Cascais

Following a 30 minute train ride along the scenic coast we arrived at Cascais, a picturesque seaside resort.

Our hotel was next door to the town hall

and overlooked the Fishermen's beach.

Strolling around the town we admired the beautiful buildings

and walked along the headland past the lighthouse

and scrambled over the rocks.

We visited the Boca do Inferno,"Mouth of Hell"

where the Atlantic waves crash against the caves in the cliff face and form a stunning coastline.

Restaurant

Whilst staying at Cascais we can thoroughly recommend a great fish restaurant serving tasty food, with friendly staff, who speak good English. 

Pimentao

Rua das Flores N.16

Tel + 351 214 840 994

See other restaurants I can recommend from my travels around the world.

Sintra

Now a UNESCO world heritage site Sintra was a summer residence for the Moorish lords and royal families of Portugal.

From the bus station we walked to the historic town centre passing the stunning town hall.

The National Palace

There are many splendid palaces dotted around, but the most notable is the Sintra National Palace with its distinctive white twin chimney towers.

The Coat of Arms room has an ornate wood gilded ceiling

                   and 18th century tiles decorate the walls.

The Moorish Castle

We then left the town centre and strolled through the little streets, where lemon trees flourished

and walked up to the Moorish Castle perched on the top of a hill.

Up and up we climbed and slowly we approached the castle, which was built by the Moors and was later captured by Christian Crusaders

Eventually we reached the top

and watching our step we carefully made our way across the old battlements and ramparts.

We were rewarded with magnificent views of Cascais, Lisbon and in the hazy distance we could just make out the Atlantic Ocean,

and directly below us was the fairy tale town of Sintra.

After Cascais and Sintra we then visited Lisbon.

See more photos of our holidays.