We will be in Lisbon for 5 nights in May. We will be in Sintra 2 nights, at the end of our loop, before heading back to the airport. If we give a day from our Lisbon stay to a day trip, could we do Belem and Cascais in one trip, or pick one or the other? We do not like to cram too much in one day.
Posted by
Chicago
75 posts
Hello RovingCarole,
We did both of these day trips about five years ago. Cascais has some pretty villas to look at, but it seemed lacking in historical/cultural offerings. Belem is an easy day trip from Lisbon - we took the trolly. Once there, you can see the monument to exploration by the water, the nearby Jeronimos Monastery, or the Botanic Garden. We did not visit the Monastery, but really enjoyed the Botanical Garden which displays specimens from those regions formerly under Portuguese control. I think if you've spent two days looking at "fantasy" architecture in Sintra, you might prefer the Belem trip. Lisbon itself was a delightful surprise. We never got tired of walking through the Alfama. There is plenty to do in Lisbon proper.
Enjoy.
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
1603 posts
There is a lot to see and do in Belem so I wouldn’t combine it with a visit to Cascais. However, because you are staying in Lisbon for 5 nights, you could go to Cascais another day. On our trip we visited Sintra for a day with a small group tour from Lisbon. On our way back to Lisbon, we stopped at Boca de Inferno for a brief stop and then drove through Cascais and Estoril. We thought Cascais looked very pretty and that it would be a nice place to visit for a day or half a day. So depending on how your Lisbon sightseeing is going, you could visit both places on separate days. You don’t have to decide now; you can wait until you are in Lisbon. We loved Lisbon, too!