Cascais is a pretty ancient fishing village just 15 miles from Lisbon on the Estoril coast of Portugal. Fishing boats still set sail from here, providing locally caught fish to the towns eating establishments. During the holiday season local people set up stalls along the roadside selling local handicrafts and unusual souvenirs.

Cascais

Providing an excellent base for visiting the resorts along the Lisbon coast, Cascais is a lively resort with a relaxed atmosphere.

The quaint old town of Cascais has lots of cobbled streets, a 16th century fort, churches, museums, zoo, bullring, park and a marina to explore. There are plenty of opportunities for dining out in Cascais with a variety of restaurants, tradition tavernas and cafes. Evenings can be spent in the lively bars and clubs, by enjoying a relaxing meal at one of the top quality gourmet restaurants or by visiting the amazing casino at Estoril.

Boca do Inferno

Walking is a popular pursuit here, especially along the coastal route from Cascais to the Boca do Inferno which is great fun during a storm or at high tide, but not for the faint hearted! There are lots of roadside cafes along the way, a great place to stop off for a drink is at the Esplanada Santa Marta which overlooks Santa Marta Beach and lighthouse.

With three beautiful beaches – Praia da Rainha, Praia da Ribeira and Praia da Conceicao – you will be spoilt for choice. The Praia da Ribeira is a working fishing harbour where you can watch the local boats leaving for their daily

Cascais beach

 catch. There is also the large wild beach of Praia do Guincho which is just a short drive away from Cascais. Watersports including surfing, windsurfing, water skiing and sailing are on offer from the beaches here in Cascais.

Great days out from Cascais include taking a train ride to Lisbon, visiting the resorts of historic Estoril and Sintra, the Sintra-Cascais National Park and the 18th century Queluz Palace or taking a deep sea fishing trip.

Queluz Palace

Summer holidays spent in Portugal are ideal as you will always normally be guarateed good weather.

If you are looking for last minute holidays, there are always great offers throughout the internet.

One of the main pre-requisites for lots of holidaymakers for a holiday in Portugal is a nice beach to relax on.  It’s lucky then that Portugal has so many good beaches on offer along its 600miles of coast, making it ideal for both Summer holidays and Winter Sun.  In fact 18 of Portugal’s beaches are designated blue flag beaches and therefore ideal for families.

Praia de Falesia

Algarve :

One of the most well known beaches in this area is the 6km long Praia de Falesia (also known as ‘beach town’).  Located between the popular tourist resorts of Albufeira and Vilamoura, the beach is a haven for sunlovers and is set in a peaceful setting along Portugal’s South coast.  Other popular beaches in the Algarve area center around popular tourist spots such as Praia da Gale in Albufeira, Meia Praia in Lagos – particularly popular with families as it is sheltered by a large bay, Praia de Alvor near Praia da Rocha / Portimao – a blue flag beach popular for watersports, and the Praia de Garrao close to the luxury holiday resorts of Quinta do Lago and Vale do Lobo. 

Alentejo

Alentejo (South Portugal):

Stretching from the Algarve to the Sado Estuary this unspoilt coast has many small beautiful beaches to choose from.  With many situated in coves along the coast here a car may be a necessity to reach them.  Vila Nova de Milfontes is an exception in that you can get to it by bus from Lisbon.  Other pleasant beaches to visit include Gale, Melides, Santo Andre, Porto Covo,  Almograve and Zambujeira do Mar.

Lisbon/Sintra Coast:
The popular holiday area of Lisbon is served mainly by a large sandy beach

Sintra Coast

 called the Costa da Caparica which is very busy and popular during the peak Summer months in Portugal.  It is popular for sunbathing, drink/food at one of the many cafes and bars lining the coast here and also surfing - the strong currents and effects of the Atlantic Ocean here lend themselves to waves of all sizes.  Other beaches to visit along this coastal region include Sesimbra beach and Portinho da Arrabida beach – a beautiful and relatively quiet beach popular with scuba divers.

Costa Prata / Central Portugal:
Nazare is probably one of the most well known beaches in this area, with hoards of tourists flocking there every year with many hotels and apartments to choose from.  A lively and popular resort and beach, it can suffer from overcrowding in the height of Summer.  One of portugal’s

Nazare

 largest beaches (3km) also sits in this area of coast, in the town of Figueira da Foz. Nicknamed ‘Queen of Beaches’ it is a white sand beach lined with cafes, with parts of it awarded blue flag status.

Costa Verde / North Portugal:
With Summer waters usually calm and ideal for swimming Praia de Miramar is becoming more popular with tourists.  Already popular with locals, the beach here is also visited by surfers in the Winter season.  Further North along the coats, Praia do Cabedelo in Viana do Castelo, is the main beach for this lively and popular holiday

Praia de Miramar

resort, with numerous sand dunes and safe waters for swimming plus it’s a popular spot for watersports such as windsurfing.

If you are looking for summer or winter bargain holidays to Portugal, there are plenty of offers throughout the internet.

Watch out for the last minute holidays which offer great savings for the whole family.