Both Liza and Frits had never been to Portugal before so we were eager to visit Lisboa. Down town all marinas were full, a first this early in the year (Jan 2020). Marina Cascais was willing to accommodate us under the condition that we would leave in case of a Southerly storm. This doesn’t seem to make sense however the only free birth wide enough for a catamaran was in the corner of the South mole. During storm surges boats had been damaged by waves crashing over the harbour wall.
Medieval Cascais was a small fishing town. In the 15th century three towers were build at the river mouth to defend Lisbon against the British.
At the end of the 19th century King Luis I of Portugal made Cascais his summer residence, thus also attracting (international) nobility bringing great wealth to the town. Cascais has a high quality of life and one of the highest costs of living in Portugal.
The towns historic center is car free, a pleasure to roam around and to soak in the surprising architecture
Not surprisingly as a resort town there were plenty of restaurants and the good ones are fully booked, even during low season!!
We used Cascais as a base to explore Belem and Lisboa.