Currency’s on-trend guide to visiting … Cascais

Graffitied and gritty as they are, there comes a moment when Lisbon’s hilly streets will wear down even the most ardent of holidaymakers, especially in the city’s summer heat. It’s then that we lean in and whisper Cascais in your ear. Virtually on Lisbon’s doorstep (it’s a mere 40 minutes by train or car), the coastal town offers visitors much that the big city doesn’t – while still capitalising on Portuguese charm.

For one, its town centre is level and sufficiently small to cross on foot. And, whereas Lisbon is defined by its urban fervour and metallic clang (yes, those tourist-filled trams), Cascais instead offers tranquil parks and the song of seagulls. Best of all, it’s serving riviera vibes – and our gratitude for this goes to King Carlos, who in the 19^th century made Cascais’ beaches his hotspot, forever cementing their popularity.

Stay

Today’s Cascais hotspots don’t get much hotter than Artsy Cascais, a compact boutique hotel that’s equal parts historic and contemporary. Once the home of a member of King Carlos’s royal court, the ornate Rococo building houses only two-thirds of the hotel. The remaining third takes the shape of a new build cloaked in a stone façade – by renowned Portuguese artist Vhils – through which guests glimpse peekaboo views of an adjacent park.

There’s more local art inside (as well as at the nearby Cascais Cultural Centre), including a contemporary take on The Last Supper in Art Restaurant, with its mirror-clad ceiling.

Visiting in warm weather? You’ll want to spend time on the intimate roof terrace, complete with loungers and plunge pool.

Eat

While Izakaya, local chef Tiago Penão’s Portuguese take on a Japanese tavern, is cosy in size (it seats fewer than 20 diners), in every other respect it’s a bold celebration of regional – and traditional Japanese – cuisine. Red neon lighting and green shelving set the tone, with walls – and increasingly the ceiling – plastered with polaroids of replete diners. It’s a fun space made all the more enjoyable by paging through what must surely be Portugal’s only anime-inspired menu.

Kickstart your meal with a Ringo Tsurai or Mame Sour cocktail, and allow sous chefs Manuel dos Santos and Kardelen Çelik to make your dining decisions for you – but be sure to insist on the Kani Onigiri (crab), and the Ringo no Chokoreto (apple tart with miso caramel).

Drink

There is no shortage of memorable cocktails to be found in lively bars around Cascais. Save those for nightfall, for a true gem of another kind can be found on the town’s shoreline – a high tea experience that pairs luxe patisserie with ocean views worth killing for.

Spend late afternoon enjoying afternoon tea at the Albatroz Hotel, the historic grande dame of Cascais, and legendary on the scene since the 1960s. Decorated by the matriarch of Portuguese interior design, Graça Viterbo, the nautical-inspired bar (with sweeping views of Cascais Bay and Conceição Beach) makes the perfect spot to enjoy your choice of cuppa. We’ll put money on your lingering for a cocktail at the hotel’s clifftop terrace.

Shop

Cascais’s most on-trend shopping celebrates the artisanal and couldn’t be easier to find. Inspired by the Embaixada concept store in Lisbon’s Principe Real neighbourhood, Cascais’ former town hall was in 2023 reimagined as a series of interleading retail spaces.

Renamed O Relógio – Slow Retail, the charming building is home to a handful of local brands, a welcome change from the traditional souvenir stores lining the nearby Rua Frederico Arouca. Our pick of the lot includes refined womenswear label Papua, men’s leather accessories from A Indústria, and the boho aesthetics of homeware brand Saints at Sea.

For bored husbands, there are bars with outdoor terraces steps away, as well as an interactive experience at the (complimentary) Museu da Vila.

Invicta, nearby, is also worth a visit – alongside a small selection of tableware, basket ware and candles, it sells beautifully crafted womenswear heavy on print and pattern.

Explore

From hiking to golfing, beaching, surfing, day tripping and more, there’s an outdoor activity guaranteed to lure even the fussiest of explorers out into the Cascais sun.

When it comes to Cascais’ cultural scene, given the town’s size, there is equally no shortage of impressive museums worthy of your time. Explore Cascais’ Museum Quarter by purchasing a one- or three-day all-access ticket that guarantees entry to 10 museums.

And if time’s not on your side, make a beeline for Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, Pritzker Architecture Prize winner Eduardo Souto de Moura’s iconic museum that celebrates the legacy of Rego – one of Portugal’s best-known artists.

Head’s up: the museum’s gift shop stocks little beyond books, so if it’s an artwork you’d like to take home, then pre-book a visit to local ceramicist Anna Westerlund’s studio. The artist’s passion for pattern and her love of fashion-inspired adornment combine in collections of bowls, boxes and other decorative pieces that make ultra-stylish Cascais souvenirs.

_{Images: Visit Cascais and supplied.}