If you are spending your holiday in Lisbon, but want to get a chance to see the Atlantic Ocean up close, you will want to visit Cascais, a great seaside break just about an hour’s drive away from the capital city of Portugal.

If you thought seaside in Portugal is only just restricted to the Algarve, you were wrong: the region in central Portugal, around Lisbon, is maybe the most busy in the country and you can spend a couple of lovely idyllic days lying in the sun and visiting one of the most authentic and fascinating cities.

Cascais is popular for a variety of reasons, maybe first of which being the lovely coastline, marked by lovely sandy beaches and the most breathtaking views of the endless ocean. You can feel the cool breeze and enjoy the lovely sun for a couple of hours and then venture back into the city, for there is much sightseeing to do around there!

Palacio da Cidadela de Cascais is one of the top cultural attractions in town. If wonderful romantic architecture is your thing, you’ll definitely like this beautiful building, with its classy interior and royal air. The castle was commissioned in 1870 by King Dom Luis I as a summer house and remains a popular royal or presidential rendezvous these days.

Cidadela de Cascais used to be the favorite holiday venue for the royal family. Today, it is a rustic enough place, bohemian and lovely to visit, containing a restaurant, a hotel, a bookshop and art gallery, as well as a chapel and the Palace we just mentioned. So this can be a lovely place to spend an entire afternoon in the company of your loved one.

And if you are an outdoorsy kind of person, you can always choose to hike in the Cascais-Sintra Natural Park.You will enjoy the beautiful landscape, the breathtaking views over the high region outside Lisbon and when you are tired, you can get a Cascais transfer to Lisbon to take you back to your hotel.