When people think of Portugal they immediately think of the Algarve, a popular destination for celebrities and normal folk alike. So I want to introduce you to Cacais in Portugal and show you that other parts of Portugal are just as lovely as the Algarve.

I have just recently returned from a long weekend to Portugal and went to Cascais, a little town outside Lisbon. It seems to be in a perfect location as it is just outside Lisbon, so you can get away from it all, yet the capital is still within reach by public transport. So you can get the right mix of city and seaside.

The town of Cascais is really quaint, with little cobbled streets and a mixture of touristy shops, coupled with Italian and Portuguese restaurants. When I went there, there were just the right amount of people to create an atmosphere and it was nice that it was not packed with tourists which meant that you could walk along without having to say excuse me!

A restaurant which I can really recommend is Cafe Galeria House of Wonders, which is a small terrace cafe and art gallery that has a real rustic feel and friendly ambiance to it. Ranked as number 5 out of 212 restaurants in Cascais on TripAdvisor, it is well worth a visit. Here you can enjoy some traditional Portuguese food and Sangria, whilst overlooking the fantastic views of Cascais.

The beaches are lovely as well and being right next to traditional Portuguese architecture you really feel like you are in Portugal as opposed to a beach that could be anywhere. There are also water sports activities and inflatable slides to occupy those that do not like sunbathing.

Cascais is perfect for those that do not like tourist hotspots and want to escape from it all in a beautiful Portuguese town with superb scenery. It is a really unique place because it is not over commercialised or packed with drunk teenagers. Rather, it is a stunning place with its own identity.