The red roofs of Cascais at dusk, the bay and marina beyond
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Luxury in Portugal

Cascais

The royal seaside of Portugal: the old fishing town of Cascais, the Belle Époque villas of Estoril, the wild beach of Guincho and the golf of the Sintra hills.

Cascais at duskPhotograph: Matej Simko

Bem-vindo

The seaside of kings

In 1870 King Luís I chose the fortress at Cascais as his summer residence, and the court followed him to the sea. Cascais and Estoril became the Portuguese riviera, lined with villas and gardens.

During and after the Second World War neutral Portugal sheltered exiled kings and queens from across Europe on this coast, among them the royal families of Spain, Italy and Bulgaria, and Estoril’s casino and hotels were a famous meeting place of spies and diplomats.

Today Cascais keeps its fishing harbour and old town beside the marina, while to the west the Atlantic beach of Guincho and Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe, lie below the hills of Sintra.

A few words of Portuguese
EnglishPortugueseSay it
HelloOláoh-LAH
PleasePor favorpoor fah-VOR
Thank youObrigado (said by a man) / Obrigada (said by a woman)oh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah
Good eveningBoa noite (from early evening; boa tarde earlier)BOH-ah NOYT
The bill, pleaseA conta, por favorah KOHN-tah, poor fah-VOR

Stay

Luxury hotels in Cascais

The finest hotels in and around Cascais: each rated Forbes Five-Star, holding two or three MICHELIN Keys, or among the 25 Finest Resorts of the Mediterranean.

The finest hotels

Each rated Forbes Five-Star or holding two or three MICHELIN Keys.

  • Penha Longa ResortSintra

    An estate built around a 14th-century monastery, the only hotel inside the Sintra-Cascais nature park, with its own golf courses; one of Portugal's two three-Key hotels, with Vila Vita Parc (on the 25 Finest Resorts). Visit website ↗

Dine

Dining in Cascais

The private chefs and caterers.

Private chefs and catering

For a villa, a yacht or a wedding.

  • Casa do MarquêsLisbon and Cascais

    A Lisbon catering and events house working since 1989, which stages weddings, private evenings and corporate events at venues across Lisbon, Cascais and Guincho, among them the Casino Estoril and the Estufa Fria, and runs its own MICHELIN-starred restaurant, Epur, with chef Vincent Farges. Visit website ↗

Travel

First-class travel in Cascais

The chauffeurs at our standard.

Chauffeurs and self-drive

  • DeluxeDriveAlgarve and Lisbon

    A licensed boutique luxury hire firm based in Almancil, near Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo, delivering across the Algarve and to Lisbon, Cascais, Sintra and Porto. Visit website ↗

Shop

Luxury shopping in Cascais

The jewellers and car showrooms of Cascais.

Jewellers and watchmakers

  • Leitão & IrmãoLargo do Chiado, Lisbon

    Founded in Porto in 1822 by José Pinto Leitão and jeweller to the Portuguese royal family from 1887, when it became the Crown Jewellers and moved to the court in Lisbon; its house on Largo do Chiado makes jewellery, silver and tableware, including pieces to order, with a second boutique in Cascais. Visit website ↗

The great marques

Official showrooms, most by appointment.

The Great Marques: showrooms, factories and cars to hire ›

Experience

Events and things to do in Cascais

The finest things to do in and around Cascais.

Health spas

  • Palácio EstorilEstoril

    The grand hotel of the Estoril coast, whose wellness centre pairs physiotherapists, osteopaths and personal trainers with treatments for joint pain and mobility; named on The Times and The Sunday Times list of the world's 50 best spas in 2025, for physical rehabilitation.

Sport and motoring

  • Clube Naval de CascaisCascais, Portugal

    Founded in 1938 on the Bay of Cascais, the Portuguese club with the most Olympic appearances, with more than 800 members and reciprocal ties to clubs in about 18 countries. Visit website ↗

Live

Luxury real estate in Cascais

A home in Cascais: the agencies and advisers at our standard, for the purchase and for life after it.

Prime real estate

  • Portugal Sotheby's International RealtyLisbon and Cascais

    The Sotheby's affiliate for Portugal, with offices in Lisbon and on the Cascais coast, in Porto, in the Algarve and in Madeira.

