ESTORIL

In the heart of Estoril is the Jardim do Estoril, a long lawned park lined with tall palms and containing Estoril's best-value bars and restaurants on its periphery. Here too are many hotels, including the mighty Hotel Palácio. This luxurious five-star hotel was built in the 1930s when opulence was a mastered art. Orson Wells is reputed to have remarked on the number of royals residing there.

The park inclines and at the crown of the hill is the famous Casino Estoril. Construction commenced on the 16th of January 1916. Today it remains the largest of its kind in Europe. During the Second World War, it was a gathering point for spies and influenced Ian Fleming. He based the plot for Casino Royal on the Casino's glamorous and sophisticated atmosphere. Estoril's Casino is more than just a gambling venue. It is a diverse leisure and entertainment complex hosting concerts, cabaret, dancing and art exhibitions.

There is a complete entertainments programme each night. Casino Estoril has a traditional gaming room with roulette stands, french bank, blackjack, game rooms and automatic machine rooms with the most modern slot machines available on the market. In addition, the Casino Estoril regularly hosts international poker tournaments. Its multi-use auditorium has a capacity of over 1000 people.

Dining out here is also a great experience. The Chinese restaurant Estoril Mandarim has been noted as one of the most elegant in Europe, offering its customers authentic Guangdong cuisine. Meanwhile, the Zeno Lounge is recognised as one of the best restaurants of the new Portuguese cuisine, whereas the Nobre Estoril offers a more traditional fare. | Daily: 15h00 – 03h00

Av. Dr. Stanley Ho, Edifício do Casino Estoril, 2765-190 Estoril, Portugal. 38° 42' 25" N | 09° 23' 51" W
+351 214 667 700 | info.cestoril@estoril-sol.com | Website | Facebook

The beach of São Pedro do Estoril is the stretch of sand on the eastern end of Estoril hemmed in by cliffs at either end. It's easy to traverse as there's an esplanade running along much of its length that also has a few cafés and beach shops at your disposal. The beach is serviced by a car park and easy access from the train station which shares its name. A rugged bedrock just below the shoreline is a hindrance to bathers, but São Pedro do Estoril is popular with water sports. There is a slight point break here, with a right-hander breaking towards the middle of the beach. The waves tend to suit long-boarders, as it is a little "fat". The slipway is also a popular access point for launching jet skis and small boats.

The esplanade and coastal path continues along the coast, although not always continuously. At times precariously stuck to the edge of the cliff, it does take you past the Forte de Santo Antónia da Barra fort, one of the many coastal defence structures along this coastline. The Praia da Azaruijinha beach nearby is no more than a sandy cove.

Estoril's main and most frequented beach is the lovely Praia do Tamariz offers a nice stretch of sand and plenty of amenities to keep the whole family happy. At the peripheries, there is rock pools ideal for kids to explore and go paddling. The coastal promenade continues from here onwards all the way to Cascais. This esplanade is popular with joggers and dog walkers. There is a good choice of eateries of varying budgets, bars and even a nightclub here too.

On the eastern end of the beach and dominating the skyline is the attractive 17th century Forte da Cruz. It was constructed as part of the line of defences design to protect the Tejo (Tagus) estuary and Lisbon from attack. In 1894 it passed into private ownership to João Martins de Barra and was utilised as a summer residence. The style chosen for the reformation of Forte da Cruz is Tuscan which blends in perfectly with the beach and sea views. Today it's owned by the Monaco royal family.

On the western fringe of Estoril is the Praia das Moitas beach and easily reached from the Monte Estoril train station and walking along the promenade. There's a small seawater swimming pool (Piscina Oceânica Alberto Romano) for safe bathing amongst the rocks. The ultra-modern hideous monstrosity that resembles giant misplaced Tetris blocks overlooking the sea wall at this point is the Estoril Sol Residence apartment block. From here the promenade continues into Cascais.

The motorsport race track's official title is "Autodromo Fernanda Pires da Silva", which for the 13 years between 1984 to 1996 hosted Portugal's F1 Grand Prix. Since being dropped from formula one because of a lack of funds, it continues to play host to top-level single-seater, sports car and touring car events, including the FIA GT Championship, the DTM and the World Series by Renault.

It was originally built in 1972, as commissioned by Fernanda Pires da Silva, and designed by the Brazilian architect Ayrton Lolô Cornelsen. Later it experienced a redesign of the parabolic bend that saw its length reduced to 2.6 miles (4.2 km) in 2000 to obtain FIM certification. Since 2000 the Autódromo do Estoril hosts the Portuguese motorcycle Grand Prix.

Av. Alfredo César Torres, Apartado 49. 2646 - 901 Alcabideche, Estoril, Portugal.
38° 45' 03" N | 09° 23' 39" W
+351 214 609 500 | dep.comercial@circuito-estoril.pt | Website | Facebook

Also known as Necropolis Eneolítica de Alapraia, this set of four graves found in the northeast of Estoril amongst an urban development are thought to date back to the late Neolithic or Chalcolithic periods. The first of the four was discovered in the early twentieth century by Francisco Oliveira e Paula where it was being used by locals to store cattle and firewood. Although this first cave didn't produce any interesting finds, the remaining three were more fruitful. Afonso do Paço (1895-1968) and Eugénio Jalhay (1891-1950) extrapolated from the high number of funeral ceramics found in these neolithic burial spaces that they were used over time by different civilisations over several eras.

All the caves were hewn out of the living limestone bedrock between 4000BC and 300BC. They have a circular deposition chamber closed at the top by large stone slabs. The entrances of the tombs include a long corridor. There are some similarities between this type of construction and the dolmens found within the Lisbon area. However, it was more common to bury their dead in natural caves, such as in the Grutas do Poço Velho also in the Cascais area. Similar tombs have been discovered at Necrópole de Carenque (Amadora) and at Quinta do Anjo (Palmela). Today the caves are kept abandoned, some of which have been deliberately filled in by gravel to protect them. Since 1945 the Artificial caves have been classified as Monuments of Public Interest.

Largo Afonso do Paço. 2765-011, Estoril, Portugal. | 38° 42' 23.3"N | 09° 22' 38.1"W