Ana's Cottage

Cascais had inhabitants since the most remote antiquity, according to several archeological, remains which were found there. Proof of this are the artefacts which have been unearthed in the made-man caves at Alapraia near São João do Estoril.

Apart from the presence of paleolithical men and the Roman presence since the first century of our era, the area was successively inhabited by Visigodes and Arabic people.

In 1153 was conquered from Moorish by Dom Afonso Henriques, the first king of Portugal. At the time it was only a small agglomerated of irrelevant importance, mentioned in the chart of Sintra dated from 1159. With Dom Pedro I, it was separated from Sintra and from 1364 it has constitution as a Township. In 1370 it was a town-council.  D. Manuel's chart attributed Cascais, in 1514, some privileges, more exactly the tributes intention which has increased its  inhabitants.

 It was occupied by the Spanish under the Duke of Alba in 1579. In 1807, the French invaders commanded by General Junot used  Palácio da Cidadela as a suitable headquarters for his army. During the first part of the 19th Century the port trade declined bringing poverty to the town. When in 1870 the King, Luís I, chose to convert the 17th Century building of the Cidadela into his summer residence it soon became a very fashionable area. Aristocratic palaces and mansions followed. In 1926 the railway line from Lisbon to Cascais was the first to be electrified in Portugal and this also had a positive economic effect. During the 2nd World War several Kings and Heads of countries sought refuge in Cascais and nearby Estoril. With these people came other aristocrats, politicians, actors and writers - so many that the population increased by 20,000 people between 1939 to 1946 . Names of important exiles such as Duke of Windsor, King Umberto of Italy, Princess Joana of Italy, King Carol II of Romania, Prince Juan of Spain, now King of Spain, Count Henri of France, part of the Habsburg family, Regent Horthy of Hungary, can all be associated with the history of both this town and that of neighboring Estoril.

This charming little town is linked to capital by a motorway and by an electric train which runs along the coast from the centre of Lisbon. Those travelling from Lisbon to Estoril will be delighted with coastline landscapes. Further along the coastline are the beaches in a continuous line from the Tagus estuary

Owing to a Mediterranean type microclimate, the Estoril Coast has mild winters and an ideal summer temperature which never gets too hot.

Cascais, today, is the centre for the Lisbon working international community and the "younger set" who enjoy the diverse and sophisticated nightlife. One of the most outstanding palaces is the Palácio de Conde de Castro Guimarães that is open to the public and exhibits its own grand private collection that includes over 25.000 books and such rarities as an illustrated book by Duarte Galvão (1455-1517).

 Also, most of the pre-historic finds from the Grutas de Alapraia are stored here. These were a series of underground caves only discovered in the late 19th Century. The Grutas do Poço Velho are located in the centre of the town and date back to the Neolithic period. On a much more modest scale is the Museu do Mar that depicts the story of Cascais and its fishing history. Just outside the town is the famous Boca do Inferno in which the sea on rougher days hammers into the rock and creates a booming noise and a spectacular spray.

 Cascais now boasts a smart new Marina with lovely boats adding a further attraction to the town. The Praça de Touros built 1873 is an imposing area in which regular bullfights can be seen. The Parque Palmela is an attractive park created by the Duques de Palmela and now maintained by the Townhall in which open-air concerts are often held.

Within easy reach from Cascais is the famous beach at Guincho with its high waves that attract windsurfers from all around the world as having some of the best rollers in Europe. The next town to the east of Cascais is the resort town of Estoril with its popular Casino.

 To the north and within easy reach is the romantic and fascinating town of Sintra immortalised by Lord Byron.

 Town Hall site - http://www.cm-cascais.pt/cascais

Ceramic Art of Cascais - http://www.ceramicarte.pt/index-i.html

Cascais Theatre - http://www.tecascais.org/