Though our initial intention was to see the Boca do Inferno and the Old Town Cascais, we only ended up hanging out at one of the most awesome beaches in Portugal the entire day!
Our one day getaway from Lisbon consisted of some fun in the sun on the Atlantic Coast of Portugal with a pit stop in Belem on our way back to town.
It was easy going from Lisbon to Cascais and Belem by taxi and not as costly as you would imagine, though, it is probably cheaper to take the train.
For some extra adventure, there’s also the option of biking the coastal path from Old Town Cascais to Guincho Beach.
How To Go From Lisbon To Cascais
If you’re spending some time in Lisbon like we did, it’s a good opportunity to go for a quick visit to Cascais and the closest beach on the coast of Portugal here.
You can easily take the 210 Cais Sodré bus from Casa do Contoto to Cais do Sodré and catch the Cascais Train Line.
The train ride from there is about 40 minutes and drops you off right in the heard of this coastal town.
From Old Town Cascais, you can rent a bike and ride 8 kilometers (about 5 miles) north to Guincho Beach.
It looked tempting to us as the path that connects Cascais to Guincho beach follows the coastline with dramatic views along the way.
However, we were being lazy and knew that doing this would have cut our time short and prevented us from visiting Belem later in the day.
Instead, we took a taxi from Lisbon straight to Guincho Beach near Cascais.
In order to save time and have a bit more convenience, we ordered an Uber to pick us up from our Airbnb apartment. We wanted to have ample time at the beach to just relax.
Additionally, we had a backpack with a beach mat (yeah we brought that with us from Chiang Mai, Thailand!) so we just wanted to sit back and enjoy the ride, just the two of us.
I think this was a great idea and would recommend it for families as well.
How Much Is A Taxi From Lisbon To Cascais?
The taxi ride from Lisbon to Guincho beach was less than 40 minutes total and cost us €50, which is about $61 USD.
This was probably the most expensive the ride would be due to it being Saturday and having a price surge.
Since it would take about the same amount of time to go from Lisbon to the town of Cascais, I imagine this would be the same cost for a taxi ride.
Why You Should Visit Cascais Portugal
Escaping the hot and busy city of Lisbon could be a good reason for making a quick day trip out to Cascais.
Don’t get me wrong, Lisbon is fun and great to check out, but if you are there more than three or four days, it would be a good idea to check out the coast, get in some beach time, and enjoy the small town feel that Cascais offers.
The cool ocean breeze, wide inviting beach, and great surfing (if that’s your thing) are all perfect reasons to make the short trip, so don’t miss out!
Boca do Inferno should be on top of your list when going to Cascais.
These dramatic cliff formations are a sight to see and with a distance of 2 kilometers from Old Town Cascais, it’s only about a 20-minute walk, so why not check it out?!
What To Do In Cascais – The Old Town & Praia do Guincho
1. Go To Guincho Beach (Praia do Guincho)
As I said previously, we skipped going to Cascais Old Town and went straight to Guincho Beach.
It was a super windy day but we managed to find a little hide-out among the short cliff by the beach.
It is an enormous beach and there was hardly any people on it considering it was mid-July when we were there.
I am guessing most tourists stick to Lisbon, or if they do make it out to Cascais, stay on the beach near the town.
Having said that, it’s probably perfect for people who want to get away from the busy tourist scene. It’s worth noting that the people that we did see at this beach were all locals!
There’s some awesome kitesurfing going on at this beach!
2. Enjoy A Sangria At Bar Do Guincho
Guincho Beach isn’t surrounded by much, so you won’t have a lot of restaurants and bars around (which is nice in a way).
There is a hotel next to the beach with a bar and some small bites.
During our time on the beach, we grabbed a sandwich from the bar at this hotel and it was enough to hold us over as we lounged around.
A bit further down the beach, somewhat hidden behind the rocks and cliff, there is a cool bar to hang out at.
We spent the latter part of the beach day at Bar do Guincho, enjoying a carafe of Sangria and some fries.
The outdoor seating at this bar is just a bit elevated from the beach and gives you spectacular views of the ocean!
3. The Old Town Of Cascais
Here are some top attractions if you plan to visit Cascais Portugal as well as some accommodations options if you choose to stay the night.
- Nossa Senhora da Assunção church
- Paula Rego House of Stories
- Marégrafo de Cascais
- Museu Condes de Castro Guimarãe
- Palace of Cascais Citadel
- Lighthouse Museum of Santa Marta
Beaches In Cascais:
- Praia de Santa Mart
- Ribeira Beach Cascai
- Praia da Rainh
- Praia da Conceição
Where To Stay:
- Pestana Cidadela Cascais
- Hotel Vila Galé Cascais
- Grande Real Villa Itália Hotel & Spa
Visit Belem Before Heading Back To Lisbon
Once afternoon approached, we decided to head to Belem and ordered an Uber from Guincho beach.
The taxi from Cascais to Belem cost about €22 and dropped us off right in front of Pasteis de Belem.
1. Try The Famous Belem Lisbon Custard Tarts
This just might be the primary reason tourists visit Belem.
The famous Portuguese egg tarts of Pasteis de Belem draw tons of people to this little neighborhood just about 10 kilometers outside of Lisbon.
The Pastry shop is pretty big in size and can seat a lot of people. There was a huge line of people ordering boxes for takeaway. The wait to sit inside, however, was not very long.
They offer a selection of pastries, but naturally, we opted for the pasteis de nata which matched perfectly with a cup of their delicious coffee.
It was a delightful treat after a day spent at the beach. The yummy sweets are said to have originated in the monasteries here in the early 1800’s.
We enjoyed our experience (cute interior with accents of blue) of the pastry shop as well as the pasteis de nata and headed out to explore the rest of the afternoon in Belem.
2. Monument To The Discoveries
We hung out a bit by the Tagus River where the Monument To Discoveries is erected. The monument is an exact replica of the one built for the 1940 World Exhibition.
This is the spot where Vasco da Gama set off on his voyage to India (and found a shorter route) as well as where Columbus was forced to stop due to a storm on his way back to Spain after discovering the Americas!
3. Torre De Belem (Belem Tower)
We walked along the river for about 15 minutes before reaching the Belem Tower.
Unfortunately, it was already closed when we arrived, so we just marveled at the exterior of this cool medieval defense tower.
Nevertheless, it was worth seeing in person and we were able to capture some great photos with the 25 de Abril Bridge in the background (yeah, the one that is a look-a-like of our big, red bridge back home in San Francisco!).
Our full day at Guincho Beach and a pit stop in Belem was an absolute blast!
It was a nice mix of relaxation and sightseeing. We didn’t feel rushed at all and took our time to really enjoy everything the day offered us.
The taxi ride from Belem back to Lisbon was only €8. In total, we spent €80 for visiting Guincho Beach and Belem from Lisbon.
We don’t consider this expensive at all and found great value in having the convenience and comfort taking a private taxi provided us.
We hope that our article here provides good information for those looking to travel from Lisbon to Cascais.
If you find this post useful please let us know in the comments. We would love to hear from you if you’ve made the Lisbon to Cascais day trip and how your experience was.
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