Travel Muse Magazine

I’m smitten. The azure sea, golden sands, views equal in loveliness with the the people, and incredibly easy commute to and from Lisbon all make Cascais a “must visit” in Portugal. First, let me just say, if you can spend even one night in Cascais, do it! We didn’t and I really wish we would have. We are a party of five and could not find accommodation for a triple and double room in the same hotel on any nights (and we planned three months in advance). That said, a day trip here is so easy, breezy, not to mention economical, you have to go, even if all you do when you get there is strip into your swimsuit, pile your clothes near the beach’s boulders, run into the waves, and float around in the ocean the entire day. If you wanna do more, here are five tips for a relaxing day in Cascais (pronounced like cash-KAI-shh) on the cheap (or as luxuriously as you wanna make it)…

Rent a bike

Cruising around this beach town was fun! So, I’d recommend it… with stipulations. First, don’t rent them from the city. Yes, those ones are only two euros for one hour but they’re in really poor condition. The chain on my bike broke and I had to walk it back thru town. There’s a place right in the train station that rents them for €10 per person for two hours, helmet and bike lock included. I plan on renting from them next time. They also have e-bikes if you want to take it easy. Secondly, a two hour bike ride isn’t enough time. Get a lock and helmet and take your time exploring with lots of stops. I’d suggest a half-day’s rental so you can ride and stop with no worries. There are many bike lanes to help you feel safe on the road. You can go west to Cabo do Inferno and east to Estoril, all pretty much on a path, though it disappears in the city center and you need to ride in the street or walk on the sidewalks for that section, if you stay along the waterfront, at least. Once you’re done riding (which I would advise doing first while out sightseeing in the morning and grabbing lunch while you’re out and about), return the bikes and head for the beach!

Walk (or bike) out to Cabo do Inferno

We biked from city center thru town to Boca do Inferno, at the western side of the town. There is a hill going that way (but not Lisbon big, don’t worry), but I would ride up it again! Coming down was a breeze. It’s awe-inspiring when you get to this giant hole in the cliff (whose name means “mouth of hell”) as waves crash through and the sun shines down illuminating all the blues below. I’m sure the beauty of a sea cave has caused plenty of destruction to earn the name, though (just Google some of the winter pics here). Don’t just look from the sidewalk at the top, there’s a paved path that takes you down to a lower viewing point where you can be mesmerized by the sounds of the ocean slamming into the natural rock wall. There’s also a little path behind the shell shop to a metal cross and historical plaque worth looking at with another good (and different) view of the back side of the cavern.

There are some cute and decently-priced touristy shops out there. There’s also some snack spots (like gelato) and a nice free water to spot fill up water bottles. Definitely bring a refillable bottle here (even if you don’t rent the bikes). It’s hot and there’s no shade. I didn’t look at the menu, but it would have been fun to bike out to eat at the restaurant on the cliff’s edge there. There’s a really nice walking and biking path from the bridge in town all the way out here and beyond. (Check out the video at the end of this post for a look at the ride back into the city center from here). I say ‘all the way,’ but it’s about a 15 minute walk from the lighthouse to this must-visit site. And after a day on Lisbon’s hills, this one feels like nothing.

Go to the Beach, Beach

My favorite beach here was Praia da Ribeira de Cascais. It’s connected to two other good ones – Praia da Rainha (which you can overlook from the street above) and Praia da Duquesa. You can swim or walk in the water between all three of these beaches, which is what we did. It’s shallow enough to put your backpack on and trapse around the rocks jutting out above. Definitely check the tide situation before you head in without a waterproof backpack, but the water came up to about my waist at the deepest point when we were there. There are all sorts of little coves and nooks in the rocks to watch sea anemones, shrimps and crabs, which is delightful for little kids, along with myself and my teenage kids! There is a lovely rinse off station with a few free feet and body showers at Praia da Ribeira. Just east of Duquesa is Piscina Oceânica Alberto Romano, a “swimming pool” that is filled by the ocean water, which makes for a safe kid-friendly swimming cove.