  • Porta da Frente Christie'sLisbon

    Lisbon agency with more than two decades in the market and a team of more than 100, chosen by Christie's International Real Estate to represent it in Lisbon, Cascais, Oeiras and the Alentejo, with offices in Lisbon, Cascais, Oeiras and Comporta. Visit website ↗

All the leading agencies in Portugal ›

Looking for a home in Cascais? Write to travel@TheMediterranean.com and we will introduce you, in confidence, to the right agency.

Architects and designers

  • Eduardo Souto de MouraPorto, Portugal

    The winner of the 2011 Pritzker Prize has built a long line of private houses, among them houses in Porto, at Quinta do Lago in the Algarve, in Cascais and in the Serra da Arrábida, and the refurbished Casa 1015 in Porto.

International schools

  • St. Julian's SchoolCarcavelos (Cascais)

    Founded in 1932 at Quinta de Santo António on the coast between Lisbon and Cascais, it teaches the English National Curriculum from age 3 through IGCSE to the IB Diploma or Career-related Programme, alongside a bilingual section, and is accredited by CIS, NEASC and COBIS. Visit website ↗

Plan your trip

Luxury travel in Cascais and the Mediterranean: your questions answered

Plan your journey to Cascais

Where is Cascais?

On the Atlantic coast about 30 kilometres west of Lisbon, Portugal. Lisbon airport takes private jets and is about 30 to 40 minutes by road; Sintra is about 20 minutes inland.

What is Cascais famous for?

Its history as the summer seaside of the Portuguese kings and of exiled royalty, its marina and old town, the casino of Estoril, golf, and the Atlantic beach of Guincho.

Do you tip in Cascais?

Service is usually included in menu prices, so a tip is a gesture: about 5–10%, and about 10% in fine dining. Small change in cafés; round up taxi fares. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a concierge who goes out of their way.

What should you wear in Cascais?

Dress respectfully in churches. Some resort towns, such as Albufeira in the Algarve, fine people for wearing swimwear in the streets away from the beach and pool. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Smart dress for fine dining.

Beyond Cascais

More in Portugal

Lisbon, Comporta, the Algarve, Porto and Madeira, and the Mediterranean beyond.

PortugalLuxury Portugal Holidays: Lisbon & AlgarveExplore PortugalThe MediterraneanTwenty-two countries and Gibraltar, first class onlyExplore the MediterraneanPlan your journeyFrom your home to Cascais, with the costsOpen the trip planner

Customs and etiquette

Customs and etiquette in Cascais

How Portugal does things.

Language
Portuguese. English is widely spoken in luxury hotels and leading restaurants in Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve and Madeira. Speaking Spanish is best avoided: the languages are close, but it is not appreciated, and a few words of Portuguese go much further.
Greetings
A firm handshake with eye contact on first meeting; two cheek kisses, right cheek first, among friends and family. Use senhor / senhora until invited to be less formal, and greet by time of day: bom dia until noon, boa tarde in the afternoon, boa noite from early evening.
Dress
Dress respectfully in churches. Some resort towns, such as Albufeira in the Algarve, fine people for wearing swimwear in the streets away from the beach and pool. On yachts, soft-soled or bare feet on deck. Smart dress for fine dining.
Dining
Lunch typically 12–2 pm, some restaurants serving until 3 pm; dinner from about 8–9 pm, later at weekends. Book ahead for well-known restaurants. Bread, olives, butter or cheese brought to the table at the start (the couvert) are charged unless you send them back; the couvert is not a tip. Meals are unhurried.
Tipping
Service is usually included in menu prices, so a tip is a gesture: about 5–10%, and about 10% in fine dining. Small change in cafés; round up taxi fares. Luxury hotels: porters €2–5 a bag, housekeeping €5–10 a day, €10–20 for a concierge who goes out of their way.
Good to know
Eat with a knife and fork, even fruit. To decline the couvert, a polite não, obrigado (or obrigada) is enough. If invited to a Portuguese home, bring a small gift such as wine or flowers.

Every list on this page is checked by hand and dated: last checked October 2026. Hotels, restaurants and events link only to their own official websites, where confirmed.

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