Forty minutes on a coastal train from Lisbon, Cascais was where Portuguese royalty went to swim, and it keeps a certain polish: sandy town beaches, a marina, a free bike scheme and ice-cream queues that move fast. Cycle the seafront path to the crashing Boca do Inferno, or bus out to Guincho for wild Atlantic surf. An easy, elegant first taste of Portugal's coast.
Featured in Ten lovely beach towns for lazy harbourside evenings · Beach