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Choosing where

Cascais or Sintra

Most people arrive with the coast in mind and leave wanting the hills. Spend a day in each before you look at a single house. Below is how I would describe them to a friend, including the part the listing leaves out.

The beach, promenade and pier in the centre of Cascais from above
Area one

Cascais

The old centre runs on foot. You can walk from the market to the beach in ten minutes, and most people do. The modern family houses and the international schools sit in the parishes around it, five or ten minutes out by car.

Buy here if you want to land speaking no Portuguese and still function. You pay for that, and in August the town fills with visitors.

Best for
Families, and anyone who wants to walk everywhere
Lisbon
About 40 minutes by train along the coast
Character
Atlantic, sociable, loud in summer

Towns in Cascais

  • 4 Bedroom Apartment with swimming pool, Cascais

    Cascais centre

    53 homes for sale · from €650,000

    The old town, the bay, the market and the marina, all on foot. Apartments in period buildings and newer blocks a few streets back; houses are rare and priced accordingly.

    Beach
    Praia da Ribeira 50 m
    School
    Externato Nossa Senhora da Assunção 500 m
    Park
    Jardim Visconde da Luz 300 m
    Shops
    Mercado Municipal de Cascais 600 m
    Health
    Centro de Saúde de Cascais 650 m
    See the homes (53)
  • 5 Bedroom Detached house with swimming pool, Guia, Cascais

    Gandarinha & Guia

    29 homes for sale · from €620,000

    West of the centre along the coast road towards the Boca do Inferno. Quieter streets, sea air, and the cycle path out to Guincho.

    Beach
    Praia de Santa Marta 1.3 km
    School
    Escola Secundária de Cascais 300 m
    Park
    Parque Urbano da Ribeira dos Mochos 750 m
    Shops
    Lidl 1.1 km
    Health
    Centro de Saúde de Cascais 1.6 km
    See the homes (29)
  • 3 Bedroom Duplex with swimming pool, Centro Cascais, Cascais

    Alvide

    14 homes for sale · from €750,000

    Residential and practical, just inland of the centre, with schools and supermarkets close by. More space for the money than the streets nearer the sea.

    Beach
    Praia da Duquesa 1.8 km
    School
    Colégio do Amor de Deus 500 m
    Park
    Parque da Pampilheira 950 m
    Shops
    Pingo Doce 50 m
    Health
    Centro de Saúde de Cascais 1.4 km
    See the homes (14)
  • 5 Bedroom House in Fiori Cascais, Birre, Cascais

    Birre

    33 homes for sale · from €1,280,000

    Family houses with gardens, ten minutes from the centre of Cascais and close to King's College School and Quinta da Marinha.

    Beach
    Praia da Cresmina 2.8 km
    School
    King's College School 900 m
    Park
    Parque da Pampilheira 1.3 km
    Shops
    Auchan 700 m
    Health
    Centro de Saúde de Cascais 2.6 km
    See the homes (33)
  • 4 Bedroom Detached house in Juzzo Design Villas, Aldeia de Juso, Cascais

    Aldeia de Juso

    54 homes for sale · from €800,000

    A village above Cascais where much of the area's new building is going up: gated developments of villas and apartments, many with pools, on the way to the Serra.

    Beach
    Praia do Guincho 2.2 km
    School
    King's College School 2.1 km
    Park
    Parque da Aldeia de Juso 50 m
    Shops
    Aldi 650 m
    Health
    Hospital de Cascais Dr. José de Almeida 2.6 km
    See the homes (54)
  • 9 Bedroom Detached house with parking, Quinta da Marinha, Cascais

    Quinta da Marinha

    20 homes for sale · from €1,250,000

    Golf, umbrella pine and the largest plots on this coast. Detached villas behind gates, the Oitavos dunes, and Guincho beach a few minutes away.

    Beach
    Praia da Cresmina 3.0 km
    School
    King's College School 1.3 km
    Park
    Golfe Quinta da Marinha 450 m
    Shops
    Lidl 900 m
    Health
    Centro de Saúde de Cascais 2.8 km
    See the homes (20)
  • 7 Bedroom House with garden, Guincho, Cascais

    Areia & Guincho

    5 homes for sale · from €1,800,000

    The edge of the Natural Park, close to the dunes and the big Atlantic beaches. Wind and space, and fewer neighbours.

