A Spotlight on Cascais’s Beach Scene: The 8 Best Beaches

Most people think that heading south to the Algarve or north towards Porto is the best way to find the best beaches in Portugal. While I absolutely agree these areas have some of the most exceptional beaches in the world, I’m here to tell you about some beaches that are just around the corner from Lisbon.

Cascais is a small coastal town about forty minutes’ drive north of Lisbon. If you take the train, the journey is a quick forty minutes from Cais do Sodre directly to Cascais. During the day, trains come every twenty minutes and cost only €2.50 per direction. If you aren’t able to spend a weekend here, it really is the perfect place for a beach day trip for those staying in the capital.

It’s hard to imagine such a charming beach town could be so close to the bustling city of Lisbon. The town has really blossomed since 2010, when wealthy expats and local Lisboners flocked to the coastline to vacation.

It may be small, but where it lacks in size, it makes up for in its number of beaches. And by this, I mean there are seventeen beaches to explore along the Cascais coastline. I haven’t visited them all, but here are eight of my favorites:

Praia do Guincho

Praia do Guincho is one of the further out beaches from Cascais, around a fifteen-minute drive north. However, it’s also one of the most unique. Compared with the pristine and protected beaches around the town, Praia do Guincho offers a wild combination of rough waves, wind-swept sand dunes, and dramatic cliffs.

It feels like an untouched natural wilderness where surfers and windsurfers come to take advantage of the big swells and howling winds. It’s pretty huge, so crowds are never an issue here.

When it comes to facilities, this beach has very few. You’ll have to bring along your own umbrellas and chairs, which I believe is a big part of the charm.

That said, it is located next to a historic hotel called the Hotel Fortaleza do Guincho Relais and Chateaux, an old-school luxury hotel famous for its cliffside pool and appearance in a James Bond movie. The hotel is set between Guincho and Cresmina Beach, which is another wild and raw beach famous for its rough waves and sand dunes.

Praia de Carcavelos

Praia de Carcavelos is a calm and pristine stretch of sand that is the first municipal beach you reach on the way from Cascais to Lisbon. It’s a 20-minute drive from Cascais or a fourteen-minute hop on the train (six stops away).

Think of this beach as the Venice Beach of Portugal. Lined with restaurants, shops, and places to rent umbrellas and loungers, it’s the ultimate family-friendly promenade. There are regular events held at the beach, and it is typically busy throughout the summer months. Think beach volleyball comPetitions, surfing contests, and a lively promenade that is always buzzing with activity.

It might be less naturally stunning than Guincho and Cresmina, but it sure does offer calm waters and a pristine beachfront without the high winds and crashing waves of its neighbors up north.

However, when the tides are right, Carcavelos is known for its mellow surfing waves, drawing in beginner and intermediate surfers.

Praia da Rainha

Right in the heart of Cascais, Praia da Rainha, also known as the Queen’s Beach, is a small cove tucked between the harbor and the city. It gets its name from once being a private beach only accessible by Portuguese royalty in the 1880s but is now a small patch of sand open to the public.

You can walk here from central Cascais, making it one of the most convenient beaches for holiday goers in the town. When you’ve had enough sun, simply walk into town to grab a bite to eat or a gelato from one of the nearby stores.

On a quiet, warm day outside of the busy season, it’s easy to see why this beach was chosen by royalty. It’s truly stunning, with calm waves lapping against the golden sand, quaint Portuguese buildings surrounding it, and views across the azure blue Cascais Harbor.

Praia da Ribeira de Cascais / Praia da Duquesa

If someone tells you to visit Cascais Beach. Chances are they’re talking about Praia da Ribeira. It’s just across the rocks from Praia da Rainha and is just as easy to access from central Cascais. It’s just as small, with a separate section further south known as Praia da Duquesa.

Truthfully, all three of these beaches are super similar and just a short walk from one another, so it’s easy to visit them all when you’re in Cascais. Ribeira also overlooks the fishing harbor of Cascais and the town fort. It was initially used to dock boats, which were pulled up onto the sand packed with fresh fish. Today, locals still call the beach Praia dos Pescadores, which translates to Fishermans Beach.

Instead of colorful fishing vessels, today, the beach is lined with neatly organized umbrellas and loungers, which you can rent for the day from Bar da Praia for around €10. There are also a bunch of restaurants and coffee shops lining the beach, from basic take-out shops to Italian cafes.

One thing I don’t love about this beach is the constant gaze of tourists and onlookers passing by the beach. I guess it’s the price you pay for the convenience of visiting the most central beach in Cascais! And on that note, it’s super convenient if you just want to spend a few hours on the beach and aren’t up for making a full-day adventure of it.

Praia de Santa Marta

Praia de Santa Marta has to be one of my favorite beaches in the world. And with a big beach repertoire under my Travel belt, this is saying a lot. It’s a small stretch of sand right next to the Cascais Marina. If you don’t know it’s there, chances are you won’t see it from the town.

That said, unfortunately, many tourists do know it is there, which means it is usually pretty busy. And because of its small size, the beach feels busy when there are only twenty people there.

It almost feels like you’re in an estuary; just add to that a few historic villas, harbor walls, and the Palace of the Condes de Castro Guimaraes to the mix. On a summer’s day, the water is crystal clear, and hardly any waves or wind makes its way into the protected bay.

You have to access the beach via a small and narrow stairway, but other than this, it’s a gorgeous and safe spot to bring young kids. There are no lifeguards on duty here, and this beach isn’t accessible for wheelchair users. You also won’t be able to rent any umbrellas or use showers or bathrooms at the beach.

Praia da Poça

Praia da Poca is technically located in the wealthy holiday town of Estoril, but since it’s just a thirteen-minute train ride (or ten minutes by car) from central Cascais, I think it deserves a spot in the mix.

Access to the beach is via a ramp and staircase, which makes it accessible for wheelchair users and families with strollers. The beach offers excellent views of the Fort of São Teodosia da Cadaveira, a historic fort dating back to the 1600s that was built to defend the gates of Lisbon.

The beach has all the facilities you could dream of, from on-duty lifeguards to bathrooms and showers, umbrella rentals, and accessible parking. Located along the train journey between Lisbon and Cascais, just a five-minute stroll from the Estoril train station, it’s no wonder this is such a popular spot for day-trippers from the capital.


Opiparo is a small restaurant on the beach that serves casual snacks, fruit juices, milkshakes, and cocktails. After a hot day on the beach, why not grab a Mexican-inspired margarita for under €10?

Just to the east of Praia da Poca is a beach called Praia da Azarujinha, another peaceful cove nestled between the cliffs and historic buildings of Estoril. You can get to this beach on foot via the beachside promenade from Praia da Poca.