Walking in Portugal – Cascais & the Sintra Natural Park

Your hotel is in Monte Estoril between Estoril and Cascais, the two main resorts on the Lisbon Coast. Estoril, with its plush villas and Belle Époque casino, is the more traditional of the two, while lively Cascais still retains some of its character as a traditional fishing town. They are connected by a seafront promenade and your hotel is a 20-minute walk from the center of either resort, or you can take the frequent local bus.

As well as palaces, gardens and hermitages, there are traditional villages and towns making this a ‘cultural landscape’ worthy of a UNESCO World Heritage Site listing.

From your base on the coast in Monte Estoril, you have three guided walks in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, all different in content and character showing you varied aspects of the countryside, scenery, and way of life here. There is a short coach transfer to the start of each walk of about 10 miles. In your free time, you can relax in the seaside resorts of Estoril and Cascais or take a short train ride to enjoy the sights, sounds, and flavors of Lisbon.

Everywhere you go in Lisbon you will find evidence of the city’s historic links with the Age of Discovery from where intrepid explorers opened up the sea-trading routes to India, Brazil, China, and Japan in the 15th century. Today, the city is a mix of old quarters such as the Alfama, a maze of steep cobbled streets, the wide avenues leading to the 18th century Rossio square, and modern developments with fine shops.