Exploring Portugal, Cascais and Sintra

Over the next couple of days we spent our time exploring towns and sites further afield of downtown Lisbon, yet easily accessible by car or train.

Charming Cascais

Further west of Lisbon, along the coast, sits the delightful Portuguese fishing town of Cascais. A nice diversion from the busy city and easy to get to, a visit to this town is a joy and became one of my favorite places in Portugal.

Once again we boarded the same coastal train, leaving from the Cais do Sodré train station, that took us to Belém. This time we stayed on the train until we reached the last stop.

Cascais is one of Lisbon’s most popular holiday destinations. The town is situated right on Portugal's beautiful coastline and during the summer it is a bustling resort. Off season it is a lovely place to while away the day.

Marechal Carmona Park

Historically Cascais was a minor fishing village, until King Luís I choose it as his royal summer retreat. Portuguese high society followed the king’s example and built their own lavish villas and exquisite gardens. Today, Cascais is a fusion of decorative 19th-century architecture, traditional Portuguese charm and enjoyable tourist attractions.

Delightful Park Sculpture

The shop-lined streets are pleasant to browse and the Marechal Carmona Park is a dreamy oasis where chickens and roosters strut their stuff right along with you. We spent a long time roaming the park and enjoying its ponds, fountains and whimsical sculptures.

Museo do Mar (Museum of the Sea)

Across from the park sits a small maritime museum called the Museo do Mar (Museum of the Sea). We were surprised by how much we enjoyed this little museum. It shows the history of the town through its relationship to the sea. Filled with many interesting artifacts and beautiful model boats, I think anyone, both young and old, would enjoy a stop here. (The museum is open every day from 10:00am to 6:00pm. The cost is extremely reasonable, 3 Euros, half price for students and those over 65, free for kids under age 12.)

Cascais Beach & Path

Cascais doesn’t lack for good places to dine. We enjoyed a very nice lunch near the water at Hifen, a restaurant serving a wide variety of tasty tapas-like dishes. Seated at a large communal table, it was interesting to see what the locals were having for their lunch. We choose to share three small plates including two tempura dishes, all very good.

But the jewel of the town is its beach and accompanying coastal path that seems to go on forever. We enjoyed walking from Cascais to the town of Estoral where we caught the train back to Lisbon. Other than a casino, there isn’t much to do in Estoril, but it is definitely worth the beautiful walk.

I loved this town so much I returned a second time by myself while my husband attended his conference.

Pena Palace

Another easy day trip is to the town of Sintra. It is easy to get to by way of train from the Rossio Train Station. Visiting Sintra is like visiting Disneyland, just as fanciful and just as crowded.

There are a number of sites to enjoy while in town. When we visited, we concentrated on the Pena Palace. Built in the 19th century by German-born Prince Ferdinand, the palace is a jumble of many styles and colors. It is a fairytale kind of place, not in the same caliber as other well-known castles of Europe.

Palace Kitchen

The playful palace is more impressive on the outside than inside, although there are some pretty features in the rooms including some nice decorative ceilings, chandeliers and fireplaces. As someone who likes to cook, my favorite part of the interior was the massive kitchen. 

The surrounding park is beautiful as are the views. We didn't try, but it is possible to hike to the Moorish castle ruins or down to town through the woods.

View of Moorish Castle Ruins from the Pena Palace

For me, the crowds and hassle of getting up there and getting inside somewhat overshadowed the enjoyment. Standing in long lines shuffling from room to room is not my idea of a good time. We took an Uber there and back which saved us from waiting for the over packed buses.

Be prepared to stay longer than should be necessary because of the vast number of people. We went during the week toward the end of October and still hit big crowds, so it would be advisable to avoid weekends and high season.

Sintra

Lined with shops and restaurants, the town itself is hilly and attractive, but it is also very crowded, touristy and is a difficult place to drive. 

For a tasty treat, drop in one of the two Piriquita pastry shops. Founded in 1862, the original shop baked pastries for Lisbon’s royalty. They now serve up delicious travesseiros (pillows with almond cream) and queijadas (mini sweet fresh cheese pies wrapped in a crispy crust) and all kinds of other goodies to us lucky commoners.

There was a lot more to see, but we decided to save it for another trip. We enjoyed a late relaxing lunch, roamed the town's busy streets, and headed back to plan the next day's trip to Coimbra.