Cascais is one of the most important holiday resorts of the Atlantic coast of Portugal. The historic old town at the foot of the monumental citadel blends seamlessly with modern recreational buildings, and the area is full of sandy beaches.
Until the 19th century, Cascais was only one of the many fishing villages located several dozen kilometers from the capital of the country, Lisbon. Everything changed when the royal family chose the village as their summer vacation destination. Following her, representatives of the aristocracy and the richest inhabitants of the capital came to Cascais, building their villas and financing the construction of high-standard boarding houses.
Although some time has passed since the time when the city hosted only holidaymakers from the highest society, it still retained the character of an exclusive resort. The center is a picturesque old town with the main pedestrian street on Frederico Arouca Street, the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and the town hall.
An important monument of the village is located in the vicinity of the Cascais Citadel, surrounded by the Marechal Cremona Park and decorated with blue azulejos, the palace of the tobacco merchant Jorge O'Neill from the beginning of the 20th century. It now houses the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum.
The biggest attractions of Cascais are related to the recreational nature of the town. There are several beautiful, sandy beaches with varying degrees of development. Some offer sunbeds, umbrellas and dining facilities, others remain wild. The most famous are the Fishermen's Beach, Conceição Beach, Cresmina Beach, Praia da Rainha, Duquesa Beach and the Grande Guincho Beach, appreciated by surfing enthusiasts.
The social life of the resort is centered on the Passeio de Dom Luís I promenade and in the vicinity of Marina Cascais. A popular place for walks is the Visconde da Luz Park, the Cresmina Dune, the most famous landscape attraction, located about 2 km from the center of the village, a rock formation and collapsed sea cave, Boca do Inferno.
