Location: Cascais
Top Things to do in Cascais
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The 10 Best Monuments & Statues in Cascais, Central Portugal
A coastal town just 20 miles west of Lisbon, Cascais was once a small fishing village, but its idyllic scenery attracted the attention of artists, writers and expelled European nobility in the 20th century. Today, it still attracts high society, but all society comes in force to enjoy the gorgeous beaches and adventure options like sailing and surfing. The Conde de Castro Guimarães Museum, a former palace, is now open to the public and displays an impressive collection of art and artifacts.
Restaurants in Cascais
1. Pelourinho de Cascais
2. Palacio Cidadela Cascais
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 67 reviews
Reviewed By MicheleParis - Paris, France
It was my 10th trips to Cascais and this time I finally found the time to visit this jewel. What an amazing place. It was first a military complex they became the holiday residence of King Dom Luis I and Queen D. Maria Pia.The king was passionate about oceanography and was a close friend to Prince Albert I of Monacao. The King Dom Luis I died in one the room facing the sea. They were sharing the same pasison for ocean. After almost 50 years in complete abandon and a complete restoration from 2004 to 2011, today it is a Presidency residence. You can only visit the Palacio with a guided tour. 11h30 from Wednesday to Sunday (but it depends if the President is there) with some additional visit. We were only 4 visitors and our guide Maria Ana was really great. We visited the Chapel of Our Lady of Victory. It is a small church and full of details. The altar and the wooden arched ceiling is just beautiful. We then entered in the Royal Palace of the Citadel itself. There is an entrance hall and a room on the left where porcelain dishes are on display. Then we went on the first floor where there are several rooms and the hightlight is the huge covered balcony facing the Bay of Cascais. It is adjacent to the beautiful dinning room. On the second floor are the bedrooms for guests. We also saw the gorgeous King's bathroom and many other living rooms, billiard room. This place is really beautiful and it is a succession of rooms each more beautiful than the next. I wish I could have visited the Palace before. A must see when in Cascais.
3. Pelourinho Estoril
4. Estatua Papa Joao Paulo II
5. Estatua de Luis Vaz de Camoes
6. Rei Dom Carlos I
7. Estatua de D.Pedro I
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 18 reviews
Reviewed By Mairwen1
This large bronze statue of Pedro I, king of Portugal from 1357 - 1367, stands in the central plaza, Praca 5 de Outubro. It’s worth going out of your way to stop by, mainly because the square itself is so lovely. It has the distinctive black and white wavy paving and is right opposite Ribeiro Beach. King Pedro was known as both 'Pedro the Just' & 'Pedro the Cruel'. Was he some sort of Jekyll & Hyde? Or perhaps you just loved or hated the guy? The clenched fist doesn't help and makes it look like there’s some sort of anger issue there. Historically, Pedro has a special significant to Cascais because he was responsible for granting their charter as a town in 1365. Before this Cascais was only a village and in 1364, they petitioned Pedro to grant them status as a town. This was a big deal and meant they would be largely able to govern themselves. Pedro agreed and in exchange, every year, they paid the King 200 pounds of gold. However, Pedro I is best known for his long and torrid love affair with his wife’s lady-in-waiting, Ines de Castro. After Pedro’s wife died, his father feared the political ramifications if his son took up with Ines and took the extreme measure of having Ines murdered. Pedro, hell-bent on revenge, led an uprising against his father. When he became king himself, he had the murderers executed. Not satisfied with a run-of-the mill execution, he had their hearts ripped out while they were still alive. Later he claimed he had secretly married Ines and had his dead wife recognised as Queen of Portugal. It's a good story to know when you stand in front of the statue. The statue was created by the sculptor Antonio Duarte and has stood here since 1965.
