Cascais, once a sleepy fishing village now awoken to host past Portuguese kings, sun loving holiday-makers and of course our own, wave seeking surf folk. But we can’t spend all of our time in the sea chasing swells (as much as we may all want to). So with the center of Cascais only 5 minutes by car away from our new surf villa we’ve decided to put together a list of some of our favorite spots in the Cascais area. There are some of our favorite places that we recommend going to check out, enjoy and grab that perfect photo.
#1 Relax at the Santa Marta Lighthouse
Located just to the edge of Cascais’ old town, and still just about a 5 minute walk from the center. This beautiful building perches over a small beach beside the charming lighthouse. When it’s time relax and enjoy Cascais after surfing, this can be a great place to com. On low tide, the beach lengthens itself allowing you to find the perfect place to rest and enjoy the movie-scene like backdrop.
#2 Witness the Amazing Boca do Inferno
Boca do Inferno is a very unique rock formation that can be both beautiful and awe-inspiring to witness. While in the summer these waves merely splash around in the open cave, during winter storms the full force of the ocean is funneled into the chasm and creates a spectacular scenario. Hence it’s name in English: “Hell’s Mouth”. However, during the summer the amazing coastline is still a beautiful sight at Boca do Inferno and can be a wonderful place to catch a sunset.
#3 Eat an Acai at Casa da Guia
A little further along the same route as Boca do Inferno you will arrive at a very scenic Portuguese house and park at Casa da Guia. Both this place and the scenic walk\cycle along the coastline are perfect ways to spend some free time in Cascais. Also sold here is one of Cascais’ best Açai bowls, which a deliciously healthy, frozen fruit bowl made with honey or condensed milk originating from Brazil. Making Guia the perfect place to go for that picture-perfect sunset.
#4 Dinner and Rooftop Sunset at the House of Wonders
Cascais is filled with amazing restaurants and eateries but it’s difficult to find one both as delicious and as comfortable as the House of Wonders. The House of Wonders is a stylish vegetarian café and Mezze restaurant located in the heart of Cascais. Serving both unique and incredibly tasty food, the restaurant is also very charmingly decorated and boasts a beautiful rooftop bar perfect for a sunset drink with dinner while overlooking the gorgeous Cascais Rooftops.
#5 Explore the Pretty Old Historic Center of Cascais
Alleyways. Everybody loves a cute alleyway photo. And we all know why. There is few better ways to spend your time between surfs than by wondering the beautiful old, narrow streets of Cascais’ historic center. The area is quite small in size, making the walk not too intense of a workout post surfing while the streets themselves create a classic, antique atmosphere within. These streets are the perfect way to add some classic Portuguese heritage to your Instagram homepag.
Of course, these are just a small number of the many ways to enjoy your time around Cascais. However the possibilities are endless and we are always more than happy to recommend many, many more great activites ;) Come, pay us a visit and find out for yourself.
You can find out more information about our surf camp and lessons here or if you have any queries, feel free to e-mail us at info@surfcascais.com.