A day trip to Cascais; a 1-day itinerary and tour
Cascais is the finest resort town of the Lisbon coastline, and is a highly recommended day trip from Lisbon. Within Cascais are grand mansions, fascinating museums and attractive parks, while the surrounding coastline offers beautiful beaches.
Historically, Cascais was a minor fishing port, but this all changed in 1870, when King Luís I decreed that the town would be the summer residence of the Portuguese nobility. This influx of the nobility’s entourage and the elite of Europe transformed Cascais into a sophisticated and refined destination, filled with grand villas and lavish venues.
Today, Cascais is a charming town, which elegantly blends the fishing heritage, the 19th-century grandeur, and the expectations of modern tourism.
Cascais is a popular holiday destination, but is equally suited for a day trip, with sufficient sights and activities to easily fill a day of sightseeing. This article will provide a guide to day trip to Cascais, including a suggested tour, travel information and an interactive map.
Related articles: Cascais introduction – Cascais beaches – Day trips from Cascais
Highlights of a day trip to Cascais
The majestic Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães
The Boca do Inferno sea arch and cliff formations
(The above image are the cliffs during a winter storm)
The delightful Praia da Rainha, the secluded beach frequented by queens
The pretty coastal promenade from Cascais to Estoril
Cascais as a day trip
Cascais is a hassle-free day trip, which is suitable for all ages. There is a direct and inexpensive train connecting Lisbon to Cascais, and the train station is in the centre of the town.
All of the main tourist attractions can be easily walked to, and as it is a buzzing resort town there are plenty of restaurants and cafes. Unlike Lisbon and Sintra there are no steep hills in Cascais.
The Praça 5 de Outubro is the heart of Cascais
Cascais and Sintra?
Sintra is the other popular day trip within the Lisbon region and boasts whimsical palaces and opulent villas, all set within the stunning scenery of the Serra de Sintra hills. Sintra is the better day trip than Cascais, but the popularity of Sintra means that it frequently suffers from over-tourism, and much of the day will be wasted stood in queues.
Trying to combine both Sintra and Cascais in one day is just too much. Finding carparking in Sintra is a nightmare (as with Cascais in the summer), and if trying to visit both towns using public transport, a large portion of the day will be spent waiting for trains or buses.
The Gothic Palácio Nacional de Sintra
There are many organised tours which combine the two towns, and these are good if you are limited by time, but if you are visiting independently, our recommendation is to plan one day for Cascais and one (or even two) days for Sintra.
Related articles: Sintra guide – A day trip to Sintra
An organised tour is the best way to see both Sintra and Cascais, if you only have a short amount of time within the Lisbon region. We have worked with GetyourGuide.com for the previous 6 years, and some of their best tours of Cascais and Sintra include:
Lisbon to Cascais
The train is the recommended means of travel from Lisbon to Cascais. The train departs Lisbon from the Cais do Sodré train station (green metro line) and the 40-minute journey to Cascais is very scenic as it follows the Estoril coastline. A train ticket costs €2.25/€1.15 (adult/child)
Related articles: Lisbon to Cascais
The urban train from Lisbon to Cascais
A suggested 1-day tour of Cascais
The following section is a suggest 1-day itinerary for a day trip to Cascais, and the route can be seen on the interactive map below:
The tour begins at the railway station (1). The first sight is the pretty Praia da Rainha beach (2), and this secluded location was a favourite with Queen Amélia.
From the beach wander down the bustling shopping street of Rua Frederico Arouca (3), and this leads into the historic centre of Cascais. The Cidade Velha is filled with grand 19th-century buildings, such as the Palácio Seixas (4), and this overlooks the popular Praia da Ribeira beach (5).
The Praça 5 de Outubro (6) is the main plaza of Cascais and found here is the town hall and a statue of King Pedro I. To the rear of the plaza are numerous shops and restaurants if you are seeking refreshments or food.
The Praia da Ribeira beach
The tour continues by wandering past the fishing harbour to the Fortress Nossa Senhora da Luz de Cascais (7). This heavily fortified fort has been transformed into an upmarket artisan centre.
Walking the perimeter of the fort's walls passes the colourful Centro Cultural de Cascais (8 - €5 admission) and ends at the exclusive Cascais marina complex (9).
The Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães (10 - €4 admission) is the most elegant building in Cascais, and behind the 19th-century villa is the Parque Marechal Carmona (11), with its duck lakes and gardens. The Casa de Santa Maria (12) is another grand villa, which sits next to the blue and white Santa Marta lighthouse (13) and both sights can be visited using the same ticket (€5)
The Casa de Santa Maria and lighthouse
Inside the Fortress Nossa Senhora da Luz de Cascais
The next section follows the coastal road for 800m to the Boca do Inferno (14), a sea arch and collapsed cave onto which powerful Atlantic waves crash.
The Casa das Histórias Paula Rego (15 - €5 admission), displays the powerful artwork of Paula Rego. Next door is the Sea Museum (16 - €3 admission) detailing the fishing heritage of Cascais.
The walk back into the town centre passes the Igreja da Assunção (17) and the neoclassical Casa Sommer.
The centre of Cascais is a convenient location for lunch, and with many food options along the Rua Visconde da Luz (18) or near the Jardim Visconde da Luz park.
There’s plenty of lunch options in Cascais
For the later part of the day it is suggested to walk the scenic coastal promenade from Cascais to Estoril. This is around 2km, and ends close to Estoril train station where the train can be caught back to Lisbon or Cascais
The promenade first passes the two busiest beaches of the Cascais region, the Praia da Conceição (19) and Praia da Duquesa (20), and in the summer these will be crowded with tourists. Standing on the headland is mock-gothic Palácio dos Duques de Palmela (21). Beyond the headland is the Piscina Oceânica Alberto Romano (22), a seawater swimming pool.
The promenade ends at the Forte da Cruz and the Praia do Tamariz beach (23) in Estoril. Estoril has a high-class reputation and is famed for the Estoril Casino (24), the largest of the Iberian Peninsula.
The tour concludes at Estoril train station (25).
The beach promenade as it pass the Praia das Moitas beach
The sea pool Alberto Romano
If you have a car
There is no need for a rental car for a day trip to Cascais but with one the following sights could be added:
• The stalls and markets of the Casa da Guia (GPS: 38.69541, -9.44319)
• Forte de São Jorge de Oitavos (GPS: 38.69952, -9.46817)
• The stunning scenery of Guincho beach (GPS: 38.7313, -9.47215)
• Cabo da Roca, the western most point of main land Europe (GPS: 38.77913, -9.50031)
• Santuário da Peninha, from this little ruined chapel are amazing panoramic views (GPS 38.76826, -9.46032)
Note: There is very limited car parking in Cascais, especially in the summer; we never recommend driving to Cascais for a day trip.
The colourful Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães
The Cidadela Art District is within the fort
Cascais activities
Cabo da Roca – The Cabo da Roca is a headland of huge cliffs and powerful seas, which is the westernmost point of mainland Europe. The 403 bus service connects Cascais to Cabo da Roca, and this bus departs from the bus station at the Cascais Villa Shopping Center. Cabo da Roca is a romantic destination to watch the sunset, but unfortunately, a car is needed as there are no suitable bus connections.
Related article: The Cabo da Roca
The towering cliffs and jagged coastline at Cabo da Roca
Cycle to Guincho - One of the best activities of Cascais is to cycle along the to the Grande do Guincho. This routes of around 10km (each way) follows a purpose-built cycle path and skirts the craggy cliffs of the coastline. This is a very scenic cycle path and passes the Casa da Guia, a great place for a refreshment break. Bikes can be hired for €15 per day.
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