Hello everyone. I would like to share my four-part Portugal trip with you soon. We started our vacation in the city of Cascais and later, I will also tell you about Sintra, Lisbon and Porto.
We arrived at Lisbon Airport and stepped outside to get a taxi. By the way, Uber and Bolt services are available here. We chose Bolt because it was more affordable and we set off for our final destination, Cascais. The distance between Lisbon and Cascais is 33 km and the journey was quite easy. When we arrived in the city, we immediately checked into our hotel. The hotel lobby was spacious and comfortable, while our room was quite small. However, it was sufficient for two people and seemed clean at first glance. The location of the hotel was perfect! It was right in the center, close to everything, a great advantage.
Then we started exploring Cascais. The jacaranda trees were in full bloom, offering a stunning view with their purple flowers. Since our hotel was in the city center, finding a place to eat was not difficult at all. The hotel didn’t have its own restaurant and only offered breakfast, so we picked a restaurant that caught our eye. I immediately ordered green wine because it’s a specialty of Portugal and a must-try! Of course, we also ordered seafood. Portugal is famous for its seafood, so our first choice was octopus.
After the meal we continued exploring the city. We wandered through narrow streets, observing people.it was quite crowded in the evening. We came across an interesting building entrance. One of my main reasons for coming to Portugal was to see as many azulejos (Portuguese ceramic tiles) as possible. I absolutely love them! I will share more about azulejos in future posts. We also entered a souvenir shop and my eyes were drawn to everything!
If you have been to Portugal before, this might bring back nostalgic memories for you. If you have never been and want to get to know Cascais, welcome! Let’s explore together.
Our morning plans included visiting the market, stopping by a store and a shopping mall, enjoying the ocean view and discovering the city.
The Portuguese don’t seem very accustomed to this kind of weather. For us, it was quite warm. When we arrived, we noticed that the temperature wasn’t much different from home. It was around 18 degrees here as well. But in Portugal, people were wearing leather jackets and coats, while we walked around in light clothing.
We arrived at the market, Mercado. It looked like we had stumbled upon an event by chance. I don’t know much Portuguese, but something was definitely happening here. However, we came mainly to buy fruit. I had seen this market in videos about Cascais. It was usually very crowded. But since we arrived early, we avoided the crowds, which I prefer. The market had a main building and different areas where various products were being sold.
There are many delicious foods in Portugal and one of the must-buy items is definitely cheese. There are many varieties available here, with prices starting at around 21 euros. I’m not sure if it can be carried in hand luggage, but it should be fine if packed in a suitcase.
The market also had fresh vegetables and fruits.I could smell them from a distance. Portugal is also famous for its seafood and fresh fish. Since the Atlantic Ocean is right here, all the seafood is incredibly fresh. Fishermen go out to sea in the morning, bring back their catch and by lunchtime, it's served fresh. That makes this an excellent place to try seafood!
We wandered around the old town area. I wanted to explore without any particular plan, just to feel the city. As I walked through the streets, the colorful alleys of Portugal mesmerized me. When you live in certain countries for a long time, you get used to gray, rainy weather, but seeing such vibrant places was like an eye-opener! Traveling to a warm country in the summer or spring is a delight.
Then, we arrived at the central square.
Here, we found the town hall and once again, its façade was decorated with azulejo ceramics! These are Portugal’s famous ceramic ornaments and I absolutely love them. Walking through the city and discovering buildings covered in azulejos feels like a game to me.
Later we reached the coastline. Here, fishermen bring in the fish they caught in the morning, giving us the chance to enjoy them fresh. A bit further down, there is a public beach. It’s not very crowded right now, but it’s sure to be packed in the summer. The temperature was around 20°C, though the sea might be a bit colder. It’s not as cold as the open ocean because this area is a bay. The coastline is beautiful, with sandy beaches that are perfect for children.
That’s how we wrapped up our day. It was the third day of our Portugal trip and we arrived in Sintra. This is a very special city because, despite being so close to Cascais and Lisbon, it has a completely different climate. That’s why Portuguese kings loved this place and built many palaces here. We visited one of them.
In the mornings it’s quite chilly here. Even though the sun is shining, the wind is cold. There isn’t much to do on the oceanfront early in the morning because of the cool weather. However, in the afternoon, it warms up and becomes quite hot. That’s just the kind of climate it has!
The next day, we visited the city museum, located in the main square of Cascais. The museum is divided into five different thematic sections, each narrating the history of Cascais. It showcases how the region evolved from a simple fishing village into a modern city.
Since we both love music, the most interesting part for us was a stand where we could tune in like a radio and listen to famous Portuguese songs from different years.
One of the most intriguing things in the museum was a hidden room at the very end. It provided information about the modern development of Cascais, in both Portuguese and English. There was a sign at the entrance that said, “If you have claustrophobia, do not enter,” but honestly, there was nothing to be afraid of. It was actually quite fascinating.
After that we went to a park, but the weather started to change. As we walked, I saw a monument. At first, I couldn’t recognize it from a distance, but upon closer look, it was clear that it was a statue of Pope John Paul II. Since I don’t fully understand Portuguese and the translation wasn’t perfect, I assume it was erected to commemorate his visit to Portugal.
Another must-see place was a park very close to the city center. We were quite surprised when we arrived. It was incredibly green and beautiful! There were separate playgrounds for younger and older children. The park was also home to many birds:pigeons, peacocks, ducks, roosters and chickens, all roaming freely.
And the park had a small resting area decorated with traditional blue-and-white azulejo ceramics, as well as a fitness area for adults. If you visit, I definitely recommend stopping by. It’s also a great spot to escape the heat.
We experienced Portugal’s unpredictable weather not only in Sintra but also in Cascais. Today, I had to grab a towel because while my son was playing, I started feeling quite cold sitting down. Walking under the sun is fine, but sitting in the shade can get chilly.
In the afternoon, we went into the ocean. By went in, I don’t mean full-on swimming, but rather dipping our feet in the water, because the Atlantic Ocean is cold. Cascais is in a bay, so it doesn’t face the open ocean directly, but the water is still quite cool.
Since coming to Portugal, I had planned to try seafood and I stuck to my plan. The seafood here is fresh and of high quality. Normally, I enjoy eating meat, but I didn’t crave it at all here. Instead, I was excited to taste the seafood.
Later, we headed to the beach and ended our day there.
On our fifth day, we decided to visit Estoril, a nearby town. It’s like a suburb of Cascais. Estoril is known as a luxurious holiday destination, where royal families and celebrities have vacationed. Some of Portugal’s most expensive homes are located here.
We decided to stop by a café because the coffee at our hotel was really undrinkable. I can drink almost any type of coffee, but I just couldn’t manage the one at the hotel. So, we found a café with good reviews. Since it was still morning, it wasn’t too crowded.
We tried the famous Pastel de Nata, one of Portugal’s most beloved desserts. I will share its detailed story in my Lisbon post, but for now, we simply enjoyed its taste.
Uber and Bolt are quite common in Estoril, just like in Cascais. Bolt is slightly cheaper. We took a Bolt from Cascais to Estoril for €3.50 and the ride took about 10 km.
Estoril is home to Casino Estoril, which is said to be Europe’s largest casino, at least that’s what it says online and on Wikipedia.
The climate here is amazing. Thanks to the pine and eucalyptus trees, the air smells wonderful. When combined with the ocean breeze, it’s refreshing to breathe.
This isn’t a place filled with historical buildings. Instead it stands out with its nature, seaside views and luxury villas. I can totally understand why people choose to live here. It has a beautiful atmosphere.
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