Car Hire Cascais - Mini guide to Cascais
The resort town and fishing village of Cascais, located on Portugal’s western coast, attracts swarms of visitors to its beaches, entertainment venues and fine restaurants. However, despite its popularity, the city still retains a quaint feel.
The most important sights in Cascais are the three lovely sandy beaches, which are especially pleasant since the sea was cleaned up in the late 1990s. You can watch bullfights at the Monumental de Cascais or head to the sprawling Parque do Marechal Carmona, where people relax in the extensive grounds, boat on the lake or visit the small zoo.
To see a different side of Cascais, take a walk through the old town and visit the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, which includes 18th century murals and a beautiful 16th century altar. There are also a couple of museums worth seeing, including: the Museum of the Sea, which details the town’s seafaring history; and Museo de Conde de Castro Guimaraes, which recreates rich 18th and 19th century life.
Shopping options range from the designer stalls of Shopping Cascais to the markets which surround the Praca de Touros. Nightlife varies from the refined and sedate to throbbing discos; while restaurants serve up some of the best seafood on Portugal’s coast.
The most popular excursion outside Cascais is to Boca do Inferno (Mouth of Hell). Thundering waves sweep in with such power that they've carved a wide hole, resembling a mouth, into the cliffs. The Mouth of Hell can be an atmospheric windswept roar if you avoid the many trashy stalls and souvenir sellers. Take the highway towards Guincho and then turn left towards the sea to get there.
By car from Estoril, continue west along route 6 for 6.5kms to reach Cascais. Trains arrive here from Lisbon every 20 minutes from 05:30 to 01:30. Buses from Lisbon are impractical, considering the low cost and convenience of the frequent trains. However, if you're coming to Cascais from Sintra, the bus is your best bet; about a dozen buses a day make the one-hour run.
