The ‘Hamptons of Portugal’ that’s luring a new wave of European A-listers
It doesn’t take long for visitors to Cascais and Estoril, the top draws on the stretch of seaside to the west of Lisbon, to suspect they’ve found somewhere special. Even the names of its beaches carry a royal seal of approval.
Among the golden sands for sunseekers to choose from are Praia da Duquesa (The Duchess’s Beach) and Praia da Reinha (The Queen’s Beach). Glamour surely awaits. Nearby Praia de Ribeira (The Riverside Beach) sounds mundane in comparison, though you might spot Portugal’s President, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, on one of the morning swims that keep the 74-year-old looking svelte.
The Hamptons of Portugal, as this coastline has been latterly rebranded, first attracted serious attention in the 1870s when King Luís I began to embrace the burgeoning royal trend for seaside convalescence. Cascais – due south of lofty Sintra, home to the royal summer residence – seemed a logical choice, and Luís converted half of the coastal town’s huge medieval Citadel into a new palace for use in September and October.
Where the king led, aristocrats inevitably followed. The Duchess of Palmela, a town on the other side of the Tagus river, built her own summer digs above the beach which now carries her title.
Queen’s Beach, meanwhile, was named after Amélia, the wife of Carlos I, who succeeded to the throne when his father Luís died in October 1889 during a stay at the Royal Palace in Cascais. So much for the seaside’s restorative qualities. Amélia, that same year, chose what many consider to be the region’s loveliest beach, secluded and small, to be her own private bathing spot. These days anyone can visit – though its popularity and size can mean big crowds, especially in summer.
In October 1910, Portugal was turned into a republic. The kings and queens departed Cascais, and the politicians moved in. The palace of Cascais became one of the official residences of the Portuguese presidents, but slowly fell into neglect. A proper refurbishment was completed in 2011, however, and since then it has hosted numerous foreign heads of state, as well as Charles III when he was still the Prince of Wales. Current Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa regularly spends the night, holding many meetings there (once his swim is out of the way).
In 1930, the doors of the elegant Palacio Estoril Hotel swung open, further enhancing this coastline’s A-list reputation. It would soon become the go-to watering hotel for spies in neutral Portugal. Ian Fleming was a regular, writing his first book Casino Royale there, clearly drawing from real-life experiences at the grand casino next door, which had opened in 1931 to rival Monte Carlo’s.
Foreign royalty arrived, from the Duke of Windsor (previously Edward VIII) to the fleeing Italian and Romanian royal families. Some remained. Exiled King Umberto II of Italy built a villa there in the 1960s, overlooking the sea and now a gleaming hotel called the Grande Real Villa Italia. For a feel of the past stay in its Royal Penthouse suite, with original furnishings, a palatial feel and the perfect sunset view. Or throw a party at King Carlos I’s hunting lodge in Quinta da Marinha, an area to the west of Cascais. Found within the grounds of the Martinhal Lisbon Cascais Family Resort Hotel, this 19th-century lodge has been renovated and is open for events.
Not wishing to rest on its elegant laurels, Cascais is getting a new lease of life, with fresh hotel openings and buzzy, contemporary restaurants spilling out onto cobbled streets. French architect Philippe Starck is a resident, and English can increasingly be heard as much as Portuguese as you push your way through the chic crowds, cocktails clinking, as dusk falls. It seems this stretch of coast, 150 years on, hasn’t lost its pulling power.
“It has low crime, high temperatures, is hugely cosmopolitan, has a number of leading international schools and is within easy reach of Lisbon and its airport,” explained British ex-pat Charles Roberts from Fine & Country Real Estate, which offers properties in the area. “It has never really promoted itself as it didn’t need to but recently – between the fallout from Brexit, the French escaping high taxes, the British leaving Hong Kong and those seeking Portugal’s ‘Golden Visas’ – it has been ridiculously sought after.”
Pressed on which celebrities he has shown around, he mentions Claudia Schiffer before confirming that footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is building a £17m house in seaside Quinta da Marinha. “It will be 6,000 square metres in total with 4,000 square metres on top and 2,000 square metres beneath ground and should be ready before the end of the year,” said Roberts.
And where should you go to rub shoulders with Cascais’s new royalty?
Just opened food bar Izakaya, where dishes include cuttlefish with a beurre blanc sauce, a homage to the chef’s mother, and aubergine grilled with a miso sauce, is a good place to start. Philippe Stark is a regular. Close by, but with less noise, is Kappo, a Japanese restaurant where Tiago Penao delivers delicate, flavour-filled dishes. And overlooking the bay is Hifen, a two-storey restaurant with cracking views and an eclectic menu which also draws the cool Cascais crowd for cocktails, tender squid with celery, pak choi and coriander, and zingy, fresh tuna tataki with papaya and avocado.
Newer accommodation includes the sleek, design-centric Farol Hotel ( Farol Hotel 5 estrelas em Cascais | Portugal) and the Pestana Cidadela pousada, brilliantly carved out the old citadel, which houses the Royal Palace, where the story began.
But the Grand Dame of the region remains the Palacio Estoril. Its corridors are lined with photographs of the grandest families of Europe, film stars and heads of state. The head concierge has seen it all, even playing a part, as a fresh-faced 18 year old, in Bond flick On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, much of which was filmed here. Spies may no longer lurk in the dimly lit Bar Estoril, but amidst the new wave of movers and shakers to this little corner of Europe, the ghosts of the past accompany what is still a killer martini.