    Beach
    Praia da Cresmina 1.3 km
    School
    King's College School 2.5 km
    Park
    Parque da Aldeia de Juso 1.2 km
    Shops
    Aldi 1.7 km
    Health
    Hospital de Cascais Dr. José de Almeida 3.8 km
    See the homes (5)
  • Farm 1.7 ha, Malveira da Serra, Cascais

    Murches & Malveira da Serra

    13 homes for sale · from €1,690,000

    Semi-rural villages on the road up into the Serra de Sintra. Larger plots, cooler summers, and the coast fifteen minutes below.

    Beach
    Praia do Guincho 2.7 km
    School
    King's College School 2.7 km
    Park
    Parque da Aldeia de Juso 1.0 km
    Shops
    Aldi 1.1 km
    Health
    Hospital de Cascais Dr. José de Almeida 2.1 km
    See the homes (13)
  • Plot with 12672 sqm in Alcabideche

    Alcabideche

    3 homes for sale · from €560,000

    Inland and well connected: Hospital de Cascais, CascaiShopping and the A5 into Lisbon are all close. Good value for families who drive.

    Beach
    Praia do Tamariz 3.6 km
    School
    IPS Cascais British International School 2.2 km
    Park
    Estoril Palácio Golf Course 1.8 km
    Shops
    CascaiShopping 950 m
    Health
    Centro de Saúde de Alcabideche 500 m
    See the homes (3)
The old town of Sintra set into the wooded hills
Area two

Sintra

The Serra catches the Atlantic moisture and holds it, which is why the gardens are extraordinary and why the houses need looking after. The historic centre is a UNESCO site and busy with it. People live in the quintas and villas spread through the hills around it.

Buy here if you want space and privacy more than convenience, and if you do not mind driving. The houses are older and more interesting, so budget for the roof.

Best for
Space, privacy and period houses
Cascais
Roughly 25 to 30 minutes by car
Character
Wooded and quiet, damp in winter

Towns in Sintra

  • Pena Palace on its hilltop above Sintra

    Sintra

    The historic centre and the quintas in the hills around it. Older, more interesting houses, and cooler, damper air than the coast.

    Beach
    Praia das Maçãs 7.2 km
    School
    Carlucci American International School of Lisbon 4.2 km
    Park
    Estoril Palácio Golf Course 8.7 km
    Shops
    Celeiro 6.6 km
    Health
    Joaquim Chaves Saúde 6.7 km
    Nothing listed right now. Ask me
  • The lighthouse at Cabo da Roca on the cliffs west of Colares

    Colares

    Vineyards between the Serra and the sea, with Praia das Maçãs below. Country houses and land.

    Beach
    Praia das Maçãs 2.8 km
    School
    Carlucci American International School of Lisbon 7.6 km
    Park
    Parque da Aldeia de Juso 8.0 km
    Shops
    Celeiro 8.0 km
    Health
    Joaquim Chaves Saúde 8.1 km
    Nothing listed right now. Ask me
Waves breaking below the Santa Marta lighthouse on the Cascais coast
Area three

Estoril & the Coast

This is the stretch between Cascais and Lisbon. Wide avenues, older villas set back behind walls, and a seafront promenade that runs the whole way along. You get more square metres for your money than in Cascais, and the train into the city stops at the bottom of the hill.

Buy here if you need to be in Lisbon often enough that the commute matters. Parede, São Pedro and Monte Estoril feel different from each other, so walk all three before you decide.

Best for
Value, and an easy commute into Lisbon
Lisbon
25 to 35 minutes on the coastal line
Character
Residential and unhurried

Towns in Estoril & the Coast

  • 3 Bedroom Penthouse with swimming pool, Monte Estoril, Cascais

    Monte Estoril

    45 homes for sale · from €370,000

    Villas and apartments on the slope between Cascais and Estoril, many with sea views. Walk down to the beach and the train; walk along the promenade into Cascais.

