Having been a holiday resort for well over a century, Cascais possesses a certain
illustriousness that younger resorts lack. Its history is most clearly visible
in the villas along the coast, built as summer residences by wealthy Lisboetas  during the late 19th century, after King Luís I had
moved his summer activities to the 17th-century fortress here. The military
importance of Cascais, now waned, is much older as it sits on the north bank of
the mouth of the Tagus.

The sandy, sheltered bay around which the modern suburb has sprawled was a
fishing harbour in prehistoric times. Fishing still goes on, and was recently
given a municipal boost with the decision to build a new quay for the landing
and initial auctioning of the fishermen’s catch. But Cascais today is first of
all a favoured suburb of Lisbon, a place of apartments with a sea view and
pine-studded plots by golf courses. It may sometimes seem more defined by its
ceaseless construction boom than by any historic or even touristic qualities,
but the beautiful, windswept coastline beyond the town has been left relatively
undeveloped.

The Museu do Conde de Castro Guimaraes  is perhaps the best
place to get a taste of Cascais as it was just over a century ago. A castle-like
villa on a small creek by a headland, its grounds are today part of a park. The
house and its contents were bequeathed to the municipality.

Across the road from the museum is the new marina, one of the most emblematic new
developments in Cascais. With its small shopping centre, restaurants and cafés
it is becoming a weekend magnet for today’s car-borne Cascais residents and
tourists.