Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TouristInformationOffice:
Avenida Clotilde, Edificio, Centro du Congressos, 3°A
2765-211-Estoril
Tel:
351214647570;
Fax:
351214647576
E-mail:
info@tourismoestoril.com
Hours:
0900-1900 Monday-Saturday, 1000-1800 Sunday
Portugal boasts miles and miles of sun-drenched, white-sand beaches. Probably
the most famous stretch lies just to the west of Lisbon along the Costa do Estoril.
Here the two resort towns of Cascais and Estoril offer a wide variety of scenes to
suit everyone's tastes.
We recommend you make
Costa do Estoril
your first stop on your visit to this
coastal area because Estoril is two stops before Cascais, which is the end of the
rail line. Estoril has long been famous as a chic resort for royalty and a playground
for the rich and famous. Besides the white-sand beach with its excellent facilities
and seawater pool, the beautifully landscaped
Casino complex
of gaming rooms,
restaurants, bars, and art gallery is a major attraction. But new, moderately priced
hotels now make Estoril a major attraction for everyone.
Those who are sports minded can enjoy championship 18-hole golf courses that
offer temporary memberships.
The Estoril Golf Course,
with its splendid sea-
scape, has been home to the Portuguese Open. Tennis, horseback riding, and sail-
ing are also available.
Cascais,
which is only four minutes beyond Estoril, maintains a slightly lower-
key atmosphere than its chic neighbor. Its beaches are smaller but more intimate.
Reflecting the traditions of its fishing-village past, Cascais's Wednesday-morning
and first and third Sunday market is well worth the trip from Lisbon. Locals in tradi-
tional garb hawk everything imaginable. Farmers' wives, suspicious of supermar-
ket packaging, can be seen scrutinizing live chickens.
To reach the marketplace, bear to the right around the plaza in front of the rail
station and continue to the right onto Avenue 25 de April. Two short blocks farther,
and you will see the market—probably hear it, too. Bring your own market basket.
Worth visiting are the
Castro Guimarães Museum,
the
Sea Museum, Church
of Cascais,
and
Marechal Carmona Park.
Some rail travelers base themselves in a local resort hotel in or near Cascais or
Estoril and then make day excursions into Lisbon for sightseeing or for continuing
on with other day excursions. The fast and frequent rail service and the abundance
of hotels to fit any budget make this concept a feasible one. The cosmopolitan
nightlife is worth the stay. Cabarets, theaters, restaurants, and discotheques are
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