    Beach
    Praia das Moitas 650 m
    School
    Escola dos Salesianos do Estoril 500 m
    Park
    Parque de Palmela 500 m
    Shops
    Auchan 950 m
    Health
    Centro de Saúde de Cascais 1.3 km
    See the homes (45)
  • 4 Bedroom Penthouse with swimming pool, Estoril, Cascais

    Estoril

    26 homes for sale · from €1,050,000

    The casino gardens, Tamariz beach and the station at the bottom of the hill. Grand older villas behind walls, and apartments close to the centre.

    Beach
    Praia do Tamariz 200 m
    School
    Escola dos Salesianos do Estoril 300 m
    Park
    Jardim do Casino do Estoril 100 m
    Shops
    Continente Bom Dia 300 m
    Health
    Centro de Saúde de Cascais 2.0 km
    See the homes (26)
  • 8 Bedroom House with garden, Estoril, Cascais

    Amoreira & inland Estoril

    23 homes for sale · from €790,000

    Above Estoril near the golf course and the Salesianos school. Quieter, greener and more space than the streets by the sea.

    Beach
    Praia das Moitas 2.1 km
    School
    Colégio do Amor de Deus 950 m
    Park
    Parque Urbano do Outeiro dos Cucos 850 m
    Shops
    Pingo Doce 1.3 km
    Health
    Centro de Saúde de Alcabideche 1.1 km
    See the homes (23)
  • Detached 11-Bedroom Villa with Pool in Estoril

    São João do Estoril

    4 homes for sale · from €2,100,000

    Residential, with its own station and small coves like Poça and Azarujinha. Local cafés rather than visitors.

    Beach
    Praia da Azarujinha 200 m
    School
    Escola dos Salesianos do Estoril 1.3 km
    Park
    Jardim do Casino do Estoril 1.0 km
    Shops
    Intermarché 500 m
    Health
    Centro de Saúde da Parede 2.6 km
    See the homes (4)
  • 4 Bedroom Penthouse with swimming pool, São Pedro do Estoril, Cascais

    São Pedro do Estoril

    10 homes for sale · from €1,700,000

    Quiet streets above a local surf beach, between Estoril and Parede. Houses and low-rise apartments.

    Beach
    Praia de São Pedro do Estoril 300 m
    School
    Prime School International 1.3 km
    Park
    Área Marinha Protegida das Avencas 1.2 km
    Shops
    Centro Comercial da Parede 1.5 km
    Health
    Centro de Saúde da Parede 1.3 km
    See the homes (10)
  • 7 Bedroom Detached house with swimming pool, Quinta Patino, Cascais

    Bicesse & Quinta Patiño

    20 homes for sale · from €930,000

    Inland of Estoril: villas and newer estates near Quinta Patiño and IPS Cascais, with quick access to the A5.

    Beach
    Praia da Poça 3.1 km
    School
    IPS Cascais British International School 650 m
    Park
    Bosque dos Gaios 1.6 km
    Shops
    Celeiro 1.6 km
    Health
    Joaquim Chaves Saúde 1.5 km
    See the homes (20)
  • Casa da Âncora – Prestigious Villa with Panoramic Sea View in Estoril

    Parede

    28 homes for sale · from €575,000

    A town of its own on the train line, with its own beach, the Avencas rock pools and a real high street. More for your money than Cascais or Estoril.

    Beach
    Praia das Avencas 650 m
    School
    Colégio Marista de Carcavelos 1.0 km
    Park
    Área Marinha Protegida das Avencas 750 m
    Shops
    Centro Comercial da Parede 200 m
    Health
    Centro de Saúde da Parede 600 m
    See the homes (28)
  • 4 Bedroom Penthouse in Hilton Cascais Residences, Parede, Cascais

    Carcavelos

    132 homes for sale · from €335,000

    The longest beach on the line, the Thursday market, and St. Julian's School. Popular with families commuting into Lisbon.

    Beach
    Praia de Carcavelos 1.2 km
    School
    St. Julian's School 700 m
    Park
    Pinhal do Junqueiro 1.1 km
    Shops
    Mercado de Carcavelos 250 m
    Health
    Centro de Saúde de Carcavelos 700 m
    See the homes (132)
Still undecided

Let me narrow it down with you

Tell me how you want your week to look, down to how far you will drive for decent coffee. I will put together a search across the areas that fit it.

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