Estoril in Portugal, also known as the Estoril Coast, is a sprawling urban county. It lies in the Cascais borough or municipality which is a surburb of Lisbon. It covers the area up to Oeiras and has a border with the municipality of Sintra.
A prominent feature in Estoril is the Casino Estoril with its gardens. Behind the Casino is the Estoril Conference Center. It has several hotels the most famous being the Palacio Estoril Hotel. You can find some luxury properties in Estoril as well as in Cascais and the centres have always been known as expensive areas to live in. Monte Estoril is located between Estoril and Cascais and is mostly a residential area.
Portugal is located in the western part of the Iberian Peninsula. It faces the Atlantic ocean on one side and has a border with Spain on the other.
Beaches, museums, restaurants:
The small beach in Estoril is the Tamariz. The largest beach in Cascais is in Guincho. The other larger beach is at Carcavelos. There is a promenade where you can walk or jog from Cascais to São João.
Estoril in Portugal including Cascais has always been a popular holiday destination with its beaches, golf facilities, restaurants and bars. There is an easy-going pace of life. Cascais was a fishing village with its picturesque boats in the bay but in recent years there has been much development. The more hectic nightlife tends to be in Lisbon with its varied entertainment from nightclubs to holding the major concerts.
There are many monuments and museums in Lisbon for you to visit. There are museums in Cascais such as the Cascais Museum of the Sea and the Condes de Castro Guimarães Museum . The Paula Rego Art Gallery exhibits the work of the famous artist Paula Rego. The Santa Marta Lighthouse in Cascais has instruments on display.
There are restaurants in Estoril and we list some at Estoril restaurants. From São João to Cascais some restaurants and cafes can be found on the beach promenade. The train journey of about forty minutes from the capital Lisbon’s Cais do Sodré stops at all stations to Cascais.
There are several main events held in the area throughout the year. The Millennium Tennis Open takes place at the Estoril Tennis Club and is one of the annual events. There are sailing events and you can go dolphin watching or on sunset sails.
Portuguese Monarchy:
Portugal’s monarchy began in 1143. The first King was D. Afonso Henriques who conquered the land from the Moors. From 1580 to 1640 Philip II of Spain ruled the country after which it reverted to the Portuguese monarchy. The last monarch, King D. Manuel II, went into exile when Portugal became a Republic in 1910. From 1932 to 1968 the economist Dr António de Salazar ruled as Prime Minister. Dr Marcelo Caetano followed Dr Salazar but he was overthrown in the revolution of 25th April 1974. From that time we have had elected Presidents and governments making the country a young democracy.
Joining the European Union:
Portugal joined the European Union in 1986. It adopted the Euro as its currency in 1999 with the Euro notes and coins introduced in 2002 giving up the previous currency the Escudo.
Apart from the capital Lisboa the main towns are Porto in the north, Coimbra is in the middle and the Algarve with its wide stretches of beaches in the south. Other towns are Aveiro and Braga in the north. Evora and Beja are in the south in the Alentejo area.
The majority in the country are Catholics. The days of the saints are celebrated with municipal holidays. In Lisbon the feast of St Anthony is on 13th June. In Porto the day of St John is on 24th June. The Lisbon festivities include processions, grilled sardines served in restaurants and at improvised street tables. In Lisbon there are the ‘Marchas Populars’, a competition of group singing and dancing in traditional dress in parades going through the Avenida da Liberdade.