Cascais - Vacation Away From Vacation
Every great city should have its own escape patch, a place for its citizens to decompress. A beach town is always a welcoming relief on a balmy summer evening, even for a slow-paced metropolis like Lisbon. Located at the mouth of the Tagus River, the seaside town of Cascais (khash-KAYSH) fits the description of relaxation well. It didn't take long for anyone to understand the magic of this place. The town has the right balance of quaintness, rowdiness, and high culture. It is our mini-vacation away from vacation.
As one of the wealthiest municipalities in today's Portugal, Cascais has long been the playground of the rich and powerful. Many royalties of the old European order resided here following the dissolution of monarchies across the continent. Portuguese Queen Maria Pia officially established a royal summer residence at the turn of the century. The rest of the aristocracy soon followed suit. It has an air of French Rivera with a historical fortress, romantic mansions, and sandy beaches. Our visit during a cool summer afternoon was glorious. The crowd was an eclectic mix of locals and tourists. There was a concurrent sense of calm and excitement.
Casa das Histórias Paula Rego
I am not going to lie. Our visit to Cascais was entirely due to my determination to visit Casa das Histórias Paula Rego, a museum dedicated to the famed Portuguese visual artist. Okay, we did not know anything about the museum’s collection. What drew me was this iconic museum building, the work of Eduardo Souto de Moura. The 2011 recipient of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, Moura is a master of creating understated monumentality and structural expression through materials. The simplicity of form in four distinct volumes of various heights creates an ensemble of buildings that are at once timeless and humble.
Casa das Histórias Paula Rego.
Casa das Histórias Paula Rego.
Casa das Histórias Paula Rego.
One could not help but connect the building to the "Critical Regional,” a movement to inject local identity into the Internationalism of the Modernist movement. The pyramidal forms seem to invoke the chimney at the Sintra National Palace or the monastery at Alcobaça. The ornamental-free facade is both majestic and approachable. Very few buildings that I have visited before have such a profound and moving sculptural quality. It is hard not to find ourselves at ease here. It would have been a lovely place to set up a picnic (do it at your own risk since I am not sure it is sanctioned). The structure is both strangely alien and familiar at the same time.
Handcrafted materiality should be appreciated up close.
The corner windows is a work of beauty.
During my trip planning process, I questioned whether this museum was worthy of the 40-minute trek, especially when our time in Lisbon was already rather limited. As an architecture sightseer, I don't care much about the collection inside and can't comment much. But I could confidently say it was smart and whimsical. If it were not for the architect inside me and a packed afternoon schedule on my mind, I would have appreciated the art like a normal person. Oddly, the interior did not make a big impression on me for an art museum. Surprisingly, the pyramidal roofs tower over their gift shop and cafe. You would have thought they would put some amazing installation there, but no! Nevertheless, it is still worthy of a short visit.
Handcrafted materiality should be appreciated up close.
Handcrafted materiality should be appreciated up close.
I do have to admit that I felt terrible that we breezed through the entire museum in less than thirty minutes. I almost felt like we had to quietly sneak out through the cafe to avoid offending the admission desk staff. If you are short on time, please visit only the gift shop and cafe to avoid the nominal admission.
Cascais Promenade & Citadel
The Cascais line of the CP Urban Service terminates at the Cascais Station. From the Cais do Sodré Station in Central Lisbon, it is a comfortable 40-minute ride along the Tagus River. Along the way, we were provided with a scenic overview of Lisbon and its environment, including passing through the must-see district of Belem (including the Jerónimos Monastery and Monument to Discovery). Just make sure it takes the seat on the left takes in the best view, albeit beware of the blazing Mediterranean sun.
Wave-patterned pavement could not be more appropriate in Cascais.
Looking to into the blue sky.
The charm of Cascais is rooted in its peaceful coexistence between the highbrow and lowbrow. Although a playground of the regal, it seems to be a peace with us, the commoners. Not far from the workaday fishing dock is the ultra-luxury yachts. Similarly, high-end boutiques share the street with your tacky touristy shops. As you work down the main pedestrian drag, step off toward the side streets to explore the quiet courtyard filled with gossiping locals around the local parish church.
Wave-patterned pavement could not be more appropriate in Cascais.
The pedestrianised shopping district was very pleasant.
Main gate into Citadel of Cascais.
The main plaza of Cascais is decked out in Lisbon's characteristic pavement. The wave pattern is more than appropriate in a seaside plaza like this one. Portugal has the unique ability to make their calçada Portuguesa sparkle regardless of the weather. It might not be the most practical material, but it hides all the dirt well.
