CASCAIS, PORTUGAL

Cascais (pronounced kush-kyesh) is a beach town sitting at the end of the Tagus River, the longest river in the Iberian Peninsula.  More commonly referred to as the “Portuguese Riviera", Cascais is one of the richest towns in the Iberian Peninsula.  

 

A former fishing village, it became a cosmopolitan resort when the Portuguese king Dom Manuel II made it his summer retreat in the late 1800s.  Nobility soon followed him, and as a result, elegant 19th-century mansions now line the cobbled pedestrian streets of the historic center and the seafront.

 

It’s now where Lisbon’s upper classes live, many of them in palatial mansions dating back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. In summer it's not a sleepy little beach town.  With a population of over 215,000 the summer months produce long, long lines and super crowded beaches. 

Cascais was also the first town in Portugal to have electricity, even before Lisbon. The first electric light was switched on in the citadel in September of 1878.  

Citadel of Cascais

 

My first objective of the day was to transport myself from Evora, Portugal to Cascais.  Seems like it would be a fairly simple thing but unfortunately train service between Evora and Cascais requires 2 transfers.  The only direct train service leaves from Lisbon's Cais do Sodre Train Station.   

 

Cais do Sodre Train Station, Lisbon

 

Cais do Sodre is located just over 6 miles south of Oriente Station so you will need to do 1 of these 4 options from the Oriente Station:

TAKE THE BUS

20 minutes

Bus 782, bus 728 or bus 210 to Corpo Santo station

then walk 6 minutes (0.4 mile) to Cais do Sodre Station

 

TAKE THE SUBWAY

23 minutes

Take Vermelha-S Sebastiao subway to Alameda.  Change to Verde-Cais do Sodre subway

 

TAKE THE TRAIN AND SUBWAY

32 minutes

Trains departs every 15 minutes to Roma Areeiro Train Station

then walk 11 minutes (0.6 miles) to Areeiro Subway Station

Subway Verde-Cais do Sodre departs every 10 minutes

 

TAXI/UBER/LYFT

10 minutes

The scenic train from Lisbon to Cascais departs every 20 minutes and it's a 40-minute ride along the river and then the sea. 

 

Be sure and take your patience with you. It’s not unusual for the waiting times at the ticket counters and machines at Cais do Sodre to be as much as 20 to 30 minutes during peak season. This is an urban train service, so tickets can not be pre-booked. If you step into the train just minutes before departure, chances are you won’t find any seats available. You’ll have to stand for most of, or the entire trip. To guarantee a seat, remember that trains depart every 20 minutes, so be on the platform as early as possible.  The train tracks are parallel to the sea and the coastal road, so you may want to admire coastal views along the way.  If so, sit on the left side when going from Lisbon to Cascais, and on the right side when going from Cascais to Lisbon.

 

To avoid the wait, you might consider getting a Lisboa Card, which offers transportation within Lisbon and to Cascais, in addition to free or reduced admissions to many of the capital’s attractions.  You can purchase 24, 48 or 72 hour cards.

I left the hotel in Evora right after breakfast and walked to the train station.  I purchased a train ticket from Evora to Lisbon Oriente Station at a cost of $13USD and charged it to my credit card.  The station attendant at Evora told me I would have to get my ticket to Cascais at the Lisbon Oriente Station.

 

The Evora train was right on time.  Once I was at Lisbon Oriente Station I located a ticket counter and asked for two tickets to Cascais, one for myself and one for Marci.  The attendant indicated the train would depart from track #4.  I made my way to track #4 and boarded the train.  When I asked someone if the train was headed to Cascais a very well dressed woman advised I was on the wrong train.  At the next stop I left the train and boarded the next train headed back to Oriente Station.   

 

I made my way to the same ticket counter and spoke with the same representative I had dealt with earlier and advised her of my situation.  Her remarks were "Well . . . . it would be easier if you just took bus #728 from here to Cais do Sodre Train Station and then the train directly to Cascais."  Not sure why this bit of information was omitted during our first conversation but immediately decided this would work best for me.

 

Next issue was to find where bus #728 boarded and purchase a ticket.  After wandering around looking at the front of all the buses searching for #728, I finally spoke with a driver who pointed me in the direction of the boarding area for bus #728.   It arrived shortly thereafter and the cost was 5 euros.   

Boarding area for bus #728

 

Once I arrived at the Cais do Sodre Train Station I then used my previously purchased tickets and was allowed to board the train for Cascais.   

My train arrival into Cascais was 12:45pm.  I walked to my accommodation for the night, the Pergola Hotel, located about 500 meters from the Cascais Train Station.  I arrived at 1pm and was greeted with wine and Pastel de Nada, the national dessert of Portugal. 

Locked gate entrance to Pergola Hotel

Pergola Hotel entrance            Photo: Pergola Hotel

Garden area of Pergola Hotel

Pastel de Nada

Bathroom in Pergola Hotel

Storage area/safe at Pergola Hotel

Public area at Pergola Hotel

No elevator / stairs to second floor

Garden view from front door of hotel to street

Public room at Pergola Hotel

Hand Painted Tiles in Public Room at Pergola Hotel

My room / 21 "Daisies"

The room wasn't ready so I dropped my luggage and left to explore the city.  It was fun to walk the narrow streets, taking in all the sights and sounds.   

Sardine store

 

After a couple of hours I made a rest stop at Dukes Restaurant and Bar and watched intently as food magically appeared from a 'dumb waiter' right before my eyes.  After talking with the owner I learned that he had just opened 1 week prior.

I was able to locate a small circular bus that originates in front of the train station.   It operates daily from 8:15am to 7:15pm, makes 9 stops and takes 1 hour to complete the loop.  I found it to be excellent and the cost was only 1.50 euros. 

 

 

The remainder of the afternoon was spent exploring Cascais streets and walking the beach area.  

 

 

Along the beach walk I came across a unique place called Trem Velho Steakhouse & Bar and decided to stop in. 

I decided to have a local beer.  They serve complimentary popcorn with the beer.  

With the afternoon slipping away I decided to make a dinner stop at Bucanero Restaurant.   Marci and I decided to share the tapas and have a local beer before dinner. 

Sardine Pate' for the crackers.  Yum!

 

I ordered the fish/chips and wasn't disappointed.  Nothing like fresh fish.   

 

The bill for 2 came to $34.62 USD and I put the charge on my credit card.  After dinner I made the walk back to the Pergola Hotel.  Room #21 was ready.  It felt good to relax after a full day. 

 

The following morning breakfast was included.  I enjoyed their fruits, cereals and coffee.  

Breakfast menu at Pergola Hotel

Breakfast room at Pergola Hotel

Immediately after breakfast I checked out and walked to the bus station which is located directly behind the train station.   The buses are located 1 floor down from street level.  There are no escalators or elevators so I had to manage my luggage down a flight of stairs. The stairs are located just to the left of the blue tower.  

Train station with shopping center behind

I was quickly able to locate the boarding area for the bus to my next destination - Sintra, Portugal.