Beach chills, hikes, and historic sites.

For the last few days of the trip, I headed to the beach! Cascais is a tourist city only about 30 minutes by train west of Lisbon. It is small but bubbly and has some beautiful beaches and patios. Although I came here to chill for a few days, I ended up packing in enough activities to keep me busy.

The first afternoon I just explored. I walked the beaches and roamed around downtown. There was a Harley Davidson rally happening so the place was bustling with activity and there was lots to see. After a good tour, I found a good Portugese chicken place and had a bomb dinner to refuel after a few busy and tiring days. Then I hit the hay real early and logged a solid 12 hour sleep - what vacations are for!

The next day, I caught the bus to Cabo da Roca. It is the western-most point in Europe and sport some unbelievable panoramic views of the coast and Atlantic Ocean! On the bus ride there, someone suggested looking at Praia Ursa. When I searched it, it was only a short hike from there, so I took the opportunity to check it out. It was an amazing secluded beach! The trail was tough enough that I imagine most tourists don’t bother, but it was short enough that there were a few groups who made it down by the time I was there around noon. I spent a while just chillin and enjoying the amazing rock formations before hiking back up to catch the bus back. I spent that evening napping, reading, and drinking a bottle of wine on the beach in the city. The sun was in and out between the clouds but it stayed warm enough for it to be enjoyable. A few more drinks that evening and another good sleep was in store.

For my last full day, I took the bus from Cascais to Sintra to check out the amazing historical sites a bit further inland. The city was super interesting. It was all kind of spread out in the hills and it made getting around really tough. A few places I walked to, I probably shouldn’t have been as there wasn’t much of a shoulder on the road and lots of tourist traffic. In any case, I made it work. First I checked out the historic city centre and then made the trek up to Castelo dos Moros. It was one hella hike to get up there but the castle and the views made it very much worth it. The medieval castle is something out of a movie. I believe it was built in the 8th century when Portugal was occupied by the Moors and it sits super high up on a hill. When I visited, it was cloudy and windy and it was so cool to watch the clouds whip and flow between the turrets and hilltops.

After the hike up, the tour, and the hike down, I was pretty much spent. I had a beer and a coxinha at a cafe before I grabbed my bag and caught the train back to Lisbon. I have an early flight in the morning and I’m super sad to leave this amazing place.