Just a few steps away from the main square is the main citadel. Dated back to the 14th century, its strategic locations could not be more apparent. It may not look imposing nowadays, but it was among the three fortresses that defended Lisbon over the centuries. Within the fortress, the complex was the former royal summer residence that became the presidential summer residence since the founding of the Republic. The residence is now fully restored and opened as a state museum. Elsewhere in the complex, it was transformed into a creative art space filled with art studios, galleries, bookstores, and exhibition spaces.
Art space within the ground of fortification.
Art space within the ground of fortification.
Fortification within Main gate into Citadel of Cascais..
You could also find Pestana Cidadela Cascais, part of the Pousadas de Portugal. If you were unfamiliar with Pousadas, it is a chain of luxury hotels previously owned and operated by the central government. Portugal managed countless vacant historic structures with the dissolution of monasteries and monarchy. Instead of letting them rot in disuse, the government turned them into historic hotels, often within spectacular settings. Pestana Cidadela Cascais is no exception. While I wish we had a chance to stay in a Pousadas, it just didn't work out.
Even though you are not a guest of the hotel and are not interested in the various galleries, it is wonderful to see a historic space teeming with life and culture.
Estoril
We took Rick Steve's recommendations of walking along a paved beach promenade to Estoril. Estoril is famous for its casino and was once the gathering point of foreign spies. Ian Fleming drafted the first 007 stories here at the beginning of World War II when Portugal was a neutral country. It is also an inspiration for the famous movie Casino Royale.
The beach of Tamariz, in the central coastal area of Estoril.
The walk to Estoril was pleasant, with endless sandy beaches and neat cafes/restaurants dotting the promenade. There are also plenty of showers and changing facilities as well. A striking contemporary building greeted us as we approached the Estoril Station. It's a little bit ostentatious for the seaside setting. It is not only two months later that I casually saw a mention of this building in an article in the New York Times. Colloquially known as the "Angolans Building,” the condominium building now symbolizes the new post-colonial order in modern Portugal.
Without its former empire and much economic luster, Portugal's national enterprises are now heavily controlled by investment funds from former colonies such as Brazil, Angola, and Mozambique. Despite being relatively affluent, cash-strapped Portugal has now turned to its oil or mineral-rich former colonies for the cash infusion. Angola is probably the most extreme example of this. I was very surprised to read that the Angolan capital, Luanda, has been ranked as the most expensive city in the world in the past few years. It is difficult for me to imagine the psyche of modern Portuguese and how they deal with their colonial legacies. For travelers today, the colonial past of Portugal inadvertently blesses us with two pleasant legacies: multiethnic food and the grand architecture funded by the centuries of Portuguese exploitation abroad. Today, Portugal has one of Europe's most dynamic and multiethnic societies. Not surprisingly, Portugal is also considered one of the best places to retire on the continent. If you could afford it, Cascais is an excellent choice for sure.
Nicknamed the “Angolan Building”, the luxury development near Estoril represents the reverse colonization of Portugal by elites from former colonies like Angola and Mozambique.
Harbor of Cascais.
One note of caution: beware of the train track at Estoril. The trains travel on the left side of the track, so make sure you are waiting for the Lisbon-bound train on the landward side of the track. An American couple and I waited on the wrong platform, and by the time the train came into view, it was too late to cross it then. We took an Uber instead to make our precious dinner reservation at Cantinho Lusitano.
Further Afield
For those with more time, Cascais is well worth a night's stay. Plenty of excellent restaurants and cafes make a great evening outing around town. Just a short 5-km ride from the town center is Guincho Beach, famous for the high wave for surfing. At the end of the lovely and well-maintained cycling path is Boca Do Inferno (the Mouth of Hell), the famous sea cave enveloped in the dramatic splash of waves during winter. Aside from its dramatic setting, Boca does Inferno is better known as the place where Aleister Crowley, the famed astrologer, magician, and occultist, faked his death in 1930.
Cascais is also a good base for a day trip to Sintra. Two bus lines (No. 403 & 417) operated. Scotturb ran to Sintra. While bus 417 is a direct route and carries you to Sintra in under 30 minutes, bus 403 offers a scenic detour to Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of Europe and the end of the world as far as Europeans were concerned back before the time of Columbus. Sure, it is a beautiful place to watch the sunset, but I suspect most people visit there for selfies at the “End of Europe.”
