Activities & Attractions

The Arrábida Natural Park sits on the northern slope of the Sado River estuary in Portugal. The park was founded in 1976 and covers 108 square kilometres (41.7 miles). Setúbal, Palmela, Azeitão, Sesimbra and the sea make up its boundaries. The countryside is hilly and we can find the Serra dos Gaiteiros, S. Luís, S. Francisco, Louro, Risco along with the highest hills, the Serra da Arrábida which stands at 499 metres high(1637 ft). The park covers the Arrábida Hills, which mediterranean-like vegetation and microclimate resemble Adriatic locations such as Dalmatia. Two of the park beaches are popular among the inhabitants of Lisbon and Setúbal. The park is occupied since very early, during the Pre-History and the Metals Age.

This once tiny fishing village has grown in the last century to become the elegant beach town that it is today. There is a large yacht harbour and several small sand beaches in and around town. Cascais is easily reached from Lisbon by car or by frequent inexpensive commuter trains. It has the ruins of a castle, an art and sea museum, as well as parks and the charming cobbled streets of the historic centre. The various beaches here are small and sweet and certainly crowded in the summer. The space like formation of the rocks at Boca do Inferno (‘mouth of hell’), just 3km out of the town, make it an interesting place to visit without the added extra of it being pounded by the Atlantic and becoming a spectacular blowhole at certain points of the tide. It is also becoming a popular golf destination, with over 10 golf courses nearby. Surfing, sailing, windsurfing, and kitesurfing are also popular in the region around Cascais due to favourable weather, wind, and sea conditions.

Observing an odyssey of sea creatures in a state-of-the-art aquarium, and a breathtaking view from the walls of a millennium-old castle. A stunning, seemingly endless modern bridge, and tiny turn-of-the-century trams. Climbing picturesque hills by day and bar-hopping through vibrant cobbled lanes at night. Legendary cafés and art nouveau shops. World Heritage monuments and singular museum treasures. Fairytale palaces and sandy beaches nearby. Long dinners and an insatiable appetite for nightlife. Antiquated and trendy; lively and melancholic. All that is Lisbon. A captivating city. A soulful European capital. The city's legendary seven hills will also seduce you into admiring characteristic mosaic pavements and dazzling tiled facades, and will reward you with strategically-placed belvederes offering breathtaking panoramas over the city after a ride on a charming old tram. You'll find yourself wandering through colorful 18th century squares downtown and getting lost in the medieval maze of the Alfama or Mouraria districts overlooked by an ancient castle.

Sintra is both a town and a municipality in Portugal, located in the district of Lisbon. The town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site on account of its 19th century Romantic architecture. Sintra has become a major tourist attraction, with many day-trippers visiting from nearby Lisbon. Attractions include the fabulous Pena Palace (19th c.) and the Castelo dos Mouros (reconstructed 19th c.) with a breath-taking view of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, and the summer residence of the kings of Portugal Palácio Nacional de Sintra (largely 15th/16th c.), in the town itself. The Sintra Mountain Range, one of the largest parks in the Lisbon area, (Serra de Sintra) is also a major tourist attraction. The potentialities of the Sintra district are not confined to the wild enchantments of the Serra, sometimes wreathed in mist, and to the artistic heritage of the Old Town, described by Byron as "the most pleasing in Europe", but also include valuable archaeological remains, particularly from the Roman period, ancient manor houses, churches of personalized artistic value and characteristic villages. The three National Palace - Palácio da Vila, Palácio da Pena and Palácio de Queluz - and the various municipal museums, contain important historical and artistic collections. The attraction that Sintra always had for outstanding portuguese and foreign artists, who have enriched a patrimony of worldwide importance.