Cascais & Guincho

Cascais and Guincho are the town and the Atlantic coast at the western end of the Lisbon coast, in the municipality of Cascais. The coast road runs from the bay of Cascais past Boca do Inferno to Guincho beach, which lies inside the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park between the Ponta Alta and the Ponta do Abano.

The town has a historic centre on its bay, and Guincho has dunes, a long sandy beach and strong wind for most of the year.

Guincho beach with the Sintra hills behind — Guincho beach, inside the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, with the Sintra hills behind.

Beaches in Cascais and Guincho

Guincho: a wide beach of about 800 metres of sand, used for surf, windsurf and kitesurf, and the venue of international championships in these sports.
Cresmina: a smaller beach immediately south of Guincho, on the same dune system.

Monuments in Cascais and Guincho

Citadel of Cascais: the fortress on the bay of Cascais, which became a royal summer residence from 1870.
Boca do Inferno: a sea chasm with a natural arch, on the coast road west of the town.

Nature in Cascais and Guincho

Guincho-Cresmina dunes: the dune system south of Guincho beach, shaped by the prevailing north-west wind. The Cresmina dune is the only integral reserve zone of the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, crossed by raised boardwalks.
Volcanic chimney: an outcrop of basalt rock, part of the Lisbon volcanic complex, which appears on Guincho beach at low tide.
Cabo da Roca: the westernmost point of continental Europe, north of Guincho in the municipality of Sintra.

Dunes and low vegetation near Guincho beach — The dunes and low vegetation of the Guincho-Cresmina dune system.

Visiting Cascais and Guincho

Distance: Guincho beach is about 6 kilometres from the centre of Cascais by the coast road.
Safety: the wind and currents at Guincho are strong, and the beach suits experienced surfers and swimmers.