Well, you read all about our incredible adventures in Cascais through a summary of our time there, but what about the details? How did we get to and from Lisbon? What modes of transportation did we use to get around Cascais? And how the heck did we make those dinner reservations? Well, we are here to help with that. Follow along in the sections below to answer all these questions!
Transportation
Looking to get to and from the Lisbon airport using public transport? Not a problem! Follow the steps below for easy travel:
From the Lisbon Airport to Cascais, you will need to purchase two tickets. Using the first ticket, take the Metro Red Line to the Alameda stop. Here, switch over to the Green Line and take it to the Cais do Sodre stop. A map of the Metro lines can be found here.
Once at Cais do Sodre, purchase a second ticket for the Linha de Cascais which will take you all the way to the center of the town.
Want to visit one of the many beaches that Cascais has to offer? There are a couple of ways to get from place to place:
Bike rental- The service we used, and would recommend, was called Portugal Rent Bike located at Rua da Palmeira 39, 2750-459. It was €10 for an entire day; the bikes were pretty good and the person that helped us out was very friendly.
Uber- This ride service is available in Portugal. If you don't have the Uber App, I suggest downloading it before traveling here. We found it to be very useful throughout our entire vacation.
AirBnb Stay
Want a beautiful little AirBnb built for two? Check out Gonçalo and Gizela's Historical Cascais Apartment. We absolutely loved this place! The inside was so cute: the decor was fantastic and the space was very clean. We were walking distance to everything in the town, and the apartment was tucked away in some of the most incredible winding alleyways. We were checked in by Gonçalo, who was wonderful and gave us a great run-through of the apartment. Both hosts were incredibly responsive any time we needed anything. Please check this place out if you are visiting Cascais!
Food & Drink
Wow. wow, wow, wow. You can't really go wrong with food & drink in Cascais. Check out the restaurants we visited (and recommend!), during our trip here:
Polvo Vadio: I had heard about this restaurant before coming to Portugal. Because of its small size and delicious food, I made sure to book ourselves a reservation prior to our visit to ensure we had a chance to eat here (reserve on theFork). If you want to try octopus, this is the place. Although I don't think I will eat it again, it was very tasty and I am glad we gave it a go. The space is small and intimate, and the servers are very nice.
La Bodeguita: We visited this little bar at least once a day while we were here. The staff is awesome, and the drinks are fantastic. You really can't go wrong grabbing a cocktail here. I recommend their pink Gin & Tonic... and I don't even like Gin & Tonics!
Fora de Pe: Another restaurant I had heard about prior to visiting Cascais. I had forgotten about it until we were walking the cobbled streets one day and passed by it. Excitedly we walked inside and asked if we could make a reservation. The person who helped us was super friendly, and ended up being our server the next night! We had the most amazing dinner by giant windows that opened to an outdoor patio. Tip: try the Monk fish. I was blown away by how delicious it was. Just don't google it until after you taste it.
Chez ma Pomme: This little gem was a spot we found our second day in Cascais. Walking through the streets, we happened to look up and saw a couple of tables set out on a intimate patio that overlooked the street below. The space alone drew me to this French bistro, but the food was wonderful too. We tried galettes for the first time, and drank coffee and fresh juice while watching passerby's below.
Kech: Was another restaurant we happened to be passing by that we decided to stop inside and make reservations. The interior was cute and the Moroccan food was tasty- I recommend the fried sardines! It was definitely worth stopping here to eat.
Santini: This ice cream chain was not just in Cascais, but everywhere in Portugal. If you like sweet treats- we do- then it is a good place to get your fix.
Attractions
Cascais is quaint and filled with low-key adventures that you can relax and take in the amazing scenery.
Walk the winding alleyways: Cascais is filled with cobbled streets that wind in and out of the quaint buildings. There were so many times we found little murals or restaurants hiding around a small corner just by walking around the town. Take time to enjoy the beauty that the alleyways have to offer.
Visit the lighthouse and other sea-side structures: On the southeast side of the main part of town you will find the Santa Marta lighthouse. It is small, but picturesque and the walk to the lighthouse was very pleasant. We passed Praia dos Pescadores, Marina de Cascais, Museu Condes de Castro Guimarães, and more. Although we didn't go into any of the buildings, we still enjoyed looking at them from outside (and it saved us some money).
Go to the beach: Cascais is full of beaches. Praia dos Pescadores and Praia da Rainha are located right in town, but we decided to skip both of these beaches. Instead, we rode our bikes five miles out to Praia Grande do Guincho, a large beach just south of Cabo da Roca (the most western point of mainland Europe). The wind is fierce at this beach, but if you can get past that then you will have a great time. And the bike ride was an added bonus, giving us the ability to see neighboring towns we may have otherwise missed!
Visit Boca do Inferno: On the way back from Guincho we passed Boca do Inferno, a famous rock structure just outside of Cascais. Although not as big as I thought it was going to be, it was still a fun and unique place to visit- and there were some nice outdoor tables to stop and have a beer at! We would recommend this to anyone wanting a nice view of the cliff side overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.
Shop the little stores: We aren't huge shoppers, but we do enjoy purchasing little things to take home that remind us of our travels. Cascais was a great spot for this. From beach blankets to sunglasses, cork trinkets to tile knick-knacks, we found all sorts of things that reminded of this place. We definitely have a handful of things that will keep our memories of Portugal alive!
Cascais was a perfect place to start our Portuguese vacation. Although we saw and did a lot of fantastic things, I know there are areas we also missed. Have you been here? What were your favorite spots? We would love to hear from you in the comment box below!
I do ask that this stays a positive and safe space for readers, so please, no hurtful language or remarks about other's experiences. Thank you.
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