Cascais, Portugal

Cascais is a lovely costal town 30 kilometers west of Lisbon. It used to be a Royal summer residence, although it was originally a fisherman village, but now it is a cosmopolitan sea and a getaway for both rich and poor.

Since the 1870s, when the Kings decided to spend their vacations here, the town gained electricity and better roads, a casino and a sport club were opened.
In 1896, King Carlos I, a lover of all maritime activities, installed in the citadel the first oceanographic laboratory in Portugal. The King himself led a total of 12 scientific expeditions to the coast, and only ended in 1908 with his assassination in Lisbon.

Because Portugal kept neutrality in World War II , Cascais became home to many of the exiled royal families of Europe, including those of Spain, Italy, Hungary and Bulgaria.

Wonder around the town, have a shot of a strong coffee (for 50 cents only if you go to some tiny bar for locals, instead of ordering it at the restaurant’s terrace), lomograph its cute houses and many of the palm trees. It has few historic places and museum, which are worth visiting, sort of botanic garden and, of course, go to one of the beaches. Eat local fish at any place you want- they are all quite affordable.

written by neja on 2010-08-12 #places #travel #sea #town #fish #weekend #small #location #beach #portugal #cascais #travel-destination #day-break