Why Cascais, Portugal, is the Next Cultural “It” Destination for Travel

It’s located only 30 minutes from Lisbon and yet often gets forgotten when travelers head to Portugal. And even for those who do visit Cascais, they expect to find only beaches and seafood and leave with an entirely different (and positive) impression altogether. For one, Cascais is fast becoming a world-class stage for events.

Casa das Histrias © Visit Cascais

Every year, the destination hosts lively music festivals, triathlons, food events and more, many weaving in authentic Portuguese culture to each experience. These events are just some of the exciting happenings in and around Cascais.

Chefs on Fire

Renowned chefs from all over Portugal convene to cook their exclusively designed menus on fire, smoke and firewood. They will transform the simplest ingredients into dishes full of flavor, texture and character. To offset firewood use, more than 1,000 trees have been planted, and a zero-plastic policy is enforced throughout the event. Keep an eye out for next year’s event.

© Visit Cascais

Estoril Classics

In its 10^th year, this event has grown into one of Europe’s most respected historic motorsport festivals. The event spans decades of racing history into one weekend, complete with free grandstand access along the main straight and paddock tickets for close access to the cars and teams.

Ageas CoolJazz

This carefully curated festival blends jazz with a vast range of contemporary sounds, from pop and soul to indie and electronic music. Over the years, the festival has drawn internationally recognized artists and emerging performers. The event takes place in Cascais’ Museum Quarter across several open-air locations. Past performers included Van Morrison, Lionel Richie, Seal and John Legend. Next year’s event will be in July.

IRONMAN

Occurring Oct. 17, this year’s IRONMAN comprises both a full IRONMAN and an IRONMAN 70.3, giving athletes the best of Cascais. The swim starts in a bay, while the bike portion includes a loop through the Circuito do Estoril F1 track.