Portugal, Lisbon coast , Estoril Cascais, Winter getaway, Ryanair, cheap flights Pt 3 beach , sun

An exclusive resort town long recognised for attracting royalty, Estoril lies less than 20 miles west of Lisbon and is probably best known for its casino. One of Europe’s largest, it was the inspiration for the first of Ian Fleming’s James Bond books, "Casino Royale." Estoril’s mild winters and warm sunny summers make it a perfect beach town, with one of the nicest, Praia do Tamariz, lying right next to the casino. So famous has Estoril become that the local coast is now called Costa do Estoril.Estoril's beaches and its surroundings Popular among surfers and windsurfers, it deserves a visit for its breathtaking beauty; golden sand dunes stand out on the green background of Serra do Sintra, while the powerful waves of the ocean crash on the shore. You can't miss it!Located in the Lisbon Coast, Cascais boasts a perfect location, just two steps away from the capital city and its international airport and other must-sees locations such as Sintra (UNESCO Heritage Site), Ericeira (World Surfing Reserve) and Mafra (the Portuguese Versailles). With its mild year-round climate, the Portuguese Riviera (as the region is known) offers a surprising variety of landscapes and attractions, combining a wide range of offers in a unique destination. From pure leisure to business, golf, sun, sea and water sports, it simply has it all and offers a new definition of the concepts of eco- and activity based tourism.While celebrating more than 650 years as town, Cascais boasts more than 90 years of history in the development of tourism in Portugal, having started all those years ago as an important sun and beach destination of international repute. The richness of Cascais heritage reflects its Royal historic past. To walk around the region is to have the sensation of living in another time, to belong to another world. Since the end of the eighteenth century the region staged many important episodes of the Portuguese history as Cascais was chosen by the Portuguese Royal Family to become its summer residence. By that time medical doctors from several countries of Europe had advocated the therapeutical advantages of sea baths, seaside season became a social event and the region transformed itself in a fashionable seaside resort. Upgrading the area’s luxury and tradition, to the Portuguese Riviera came members of the European high society, such as exiled kings, writers, famous artists and bankers during the Second World War. It also became the main destination for british, japanese and german spies, like the british spy and writer Ian Fleming. Inspired by the region’s glamour and the life of the famous spy Dusan Popov Ian Fleming created one of the most popular characters of the movie industry: James Bond. Cascais is still glamorous today, modern as well as quiet. For years it has become one of the favorite residences of the upper class of capital Lisbon and many foreign residents in Portugal. Elegant buildings, with its own architecture abound together with mansions and luxury homes. A wide range of historical buildings and sites of cultural interest Cascais cultural sites comprises a set of museum units and interpretive centres, named as Museum Quarter, whose different themes go beyond the representation of the territory and the historical municipal heritage through the presentation of collections ranging from the history of art and decorative arts, to natural history, terrestrial and underwater archaeology, marine ethnology, Portuguese music, to military history and science and technology. The “Condes de Castro Guimarães” Museum, one of the landmarks of Cascais, is housed in the Palace of the Counts of Castro Guimarães, a beautiful mock-Gothic building in an inlet by the sea. Inaugurated in 1931 it is the oldest museum of Cascais and a remarkable piece of romantic architecture. Without forgetting the link with the sea and its activities, Cascais hosts at the Sea Museum an exhibit focused on maritime ethnography as well as several other rooms dedicated underwater archaeology and to the history and experiences of the fishing community of Cascais. Also related to the sea, the Santa Marta Lighthouse museum gathers representative pieces that illustrate its activity whilst it was a lighthouse, featuring a series of optical devices from the 19th and 20th centuries as well as an audiovisual centre where a multilingual documentary about the lighthouses of Portugal is exhibited. At a national and international contemporary art level Cascais hosts the “Casa das Histórias - Paula Rego” Museum (Paula Rego House of Stories) that has as its mission the knowledge and enjoyment of the works by Paula Rego and her artistic connections.