If you are travelling on one of our Fatima and Lisbon Coast tours soon, here’s a simple and useful guide to what you can see and do on the Lisbon Coast.
Just a short train journey away from Portugal’s capital, the Lisbon Coast with its golden beaches and glorious sunshine has been a popular holiday destination for centuries. Royals and celebrities have holidayed and settled here in the past, particularly around Estoril and Cascais, and it still is a very popular area for those who want to city life while staying near Lisbon, enjoying the best of both worlds.
While most of us travel to the Lisbon Coast to enjoy the sunshine and relax at the beach, there is also plenty to do and see, here are some of our favourites!
BEACH LIFE
There are various sandy beaches right on the towns, such as Praia do Tamariz in Estoril and Praia da Rainha or Praia da Duquesa in Cascais. But if you’d like to experience a wilder kind of beach, you can visit nearby Praia do Guincho, very popular for surfing, kite surfing and nature lovers, as it is nestled in the Cascais-Sintra Natural Park.
COASTAL WALKS
If chilling at the beach for hours is not your thing. There are plenty of opportunities to get active.
Go for a daily walk on the promenade in Estoril or continue on the beachfront path that connects Estoril with Cascais, approximately 3kms in total. You will enjoy a wonderful stroll along the Atlantic, admiring views of the ocean, passing different sandy beaches or stopping for a coffee or a quick swim. There is even a salt-water pool, Piscina Oceanica Alberto Romano, which is warmer and less sandy!
If you would like to continue on a longer walk, there is a cycle and walking path that continues west and along the coast out of Cascais all the way to Praia do Guincho, approximately 10kms long.
UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE
The towns, particularly Cascais, ooze a distinctive charm and are home to unique architecture: side by side traditional Portuguese tiled buildings, you will find impressive palace-style hotels and mansions lining the Atlantic shore, most dating back to the 19th century, reminding us of the glamourous golden era of the Portuguese Riviera’.
CASA DAS HISTORIAS PAULA REGO MUSEUM
If you are looking for a cultural activity, the Cascais Town Museum introduces you to the history of the area but the most special museum for us is without a doubt Casa das Historias de Paula Rego.
Paula Rego was Portugal’s most internationally renowned contemporary artists and one the country’s greatest. While she was born in Lisbon, she was raised in Cascais and here not far from the Citadel you will find a striking museum dedicated to her in a building designed by Portuguese architect Eduardo Souto de Moura, handpicked by Rego herself. ‘Casa das Historias’ opened in 2009 and displays 620 of her works and some by her husband Victor Willing. It includes paintings, drawings and etchings.
DAY TRIP TO LISBON
A short train journey (30 to 40 minutes) is all it takes to travel from Cascais or Estoril to Cais do Sodré station in the heart of Lisbon city, just a few minutes away on foot from the iconic Praça do Comércio. From there, you can visit all the main attractions in the city, either on foot or taking the tram.
The train from Cascais also passes Belem, home to the famous tower and Jeronimos Monastery, as well as the tasty ‘pasteis’, so you can stop on your way into Lisbon or on your way back.
SINTRA
If you haven’t visited Sintra before, it is an absolute must when you are in the area. While there is no direct public transport, some of the Sightseeing tour buses that stop in Estoril and Cascais take you up to Sintra to admire this fairy tale village.
These are just a few suggestions but there are plenty more things to do and see on the Lisbon Coast region. We hope you find them useful for your next trip. You can find details on our upcoming pilgrimage and coast tours here: FATIMA AND LISBON COAST
Contact our pilgrimage experts for advice and to book your place today.
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