By Kate Taylor


Cascais is a coastal cosmopolitan town that's a suburb of Lisbon, Portugal. Cascais, Portugal is a short twenty mile drive from the capital and once a small fishing village. Today, Cascais is an exclusive resort town that is nestled on the Estoril coastline. It initially sound its fame as the destination where the royal family of Portugal took their holidays during the late 19th century. In modern history, Cascais was known during the Second World War as a haven for many nobility that were fleeing from Europe because Portugal remained neutral. Nobility from Italy, Spain, Hungary, and Bulgaria flocked to the area. Today, the population of the city is just 35,000, but it's one of Portugal's richest areas.

The town is picturesque and beautiful, with quaint cobblestone streets. Once you see the city, its clear to see why its held in such high regard. The architecture is stunning and the town exudes nothing but elegance. Many of the mansions and homes in the area were built by the nobility that settled here during the Second World War. The style of the buildings shows luxuriously extravagant opulence and continues to attract the wealthy to the city.

Cascais is home to a wonderful new marina where you will find the yachts of the worlds rich and famous moored. At the town's centre you will discover the Grutus do Poco Velho, a stunning collection of underground caves that date back to Neolithic times, but weren't discovered until the end of the 19th century. These caves are own of the town's most popular tourist attractions. The sea just outside of town is home to a huge rock called the Boca do Inferno. This rock that lies just off the coast is extremely large. When a strong wind blows along the coastline, waves are whipped up, crashing against the rock and creating huge plumes of spray that reach high in to the air. A loud booming sound accompanies the spray, resulting in the name that, when translated, means The Mouth of Hell.

Because of the close proximity to Lisbon and its quality and rich environs, the city is becoming a playground for the rich young business women and men of Lisbon. They flock to Cascais on the weekends, retreating to their lavish villas to escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Cascais offers plenty for them to do. For example, they spend time at the Estoril Casino, one of Europe's largest casinos. They also spend time at the nearby and very splendid 5-star hotel, The Palacio. Several scenes from the famous James Bond movie, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" were filmed at the hotel. Additionally, Estoril is known across the world for its famous formula one racing circuit that brings the F1 circus to town year after year.

The area is surrounded by stunning beaches that are graced with craggy rocks and cliffs that border the coastline. These beaches have attracted many talented artists that are looking for beautiful seascapes to paint.

There are also excellent facilities for those that enjoy kite surfing, wind surfing, or sailing. The huge waves that roll into nearby Guincho attract surfers from all over the world. For those that love to golf, the area boasts 10 world-class golf courses.

Some of the properties in the area sell for up to 18,000,000, making the region very exclusive. It's no wonder that the wealthy people of the world are attracted to Cascais. The property prices are kept buoyant by the scarcity of property. This also increases this lovely coastal town's exclusivity. It's no wonder that Cascais, with its great cuisine, wonderful attractions, beautiful weather, stylish property, and quality scenery, is one of the most sought after and exclusive relocation areas in the world.




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