Whenever we find ourselves walking through a quaint old town near the ocean, eventually one of us wonders aloud, “would you want to retire here?” The other responds with a list of some of the pros or cons, and then usually muses allowed, “I could definitely see us retiring here.” Cascais, Portugal had us wishing thirty was the new retirement age. We love that it’s easy to do a day trip to Cascais with a 40 minute train ride from Lisbon.
For another great day trip from Lisbon, check out our post on the palace-packed town of Sintra.
Getting from Lisbon to Cascais
Cascais is an easy day trip from Lisbon on the regional Comboios do Portugal (CP) train. You can purchase your reusable Viva Viagem card (€ 0,50 for the card) in the Cais do Sodré railway station in Lisbon (or almost any train or metro station) and load it with one of the following options:
- Two one-way 4 zone tickets: € 2,15 each way, so € 4,30 total
- 24 hours: € 10,00 valid for unlimited trips on Comboios do Portugal (CP) trains, Carris trams and buses and metro
- Zapping: € 1,80 each way, so € 3,60 total. We found this to be the cheapest and most convenient way to pay for transport around Lisbon. You can fill your card with as little as € 3,00, and you get a more favorable rate on trains, buses, trams and the metro than if you were to purchase a single ticket.
The train takes about 40 minutes from the Cais do Sodré station in Lisbon to Cascais. If you are driving, the journey is about 30 km on the A5, and takes about 30 minutes.
Beaches in Cascais
Beaches were our main draw to Cascais. There are two beaches directly in town, Praia da Rainha and Praia da Ribeira. During the summer months (especially July and August), these beaches get pretty packed as everyone else decides a day trip to Cascais is a great idea too.
Praia do Guincho is about 10 km out of town, and totally worth the bike ride. Cascais offers free bikes called Bicas, which you can pick up from one of three locations:
- Cascais train station: If you walk out of the train station, walk left towards the McDonald’s and there should be a trailer with the bikes. All the bikes from this location were gone by 9:30 am.
- Marechal Carmona Park: Just outside the park entrance in a small hut. When we got there around 9:45am in the summer, they had plenty of bikes left.
- Casa da Guia: This is a ways down the path to Guincho, about 3 km along the oceanfront bike path.
All you need is an ID to borrow the bikes. Note that the bikes don’t come with helmets or locks, and they’re not in the best condition. If you’re looking for a smooth ride, a rental costs about € 10 a day.
If you’re not up for the ride, the Scotturb 405 and 415 buses run from Cascais to Guincho beach. From the Cascais train station, exit and head right towards the bottom level of the shopping center. A bus ticket costs a bit over € 3 each way.
On the path to Guincho
On the path towards Guincho Beach, there are a few fun stops. The Parque Marechal Carmona, where you can pick up a Bicas (free bike), is a great place to relax and enjoy the sunshine. The ride from here to Guincho is about 10 km on the oceanfront bike path. If you stick to this path, you’ll pass the following along the way.
There are two large, beautiful houses near the park, the Condes de Castro Guimarães house and Casa de Santa Maria, near the lighthouse. Both cost a few euros to enter.
Boca do Inferno is a rock formation that is supposed to feature fierce waters, but every time we stopped by, it was pretty serene. Nonetheless, it is still beautiful and a fun place to stop on the way to Guincho.
Casa da Guia is an old mansion converted into a small commercial space with shops and cafes. If you’re looking for a place to grab a bite to eat on the way, here’s where you’ll have a beautiful view!
The hotel Arriba by the Sea opens up its pool for public use from May til early October.
Food
Our favorite place in Cascais is Cafe Galeria House of Wonders. It lives up to its name; they do wonders to make fresh, delicious vegan food. Even as meat-eaters, we couldn’t stop talking about the delicious flavors of each of the mezze, the sauces, the zucchini noodles, everything. You can elevate your dining experience by grabbing a table on their rooftop terrace, complete with sea breeze and ocean view. Cafe Galeria House of Wonders is the best way to end a beach day.
The popular Portuguese gelato chain Santini is in Cascais. This place makes the best fruit sorbets we’ve ever had, perfect for a warm day.
How to Spend the Best 2 Days in Lisbon Portugal
Sunday 22nd of August 2021
[…] is a great blog https://nomanbefore.com/cascais-day-trip-lisbon/ that will tell you all about a day trip to the seaside beach town of Cascais, […]
nancy
Sunday 4th of April 2021
i hope that Lisbon remain unchanged I was there 5 years ago 3 years in the row and it was by far my favorite place of Europe ,,,is it still as romantic?
Sarah
Monday 3rd of February 2020
Hi! We are traveling to Portugal in late April with our soon to be 2 year old. Wondering how you managed the bikes with your little guy? Were there bikes with child seat attachments? Thank-you kindly!
nomanbefore
Friday 7th of February 2020
Hi Sarah! I don't think there are any child seats with the free bicas, but I think there are a few bike rental places around where you could rent one. I think we just ended up putting him in our baby carrier and doing a pretty slow cycle.
Myriah
Thursday 30th of May 2019
Hi! I know this comment is really late, but I found your post while I was looking up information for our summer trip to Portugal this summer where we will be in Cascais for two days! Hoping you wouldn't mind answering a few questions : D! We will have our two kiddo with us, any favorite spots with kiddos! Also, we are starting to think about packing and I was trying to find online if there were any beach chair/towel/umbrella rentals on any of the beaches, did you happen to see any? Thank you so much! Absolutely gorgeous pictures by the way, they're making me so excited!!
nomanbefore
Thursday 30th of May 2019
Hey Myriah -- that's so exciting! I absolutely love Portugal and I hope you guys have a great trip. I found most of Portugal super kid-friendly. Our son loves the beach, so that's where I'd spend most of my time in Cascais with kids. I don't know about towel rental, but your hotel or Airbnb may have beach towels you can use. As far as beach chairs and umbrellas, a number of the beaches in the area have them set up for rent. We saw umbrellas for rent at Praia da Ribeira in town, and I'm pretty sure there were some at Guincho too. Parque Marechal Carmona is also a really nice park where kids can run around and play. Hope that helps! Safe travels. -Kelly
Mira
Tuesday 21st of August 2018
This is a great post! I want to do this solo trip from Lisbon, I will save money thanks to your info! I previously was going to pay for a biking tour.