Although we only spent a day in Cascais, it is absolutely worth a trip of its own or even basing yourself from when exploring the region. We had no idea there was so much to do and see or that we would like it so much. You can see it all in a day, but it would also be nice to spend a weekend or even a week exploring.

We considered spending the night, but I wasn’t super impressed by any of the accommodation available. There are however some cute airbnbs on offer. So if you’re looking for a place to stay, use this link for $40 off your first airbnb stay plus $15 to use toward an experience worth $50 or more!

EXPLORE THE OLD TOWN

Even though we weren’t staying in town, we somehow still arrived before anyone else had woken up and had the pretty streets to ourselves. Of course, we had to wait until later in the day to stop into the cute shops when they were open.

TOUR THE LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM

The architecture of this museum is really what made it stand out for me. I would have loved to see the view from the top of the lighthouse, but unfortunately you can only climb the tower on certain days of the week.

SEE THE CASA DE SANTA MARIA

Entrance to this house was included with our tickets to the lighthouse museum, so we thought we might as well check it out. Not expecting much based on the exterior, I was blown away by the gorgeous azulejos inside. Maybe it was the element of surprise, maybe it was the friendly staff, but this turned out to be my favorite stop of the entire trip.

VISIT THE CONDES DE CASTRO GUIMARÃES MUSEUM

Even without paying to see the inside, this museum was fun to walk around. Chickens and peacocks roam the property and there are plenty of pretty architectural details to see on the exterior of the buildings. For only 4€ though, I wish we had gone inside!

WALK OR BIKE TO BOCA DO INFERNO

Literally meaning the Jaws of Hell, waves crashing against the rocky opening to this cliffside chasm help explain how this particular natural site was named. We walked out to see it during the day, but it would be an amazing spot to watch the sunset too. It’s also totally free to see!

RELAX ON THE BEACH

Cascais has a few different beaches along their little stretch of coastline separated by rocky outcrops. We found one right outside the train station to hang out while we waited to head back to Lisbon. But Praia da Rainha is my personal favorite because it’s the smallest and nicest looking.

STAY FOR SUNSET

We didn’t have time to watch the sunset over the pretty little harbor near the lighthouse, but I’m betting it would have been lovely. I’d love to see the lighthouse in operation once the sun goes down.