Cascais, Portugal + Add a trip

Automobiles

It's worth hiring a car for coastal exploring, but public transport connections to Lisbon are very good.

Planes

The nearest airport is at Lisbon, roughly 40 minutes away by car. There's a bus that will take you into Cascais for about €1; a taxi will cost around €40.

Trains

The Cascais Line runs from Lisbon's Cais do Sodré station to Cascais, takes around 30 minutes and costs €1.50. This scenic route skirts the Atlantic coastline and is a lovely way to arrive. Take seats on the left-hand side of the carriage for a sea view.

Dialing

Country code for Portugal: 351; for Cascais area: 21.

Reads

Lee Langley's epic novel Distant Music sweeps through several centuries and several countries, with Portugal and the Portuguese always close to its heart.

Do go / Don't Go

The climate is generally mild; from April to October, fine weather is virtually guaranteed. The coast is pounded by the Atlantic surf in winter but is rarely cold.

Cuisine

Must-trys include cozido à Portuguesa, a stew with beans, veg and cuts of meat. Fish-lovers will be in seventh heaven here, as fresh fish and squid land daily. Try the cataplana, a seafood platter served with rice or potatoes. The sweet-toothed will find the custard tarts hard to resist.

Taxis

If you venture to Lisbon, there are plenty of cabs to hail on the street. In Cascais, ask your hotel to book one for you.

Tipping

Discretionary; ten per cent is appreciated.

Currency

Euro.

Packing

Surf dudes should pack their coolest threads, but leave some space in your suitcase for all those lovely bottles of vintage port you'll want to take home with you - particularly if you taste some 20-year-old tawny.

Arts

The Convent of Mafra is considered the world's best example of baroque architecture, with its imposing dome and magnificent 88-metre-long library. In Lisbon, the Gulbenkian Museum and Gallery is particularly wonderful (www.museu.gulbenkian.pt).

And...

Check out Boca do Inferno (the 'Mouth of Hell'), just to the west of Cascais. Legend has it that this unusual crater-shaped rock formation is the entrance to the underworld. The constant pounding of the Atlantic waves has hollowed out some impressive caves, which can be viewed from a small platform overlooking the cliff.

Shopping

There's a lively market in Cascais on Wednesdays and Saturday mornings, and a daily fleamarket. The designer-label zone in Lisbon is Rua Garrett in the Chiado area. Glove emporium Luvaria Ulisses is worth a look just for its tiny exterior and drawer upon drawer of kid-leather mitts. Stock up on port and Madeira.

Viewpoint

For the best sunset views, take a drive up the coastal road past Guincho to Cabo da Roca, and sit by Europe's most westerly cliffs as the big Atlantic rollers crash beneath you.

Something

Head to Carcavelos beach and watch the rollers. Carcavelos is a surf paradise, with a long sandy beach and decent-sized Atlantic waves. There's also a clothes market there on Thursdays, and a Portland-Bill-perfect lighthouse.

June or July Cascais Sailing Week is a major event, attracting an armada of international competitors (www.cncascais.com). July Jazz on a Summer's Day takes place in Palmela Park Auditorium, and scores of musicians supply the soundtrack to balmy evenings. Late July The Festival of the Sea is an annual event run by the town's fishermen. Besides music and dancing, the event sees a herd of bulls released onto the beach. Anyone brave or foolish enough to grab one by the horns is rewarded with a dubious prize of dried fish. Fireworks, folk singing and bizarre games go on into the night.