great view of the sea.
The large yacht harbor is right behind it: you’ll see a whole different world of luxury yachts and sporty sailboats here. This is where the rich and famous are.
City Beaches of Cascais
Cascais has several city beaches located right on its doorstep, so to speak.
The two most popular are Praia da Ribeira and Praia da Conceição. Both are sandy beaches and have even been awarded with the Blue Flag for particularly clean beaches. You can soak up the sunlight here and splash around in the water. These beaches are also perfect for children.
Admittedly, it can get quite crowded here in the summer. But you will usually always find a spot. It’s best to come early in the morning.
Lighthouse and Farol Museum de Santa Marta
At the western end of Cascais is the Farol de Santa Marta, a 19th-century lighthouse turned museum.
You can even climb up the lighthouse. From there, you will have a great view over the sea. Especially at sunset, this is of course wonderfully romantic!
In the museum you can learn all about lighthouses, their history and the technology behind them. Right next to the lighthouse is the Casa de Santa Maria. The magnificent villa once belonged to Portuguese industrialists and can also be visited today.
Park and Museum: Condes de Castro Guimarães
Directly across the street from the lighthouse is the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum and the Parque Marechal Carmona.
The museum is an old aristocratic mansion with an impressive library, a small art gallery and beautiful antique furniture. A visit gives you a very good impression of how the Portuguese upper class once lived here.
The surrounding park invites you for a walk and offers some shade on hot summer days. Between exotic plants and fairy-tale sculptures you can relax and unwind.
Beach Promenade of Cascais
A beach promenade of about three kilometers leads from Cascais to the next town of Estoril which you can wonderfully stroll along in the summer.
At first, Estoril seems like just another beautiful seaside resort. In fact, the town is known for the largest casino in Europe. So quickly bet 100 euros on the 22 – that will definitely bring you luck!
If your feet don’t want to carry you anymore, you can take the train back.
Boca do Inferno
The translation of Boca do Inferno is ‘Mouth of Hell’. Not only does it sound exciting, it is! The rock formations are one of the best places to visit in Cascais for good reason.
Boca do Inferno is a huge rock arch on the cliff at the western edge of Cascais. The sea flows in and out and the waves thunder against the rock walls, the water splashing up several meters – maybe the reason for the dramatic name.
Note: In the winter months, parts of the platform are closed because the danger of slipping is too high with all the rain and wind.
Museum of the Sea
A museum about the sea? How cool is that! The Museo do Mar Rei Dom Carlos I. tells the stories of the fishermen of Cascais. Fittingly, things like old fishing clothes, nets and fishing gear are on display here.
There are even small, very detailed replicas of various ships. And the best thing: you can discover some treasures from sunken ships from the Tejo estuary.
If you’re traveling with kids, they’ll definitely enjoy the biological section. Here you can find models of sharks, rays and hogfish.
Praia do Guincho
Our favorite beach in Cascais is Praia do Guincho. The long sandy beach is located in a nature reserve – so no hotel bunkers here! Our favorite beach in Cascais is Praia do Guincho. The long sandy beach is located in a nature reserve, so there are no hotel bunkers here. The beach is particularly popular with surfers.
Instead, you’ll find an endless landscape of dunes – marvelous! No wonder this dreamy scenery has already made it into a James Bond movie (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service).
We highly recommend combining Praia do Guincho with a little bike tour. You can rent bikes for free at several stations in Cascais and ride them along the nine-kilometer-long promenade to Guincho. Be sure to remember your ID though, because you’ll need to show it.
Sintra-Cascais Natural Park
If you have a little more time and spend one or more nights in Cascais, you should definitely visit the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park.
You will find numerous hiking trails leading you through enchanted forests and along secluded coastal paths. Depending which route you choose, you may also pass a palace or two or discover some hidden beaches.
One of the highlights of the natural park is Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in Europe. You can also take a guided tour from Lisbon and combine a trip to Cascais with Cabo da Roca and the fairytale town of Sintra. You can find more info below.
Directions: How do you get to Cascais from Lisbon?
The easiest and most comfortable way to get to Cascais from Lisbon is by train. From the train station Cais do Sodre you need about 30 minutes to Cascais and the trains usually leave every 20 minutes.
Tickets cost 2.40 euros. If you have a Lisboa Card, you don’t need a ticket at all.
Alternatively, the Gray Line hop-on hop-off buses also run from Lisbon to Cascais.
Ticket for the red hop-on hop-off bus Lisbon
How do you get from Lisbon Airport to Cascais?
At Lisbon Airport, take the red metro line to Alameda station. From there, continue with the green line towards Cais do Sodré to the terminus. From Cais do Sodré, take the train to Cascais – as described in the previous section.
The most convenient, but of course the most expensive option, is a private transfer from the airport to Cascais. This way you don’t have to change trains at all, worry about tickets or stand in crowded trains.
Book a private transfer to Cascais
Getting Around: How to Get to the Cascais Attractions
Cascais is very manageable and most of the sights can be easily reached on foot.
However, there are many things to do and see around Cascais as well. For nature excursions, we recommend a rental car. This way you’re very flexible and can reach remote beaches.
Find a rental car on DiscoverCars
For a trip from Cascais to Sintra, we advise you to take the bus. The parking situation and narrow one-way streets can otherwise drive you crazy.
The bus connections are shown on Google Maps.
Day Trip from Lisbon: Cascais, Sintra and Cabo da Roca
A good option to see as much as possible in a short time is to join a guided tour from Lisbon. On these tours, you’ll not only see Cascais, but also combine your trip with a visit to the fairytale town of Sintra and its castles, as well as Cabo da Roca.
If you don’t feel like going on a group tour, there are also private tours. Although they are a little more expensive, they are particularly worth it if you are traveling with several people or as a family.
To the group tour from Lisbon to Cascais
To the private Cascais tour
Where to Stay in Cascais?
Even if most visitors only go on a day trip to Cascais, you can easily spend a few days here. Here are our tips for really nice hotels in Cascais.
Good and cheap: Legasea – a super cozy, stylish guest house with a garden and bar. Only 200 meters to the beach. There are also family rooms.
Better: Westlight Cascais – a central boutique hotel in maritime style. From the rooms with balconies or terraces you look directly onto the beach in front of the hotel.
Luxury: The Albatroz Hotel – a 5-star beach hotel with outdoor pool, panoramic restaurant and its own gourmet store. Wine lovers are in for a treat here.
Do you have more tips for things to do in Cascais?
These were our tips for what to see in Cascais. Have you been there or do you know more beautiful places to visit in Cascais? Feel free to tell us more in the comments.
Many thanks to the Cascais Tourism Board for helping us with our trip to Cascais.